256 SHADES OF GREY BLACK AND WHITE PHOTO GRAPHY Table of Contents

Introduction ...... 4

Why Black and White Photography? ...... 5 Photo Journalism ...... 6 Travel ...... 6

Subjects for black and White Photography ...... 6 Street ...... 7 Landscapes ...... 7 Architecture ...... 8 Portraits ...... 8 Nudes ...... 9 Still Life ...... 9 High Key ...... 9 Low Key ...... 10 Silhouettes ...... 10

Camera Settings ...... 11 Exposure ...... 11 Aperture ...... 11 ISO ...... 11 File Format ...... 12 Mono Picture Style ...... 12 Use Lens Filters ...... 12 Polarizing Filter ...... 12 Graduated Neutral Density Filter ...... 12 Add Selective Colour ...... 13 Composition ...... 14

2 • 256 Shades of Grey Elements of Black and White Photography ...... 14 Tone ...... 15 Contrast ...... 16 Shape & Form ...... 16 Symmetry ...... 17 Patterns ...... 18 Texture ...... 18 Atmosphere ...... 19 Detail ...... 19 Dark and Gloomy Days ...... 20 Low Light Conditions ...... 20

Photo Editing ...... 21 Colour to Black and White Conversion ...... 21 Destructive Conversion ...... 21 Non-destructive Conversion ...... 23 Corrective Enhancements ...... 25 Dodge/Burn ...... 25 Brightness/Contrast ...... 25 Threshold ...... 26 Hue/Saturation/Lightness ...... 26 Blur/Sharpen ...... 27 Cloning ...... 28 Healing ...... 28 Graining ...... 28 Selective Colour ...... 29

3 • 256 Shades of Grey Introduction

If you only have a single hue in your photo, as opposed to all of the colours that the subject of your photo is actually composed of, you will have produced a monochrome photo. You will often see monochrome photos in sepia that try and depict the early types of photography. Monochrome photography also includes black and white photography with all the 256 shades of grey between black and white.

4 • 256 Shades of Grey Why Black and White Photography?

So why would you want to take black and white photographs when colour photography is so rich and natural looking? There are several reasons, one of which is that without colour there are fewer distractions, enabling you and the viewer to concentrate on the subject in your photo. If there is a dominant colour somewhere in the photo for your eyes to focus on, you will not necessarily see what the photographer wanted you to see. The subtlety of tones in a black and white photograph can express atmosphere, mood and give your photo “soul”, something which is not so easy to portray in colour. One of the ways to improve your compositional skills is to take black and white photos and study critically as to whether the composition is appealing. Good composition follows the rule of thirds, has leading lines, diagonals and patterns. It’s much easier to see these compositional factors in black and white, without the added confusion of colours. In a studio, shooting in black and white lets you more easily see where the highlights and shadows fall on your subject from the studio lighting. This can allow you to reposition your lighting for a better effect and which can often look classical. Black and white photography is certainly a change from colour photography as nearly everyone these days produces high definition colour images. Specialising in black and white photography can make your work stand (Photograph by http://www.123rf.com/ out and be more instantly recognizable. photo_12637925_retro-style-image-smoking-lady-in- the-bar.html) Of course, there is down side to black and white photography too. Opponents of this type of photography say that the images can lack life, look pretty much the same and often portray only a negative mood, and never a positive one.

5 • 256 Shades of Grey Subjects for black and White Photography

Bearing the reasons in mind for black and white photography, what kind of subjects would benefit from being shot in black and white?

Photo Journalism Without a doubt, number one in the list of black and white photography subjects has to be photo journalism. It is ideal for portraying atmosphere, drama and mood (Photograph by http://www.123rf.com/photo_22434135_hong- while allowing you to focus on the subject that is being kong-democracy-parade.html) photographed, without being distracted by colour. Sometimes tragic images are so confronting in colour that shooting in black and white makes the images somehow more palatable. The black and white images also look as if they could belong to a different era. For many photojournalistic images it’s difficult to know when they were taken, which adds to the mystery in some cases. Some of the locations from where the images were captured in fact haven’t changed significantly in decades. (Photograph by http://www.123rf.com/photo_17070247_golden- gate-bridge-and-san-francisco-seen-from-battery- spencer-black-and-white.html) Travel While travel photography is mainly shot in glorious colour, it is sometimes better to shoot in black and white, particularly when there are strong leading lines, such as in this photo of the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. This very different shot of Big Ben in London accentuates the detail and textures apparent in the photo. With black and white photography, you don’t always have to worry about the dullness of the sky as that only (Photograph by accentuates the tones within the photo. At the very least, http://www.123rf.com/photo_16233355_black- your travel photos will stand out from the herd! and-white-monochrome-image-of-the-clock- face-of-big-ben-of-the-houses-of-parliament-in- westmin.html)

