Jesse’s top tips For better b&w portraits

1 Something black, something white

in black-and-white compositions you need something black and something white with good contrast rather than lots of grey midtones.

2 Direction of light

look where the direction of light is going as that will help define the shot if you use direct light or back lit light. how quickly is the sun moving? are you going to get diffused light?

3 Focal length matters

if you are composing a shot which is more about a person and their character/beauty then use a 50mm or 85mm lens, or decide if you need to use a wider lens to make the shot ‘environmental’?

4 wide aperture

if it’s a ‘head’ or beauty shot then a lens with a wide aperture (eg f/1.8) could be more flattering and will add a bit more mystery as the background is rendered well out of focus.

5 long focal length

likewise, if a good background is hard to find, you can combine a longer focal length (85mm and above) with a wide aperture to create a dreamy but non-identifiable background.

6 brighter background elements

along the same lines as the above idea, sometimes using a very contrasty, brightly lit background, can add a bit of interest in B&w portraits. look for shapes like bridges, which can add a bit of ‘something’, yet remain blurry enough to not distract.

7 Nice light

look out for interesting light coming through windows/trees or bouncing off building walls that can be used creatively with your subject.