B&W Photography

I am going to talk about B&W digital photography - it is something that gives me great joy.  With color, I love the sharp pop that you can achieve from digital captures but there are times when I know that an old fashioned B&W photo is so much nicer.

There are primarily two elements needed to create a good black and white photo - now don't laugh but the image needs black and white areas.  I'm trying to create a contrast within my image and I don't have the luxury of doing this with vivid colors.  If you've ever seen those dull flat images with different shades of grey, you can understand why.

It's important, during post processing, to use your software and set your black and white points.  It's even better when you can find a leading or diagonal line in black.  Alternately, frame your focus point with one of these colors or use one of these colors as your background... it all depends on the image.  If your B&W photos are lacking something, think about this.

I have a few B&W images on my website that you can look at:  Clicking this will open a new window.

My Black and White Gallery

I'm not saying that I'm a master in black and white photography but when I began applying this principal, the quality really improved.  And like anything in photography, sometimes rules are meant to be broken.  Use your eye, apply creativity, but most of all create something that pleases YOU.  I would love to hear your comments and thoughts on different techniques.  Thanks.