BetterPhoto Member |
untitled How to take better black and white photos?
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John A. Lind |
For technical execution of B/W photographs, study the classic trilogy by Ansel Adams thoroughly. Shoot lots of B/W to practice and become familiar with the technical principles presented as you study them. Doesn't require the large view cameras Adams used; a 35mm SLR will more than suffice. They're still in print and available through any major bookstore. These three books are "The Bible" of B/W: The Camera The Negative The Print That's only half of it. The other half is artistic; the art of composing a photograph. The first step is a change in thinking: Making photographs requires developing skills with mentally visualizing the desired photograph before picking up the camera and putting its viewfinder to the eye. It begins with defining why you are making the photograph and who its intended viewers are. There are many books available about image composition and techniques that can be used. A large library or bookstore should have at least a half-dozen books on the subject of composition. Look for ones that explain how light, lines, shapes, textures, perspectives and other objects can be used and arranged to create a visually aesthetic image that conveys the intended "message" to its intended viewers. Then practice, practice and practice again at using these tools with B/W film. -- John
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Gilbert Chatillon |
A simple question with an infinity of answers. I believe the first step in improving your B/W photos would be to enlarge them yourself. Get set-up at home or join a community center or a photo club. By doing it yourself you have total control over contrast, you can dodge or burn or soften specific areas, you can crop, you can use toners such as sepia, copper and countless others to dramatically change the looks of the final image. I recommend a book called: On a technical note, use Kodak Technical Pan. Hope it helps.
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