Stepping up at Black and White

Why black and white?

I find high-contrast black-and-white photography both challenging and rewarding. Without colour to guide the eye, the photograph relies more heavily on contrast, grain, lines, shapes and composition. It requires a different way of seeing. There is an honesty to black and white that can easily get lost in the attraction of colour.

The old masters remain an enormous source of inspiration. They took the time to understand their craft and put real care into their work. I learn a great deal from photographers such as Henri Cartier-Bresson, as well as contemporary photographers such as Matthew Hart and Cole Thompson. The photographs reproduced in this article remain the copyright of their respective photographers.

What follows is my attempt to explain some of the changes in thinking that helped me become more comfortable with black-and-white photography.

When taking black-and-white photographs

• Train your eye. Try to think of shadows as real objects and as part of the composition. Your first attempts may look flat or uninteresting. Keep exploring how lines, colour filters and texture influence the final monochrome image. It takes time to train the eye to recognise the potential in a scene.
• Think of shadows as shapes. Differences in light and tone define the edges of objects and create shapes. Lines and shapes can have a powerful effect on composition, but they are easy to overlook when we concentrate only on the subject.
• Simplify. Try to reduce the composition to the elements that matter. Ask yourself what each part of the frame contributes. If something distracts from the photograph, consider changing your position or leaving it out.
• Use negative space. Areas of low visual activity can provide a counterbalance to the main subject. A photograph needs room to breathe. The relationship between busy and quiet areas can make the subject more prominent and give the viewer a place to rest.
• Look for lines. Lines can make or break a black-and-white photograph. Implied lines are particularly interesting because they are not physically present. A gesture, a person’s gaze or the direction of movement can guide the viewer through the image.

Cole Thompson’s photograph Dunes of Nude is a wonderful example of simplicity, negative space and organic lines. The image has a sense of complexity and beauty, while the shapes and patterns create a strong visual rhythm.

Figure 1: Cole Thompson, “Dunes of Nude”.

Matthew Hart, a street photographer based in Liverpool, spent a year working exclusively in black and white. The results are impressive, and well worth exploring in his photography portfolio.

Think, then shoot

Before taking the photograph, ask yourself what you want the finished image to look like. Try to adopt something of Cartier-Bresson’s approach: make the composition in camera rather than relying on cropping to rescue it afterwards. Be prepared to move, wait and take the photograph again until the expression or gesture feels right. In street photography, work respectfully and be aware of the people around you.

Look for patterns. Once you start noticing them, you will find them everywhere: in buildings, parked cars, rows of bushes and streetlights.

Stay faithful to one lens. I find black-and-white photography particularly rewarding with a prime lens. My Minolta 50mm f/1.4 offers the contrast, sharpness and rendering I enjoy. Using the same focal length helps me understand its strengths and limitations until framing becomes almost instinctive. The lens becomes part of the way I see the scene.

Figure 2: Photograph by Matthew Hart.

Pay attention to the blacks and highlights. I sometimes experiment with a slight exposure adjustment to create the deep blacks I like, but there is no universal rule to underexpose by a third or half a stop. The right exposure depends on the scene and the tonal range you want to preserve. Use the camera histogram as a guide, but remember that the monochrome preview may not reveal clipping in individual colour channels. Check the finished RAW conversion as well.

Print your photographs. A black-and-white photograph deserves more than a life on a computer screen. Printing is accessible and can be a wonderful way to bring your work into your home. Pay attention to the frame and mount. I often like a white mount because it extends the sense of negative space and can create balance around a busy image. Centsational Girl has some interesting ideas for displaying black-and-white photographs.