6 • 256 Shades of Grey Street Classically, all street photography was once shot in black and white film, mainly because that’s all there was then. Even with the advent of colour photography, many (Photograph by street photographers continued to shoot in black and http://www.123rf.com/photo_9318687_homeless- man-begging-on-street.html) white because the monochrome images allowed the photographer to concentrate on mood, composition, and the use of shadows and silhouettes. Capturing mood on rainy days is easier with black and white street photography. The monochrome image below portrays the hustle and bustle of people rushing about in their busy lives, trying to escape from the rain and perhaps get home to their loved ones. (Image ID: #11741163 of http://www.123rf.com/ Image paid for by Brian Parkin) Landscapes Landscape photography often benefits from being shot in black and white, particularly if the background and foreground elements are clearly separated for the person viewing the image. The image above shows a snow scene with the point of focus being the forest of dark spruce trees sandwiched between the snow in the foreground and the light sky above. (Photograph by http://www.123rf.com/photo_12175930_winter- evening-landscape-in-alaska-with-spruce-trees- snow-clouds-and-a-moon-in-black-and-white.html)

(Photograph by http://www.123rf.com/ photo_9753078_a-fine-art-black—white- image-of-the-reservoir-at-painted-hills-in- oregon.html)

7 • 256 Shades of Grey More clearly, this photograph of a reservoir in front of the Painted Hills in Oregon shows the separation of the three elements of water, hills and sky. The bare tree branch in the foreground adds to this defined separation of compositional elements.

Architecture Architecture by its very nature has verticals, horizontals and often diagonal leading lines in its structure. These lines sometimes form patterns and textures, making it an ideal subject for black and white photography. Try to take your photograph from different viewpoints with a wide angle lens and maybe even a tilt-shit lens to produce a miniature effect. Shooting at different angles can create a whole new perspective for an ordinary building.

The image below of a tunnel has several (Image ID: 23693381_s.jpg of components which form leading lines focussing the http://www.123rf.com/ viewer’s eyes towards the exit illuminated by daylight Image paid for by Brian Parkin) in the far distance.

Portraits Shooting portraits in black and white can bring out the character of a person in a way that colour photography often fails to do. This is especially noticeable with older people or men with craggy features and stubble growth. Black and white photography makes you concentrate on lighting, shadows and composition. The fewer elements there are in the shot means there is less confusion about the focal point that the photographer wants to draw the viewer’s eye to. There is no doubt in this image below that (Photograph by http://www.123rf.com/photo_5321238_ the man’s face is meant to be the focal point. portrait-of-an-old-man-with-hat-isolated-on- black.html)

8 • 256 Shades of Grey Nudes Photographing the nude human body in colour can detract from visualizing the shape, texture and lines inherent in the model. Whereas in this distinctive image above, shot in black and white, it is easy to see these elements which are more noticeable because of the (Image ID: shutterstock_179836412.jpg Image paid for by Brian Parkin) shadows, highlights and tones that are produced by the studio lighting.

Still Life Many photographers prefer to shoot still life and commercial products in black and white because the contrast often defines the objects form and shape better. This is particularly apparent when shooting black objects against a white background. The simple but striking image above relies purely on the reflections on the bottle and glasses, producing distinctive highlights against a black background. This same image shot in colour would not have had the same impact on the viewer.

(Photograph by http://www.123rf.com/photo_20867061_ High Key empty-two-wine-glasses-and-bottle-isolated- on-a-black-background.html) High key photography involves shooting images of subjects composed of light tones and whites with unusually bright studio lights against a white background, so that most of the harsh shadows are lost. Some of the remaining detail tends to blend in to the white background, highlighting the small amount of blacks. In the photograph above, the viewer’s attention is focussed mainly on the model’s facial features as the rest of the lighter detail is less apparent.

9 • 256 Shades of Grey Low Key Low key photography, on the other hand accentuates the form of the subject with shadows, deep blacks and heavy contrast. There are few mid tones and whites. (Photograph by Highlights are usually few, adding only to the contrast http://www.123rf.com/photo_10575526_street- dancer-silhouette-on-white-background.html) with the dark tones.

Silhouettes The extreme of low key photography is the use of silhouettes against a white background. Strong distinctive shapes are needed and a bright light needs to light your subject from behind.

