Helpful Tips on Black and White Photography
Originally, just as with movies, all film for still photography was black-and-white or sepia. It wasnt until the mid-20th century that color photography became feasible for the masses. Obviously color photography is now open to anyone, and given that we see the world in color, why would we want to deliberately remove color from our photographs?
This question is unique in that it brings about the answer of identifying when to take a black and white photograph or when to remove color from a photograph using an editing program such as Photoshop.
The answer is quite simple, to simplify the photo. Using black and white or removing the color from a photo enables all distracting elements to be eliminated. This process is similar to that of blurring the background or playing with the frame of a photo.
So now we know the why, which has led us to the when, of black-and-white photography, lets look at the three main situations where we might de-saturate (i.e. remove color from) a photo.
# Color Portraits – Taking a photo of someone using color photography reveals a close up to their facial flaws. Things such as skin discolorations and blemishes become a distraction to the viewer and leave them unable to see the true emotions, life and personality of the person in the photo.
# Fine Art Abstract Photography
In Abstract Fine Art Photography, a photographers subject of choice is patterns and shapes. If color photography is used, it takes away from the importance of the subject matter, while black and white allows the artists vision to remain clear.
In addition, black and white photos are generally more tolerant of contrast. Therefore, photographers of Abstract Fine Art will oftentimes remove color and increase contrast using an editing enhancement program.
# Whenever the photo is more or less monochromatic anyway
Having a photo that is lacking brilliant color is distracting. Hence, it only stands to reason that it be stripped and made a black and white photo. Just as color can be distracting, so too can be the lack of lustrous color.
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