Black-and-white photo tips
You won’t go wrong if you…
1
Shoot in raw: You can select the mono picture style on your camera to get a black-and-white preview image, but the file will be saved with all the colour information intact. This allows you to compose in mono, but convert the image using a raw converter’s powerful controls.
2
Keep it simple: Without colour to carry an image, get back to basics with composition and focus on line, shape, light and shadow. Shadows in particular can become quite structural. Try underexposing a shot so that they become inky-black, and use them to frame other elements that are highlighted in pools of light.
3
Don’t just desaturate: Use the colour sliders when you convert your images. You’ll be able to make some colours lighter and others darker on order to make your pictures more dynamic. These are global changes, so you may need to use a brush to lighten or darken specific areas.
4
Dodge and burn: You can selectively lighten (dodge) or darken (burn) parts of the image using the brushes in your image editor. This allows you to draw attention to specific areas. Try dodging the white of a person’s eye and burning the pupil – a ‘less is more’ approach is usually best.
5
Experiment with toning effects:
Add a colour wash to give your mono images a standout quality. You can do this in-camera with JPEG images, or use the split-toning feature available in editing software for raw and JPEGs.