(Photograph by http://www.123rf.com/photo_17312989_ mexican-xoloitzcuintle-dog-on-low-key-photo. html)

10 • 256 Shades of Grey Camera Settings

Exposure The correct exposure for all photography is when the aperture, shutter speed and ISO settings are balanced against each other. Your camera will provide the correct exposure if you set one of these such as ISO and choose another such as aperture. The camera will then automatically suggest the shutter speed to give the correct exposure. This is known as the Exposure Triangle. Alternatively, you could focus on a gray card so that the camera knows this is the mid tone in the range of black and white. Checking the histogram after shooting the image will allow you to adjust the exposure by increasing or decreasing one of the elements in the Exposure Triangle, or by changing the Exposure Value on your camera controls. It is no different with black and white photography and in some cases it is easier to see mid tones. The use of the histogram after shooting the image is a quick way to evaluate if you have the correct exposure. If you are after dark tones as in low key images, then underexpose by one or two stops. Similarly, it you want to achieve high key images, then you will have to overexpose by one or two stops.

Aperture Shooting portraits, commercial items, still life, or anything where you wish to blur the background, set a large aperture or small f number, such as f/4 or f/5.6. Where you need a greater depth of field, choose a smaller aperture like f/16. A greater depth of field is suitable for landscapes and any shot where you need everything in focus.

ISO In black and white photography it is even more important to set the ISO as low as possible, such as ISO 100. A high ISO setting will make the grain or noise more noticeable in black and white than with colour photography. Of course, you may wish to have more grain in your photo to make it look like a grainy film image, by increasing the ISO setting.

11 • 256 Shades of Grey File Format Shoot in RAW format as this captures all the detail and tonal qualities of your image more so than JPEG does. You are then able to adjust all elements such as white balance, exposure, tonal quality, contrast, brightness and sharpening in your image editing software later.

Mono Picture Style Adjust your Picture Control in the camera menu to Monochrome which will allow you to see how your image looks in black and white. Make sure that your file format is set to RAW and not JPEG format, as described previously

Use Lens Filters

Polarizing Filter When the sky is too bright and you need to tone down the highlights in the sky or light buildings, you can use a polarizing filter attached to the lens. By rotating the filter you can darken bright blue skies or make clouds stand out much more so as to add a different quality to your images. Polarizing filters are also useful to remove or reduce unwanted reflections in water, glass or other reflective surfaces. Graduated Neutral Density Filter ND filters fit over your lens and allows you to be able to control light levels to balance out highlights and shadow tones. Adjust the dark area of the filter against the sky. Set your camera to manual mode and the exposure to matrix or evaluative metering and use an aperture of about f/16. Once you’ve taken the shot, check the exposure by looking at the histogram. If the histogram is too far to the left, the image is underexposed and too far to the right, the image is overexposed. You may then need to change the ND filter to a lighter or darker one.

12 • 256 Shades of Grey Add Selective Colour An interesting look to a black and white image can be obtained by adding a selected colour from your camera menu. For example, if you wanted to shoot a single red poppy flower as a black and white image, you could select red from your camera menu after you had taken the shot to make the flower stand out from the black and white background. Alternatively, as in the image of the Eiffel Tower, the colour can be added in later using Photoshop or similar photo editing software. This method is very useful to enhance your black and white images. See the section on photo editing at the rear of this book for more information.

(Photograph by http://www.123rf.com/photo_17017347_wild- red-poppy.html)

(Image ID: rtf - 13825323_s.jpg Image paid for by Brian Parkin)

13 • 256 Shades of Grey Elements of Black and White Photography

There are several methods you could adopt that will let you produce black and white images. Firstly but not the best way is for you to change the picture control in your camera menu to monochrome which produces flat, washed out images. You could also use a JPEG format and shoot in colour first and then desaturate the image i.e. remove the colour in a photo editing software, such as Photoshop. This method loses some of the information about the image in the process of converting the image to a JPEG format. For the best results, shoot in RAW format as it contains much more information about the image. To photograph subjects in black and white isn’t just a matter of converting colour images to a monochrome (Photograph by image. To be successful in black and white photography, http://www.123rf.com/photo_17529161_paddy-field- we have to be able to “see” our subjects in black and white. in-black-and-white-at-kota-belud-sabah-borneo- malaysia.html In other words, we have to be able to identify what makes a good black and white photograph by visualising the scene in monochrome. Many elements contribute to black and white photography.

