BLARK AND DEXTURE SOFTWARE

Then I converted the final image to black and white by simply using one of my favorite filter presets.

I shot the portrait of rock singer Lacey Sturm, pictured below, in color first.

BLARK AND DEXTURE SOFTWARE

Depending upon what software you use, converting to black and white is as easy as one click in most cases. Chances are, you’re going to be doing some editing to your images after you take them anyway.

If it sounds like a lot of extra work, it really isn’t. Shooting in color gives you options you wouldn’t have if you started in black and white mode. So you’ll have the original, color version, then you can convert it to black and white during the editing process. Shoot In Color, Convert To Black & Whiteīy shooting in color (the default setting on your camera), you can maintain all the original, natural colors of the shot. Look for textures in an old wooden door, the bark on a tree, or fabric textiles. Check out the lines and repeating patterns in architecture. Look for interesting textures like a brick wall or a dirt road. A colorless photo doesn’t mean it has to be bland. Have you ever been outside in the early morning or late afternoon when the shadows are particularly long? It’s known as the “Golden Hour”, and it’s a great time to look for interesting shadows which can form the basis of a great black and white photo. It could be a person, a tree, or a building casting an image on the ground or elsewhere. As a photographer, you should be looking for these things anyway, but it’s especially important in black and white photography.įor example, with shadows, look for solid blacks as subjects, set against a light background. One of the most important things you can do in your quest for great black and white images is to train your eye to look for shadows, patterns, textures, and lines. See The Shadows, Patterns, Textures, & Lines Contrast can be found in many places, so let’s look at some of these. So, you can use all the same composition techniques – like the rule of thirds – that you’d use in color photography.Īs you’re shooting, think in terms of contrast - the difference between the light and dark tones in the scene. In this quick-start beginner’s guide, you’ll discover ways you can start making great black and white photos today.īlack and white photography removes any distraction of color and helps the viewer focus on other aspects of the photo, such as the subject, the textures, shapes and patterns, and the composition. So what can you do to visualize and create stunning black and white images? The fundamentals of photography will get you so far, but there are some additional techniques which will help you achieve outstanding black and white results quickly. A black and white image can be striking, engaging, breathtaking, and definitely moody. There’s something especially appealing about great black and white photography.

Blark and dexture