Photographers Choice: Black And White - When Is It Right

We live in a world full of color and it hits us from all sides all day long. In a world that emphasizes color so much black and white has gained a new status. The timelessness and the elegance of black and white photography cannot be put into words and has to seen to be appreciated. Black and white theme is the best way to produce photographs with character, meaning and emotion. It can transform an awful color picture into a work of aft when used properly.

Most photographers who use this are passionate hobbyists or professional photographers wanting to emphasize certain qualities of the picture. Contrast and contradiction can be inserted into the same frame with character and grab the attention of the beholder. In fact, this was the way it all started out in photography and today the monochromatic image is appreciated for its inherent and deep qualities.

Practice is important with black and white photography. The mind has to be trained to pick up tone and contrast while blocking out distractions of color. With time this will come naturally to you and the decision to optimize a photograph this way can be done with ease. The secret here is to make a conscious effort and things will fall into place. The learning process cannot be replaced by anything the experienced thus gained will be the only way to achieve success in this field.

In black and white photography the spectrum is clear. It is black on one end and white on the other with all the shaded in between. What should be optimized is what the human eye picks up as the intensity of color and intensity of light. Contrasting with these to fields is a great way to compose a black and white photograph. Although a naturally contrasting photograph is great you can use many Photoshop techniques to achieve a variety of distinct looks. Burning and dodging are also highly effective in this type of picture.

Textures can be highlighted in black and white photography and is another aspect of contrast itself. Sometimes this is represented so vividly that you can almost feel the texture by just looking at it.

Digital photographers should always shoot in color and then convert the picture to a black and white using photo editing software. It is amazing to see the difference in the same picture with color compared to the black and white image. It is only then you will realize the power of this medium.

There are certain times when a black and white photograph becomes absolutely necessary to convey the full import of the picture. Very often, photographs depicting powerful emotional moments and highly dramatic events will benefit with black and white photography. This is easy to understand when we view all those black and white holocaust pictures and compare them with pictures of present day war or disasters which are in color. So, never underestimate the power of the black and white medium and what it can do for your photography.