Composition Black-and-white images require a strong composition to work well. Features such as leading lines or lines pointed diagonally across the frame can create dynamic images. In the image above, the rows of rice lead our eyes towards to building in the distance and the mountains beyond. Those lines would not have been as noticeable in colour. Take for example, this pier leading out to sea. Our eyes are naturally drawn to the end of the jetty towards the (Photograph by http://www.123rf.com/photo_17165296_kerferd- horizon. road-pier-melbourne-b-w.html)

14 • 256 Shades of Grey The composition of the image below stands out because of the black and white photography.

The focal point is the lighter area, i.e. junction of the horizon and the water which is framed between dark tree branches and the rocky coastline.

(Image ID: rtf - 28939401_s.jpg (Photograph by Image paid for by Brian Parkin) http://www.123rf.com/photo_20544038_romantic- bride-and-groom-at-wedding-walk-around-column. html) Tone The tones in a photograph may consist of many shades of black and white with varying degrees of grey in between. The combination and interaction of those tones can suggest mood, whether it is dark and sad or light and happy. For example, in the image above, the couple on their wedding day is a predominantly light and happy image, while the image below, showing the cemetery, is mostly dark and brooding in tone. (Photograph by http://www.123rf.com/photo_3681661_black-and- white-cemetery-image-with-crosses.html)

15 • 256 Shades of Grey Contrast Contrast in black and white photography can be either high or low or normal. High contrast is where there are few or no middle tones of grey as in this photograph of a white swan against the blackness of the water. High contrast images can suggest hardness and strength whereas low contrast images, where there is little difference between tones, can suggest softness and emotion.

(Photograph by http://www.123rf.com/photo_10017885_white-swan-with- reflection-on-a-black-background.html)

Shape & Form Objects have both shape and form. Shape is seen in 2D images such as photographic images but for the image to look like a 3D image, it must also have form which is suggested by shadow and perspective, as in the image above of the walnuts in a dish. Images with little or no shadows are flat, without depth.

(Photograph by http://www.123rf.com/photo_18676729_black-and- white-image-of-three-nuts.html)

16 • 256 Shades of Grey Symmetry Black and white photography is perfect for images with symmetry because it is more easily discernible. The image below shows a bridge over a creek where the making a symmetrical pattern with the reflections in the water.

(Photograph by Brian Parkin) In the image below, you can see the building and bridge reflected symmetrically in the river.

(Photograph by http://www.123rf.com/photo_12943986_plaza-de-espana-in-seville- sevilla—andalusia—spain-site-of-the-spanish-expo.html)

17 • 256 Shades of Grey Patterns Patterns are repetitive shapes in an image such as in this spiral staircase below. Patterns can be seen everywhere once you start to look for them. They are common in architecture which can be more readily seen when you (Photograph by remove the colour from the image. http://www.123rf.com/photo_5583641_interior- staircase-architecture-background-black-and-white. Nature can produce the most stunning patterns of all, html) even these trees silhouetted against the sky.

Texture

(Photograph by http://www.123rf.com/photo_17320503_black- and-white-trees-silhouettes.html)

(Photograph by Brian Parkin) Black and white photography is ideal for showing texture and contrast in fine details, such as this bird’s mud nest among the trees in the image above.

18 • 256 Shades of Grey Atmosphere

(Photograph by http://www.123rf.com/photo_22288172_horizontal-shot-of-a- bench-in-a-foggy-autumn-forest.html) Low contrast shots with fog or mist in them have the ability to make a scene appear soft with an element of fear or even enchantment. The effect is not so dramatic when shot in full colour.

Detail Where you need to show more detail clearly, use a white image on a black background or vice versa, such as the image of a feather above.

(Photograph by http://www.123rf.com/photo_16278131_feather- on-the-black-background.html)

19 • 256 Shades of Grey Dark and Gloomy Days Dark and gloomy days make most photographers stay indoors because they don’t think the light is suitable. Try shooting in black and white and suddenly the light is made perfect due to the heavy contrast, as in the seascape above.

Low Light Conditions

(Photograph by http://www.123rf.com/photo_18263851_dramatic- black-and-white-seascape.html)

(Image ID: rtf - 24711940_s.jpg, Image paid for by Brian Parkin)

When you would like to capture an image in low light conditions that really stands out, as in this dark industrial area with daylight streaming through the skylights and the doors in the far distance, what better medium than black and white photography?

20 • 256 Shades of Grey Photo Editing

There are numerous photo editing software packages on the market today, varying in price and complexity. Some are limited to simple editing, i.e. colour and brightness adjustment, cropping, contrast adjustment, painting and drawing tools etc. Other packages are very complex and can undertake advanced editing such as high dynamic range image creation, batch processing, panoramas etc. The prices range from about $30 to hundreds of dollars. There is even one free photo editing photo editing package called GIMP which you can download online and is comparable to many of the more expensive software packages. The most popular software package is the Adobe Photoshop Elements retailing at around $90. Whichever photo editing package you decide to use, your images will benefit greatly from even the simplest enhancements they can offer.

Colour to Black and White Conversion Conversion of colour images to black and white can be achieved by several methods in photo editing software. There are two types of conversion, i.e. destructive and non-destructive. Before you make any adjustments to your image, make a copy and work on only on the copy. Your original can then be safely stored away in a different folder. Destructive Conversion Using a destructive type of conversion means that once the conversion is made, you can’t go back and redo it. Convert to Greyscale This a quick way to convert your colour images to black and white, but it isn’t necessarily the best way as the images they produce can be flat and lack contrast. Once you’ve opened your image in the software of your choice, select Image, Mode and then Greyscale and the colour will be removed. You can adjust the contrast in the Adjustments, Levels menu. Consider these two before and after images of a lizard.

(Image by www.gimp.org) (Image by www.gimp.org)

21 • 256 Shades of Grey Black and White Tool There is another quick method in Photoshop called the Black and White feature which is accessed via the Image, Adjustments submenu. RGB Colour Mode to LAB Mode This method produces a lighter greyscale image than the Convert to Greyscale method. It has several more steps using layers and the image is converted into different lightness and colour channels.

(Image by www.gimp.org)

Instead of RGB Colour Mode to LAB Mode, try RGB Colour Mode to CMYK Mode instead. In the black channel, it looks a lot like a negative.

(Image by www.gimp.org)

22 • 256 Shades of Grey Gorman-Holbert Named after Greg Gorman and Mac Holbert, this is a luminosity based method which produces stunning results, particularly if used for portraits, curved surfaces and fabrics. It relies on the luminosity component of the (Image by www.gimp.org) image and intensifies it with solid colour toning. Non-destructive Conversion Non-destructive conversion methods enable you to redo the conversion once it’s made. Hue/Saturation Tool Using the Image, Colour, Desaturate menu, a different result is produced which has increased contrast particularly noticeable in the scales area. It is worth noting that under greater magnification there is a lot more noise produced with this method. Gradient Map With Gradient Map, good black and white contrasts can be achieved when created as another layer to change intensities with the Opacity slider.

(Image by www.gimp.org)

23 • 256 Shades of Grey Channel Mixer This method allows you to produce custom greyscale images by adjusting the levels of each of the red, green and blue channels.

(Image by www.gimp.org) They produce different results and by playing with the levels for each channel, you can produce a result that is appealing to you.

Red Channel Green Channel Blue Channel

White Adjustment Layer The White Adjustment Layer tool can be used for images with poor white or black in them. You must first outline these areas using a select tool. The White Adjustment Layer tool then enhances those outlined areas of the image by creating pure white or black components.

24 • 256 Shades of Grey Corrective Enhancements The free photo editing software package, GIMP, has been used to explain and illustrate corrective enhancements throughout this section. As most of these enhancements are destructive, it is recommended that you use the Layers tool, working on a copy of your images. Dodge/Burn In GIMP, this is what the Dodge/Burn tool looks like.

(Image by www.gimp.org) Using the current Brush tool, the Dodge component of this tool lightens colours while the Burn component darkens colours. You can toggle between Dodge and Burn. You can achieve remarkable results by selecting between the range of shadows, midtones and highlights in your image. Overall, this is a very versatile tool.

Brightness/Contrast The Brightness/Contrast tool is very simple and quick to use, in that it allows you to adjust the brightness and contrast of your image. There is an Auto button which produces satisfactory results but if you need to make minor or more precise adjustments, use the Edit these Settings as Levels button which allows you to adjust brightness and contrast via a histogram. (Image by www.gimp.org)

25 • 256 Shades of Grey Threshold The Threshold tool creates a black and white image. Select the image or parts of the image to use the Threshold tool with. Adjust the intensity of the blacks or whites with the slider on the histogram that is provided as part of the tool.

(Image by www.gimp.org)

Hue/Saturation/Lightness The Hue/Saturation tool allows you to adjust the hue, saturation and lightness components of your selected image or part of the image, in a range of colours. You can choose each of six colours to adjust the hue, saturation or lightness of that colour with the relevant slider, or use the Master setting which adjusts your image for all six colours at the same time. Desaturating your image, i.e. sliding to the extreme left will produce a black and white image. The Lightness slider is useful for bringing out details in dark shadows and is subtly different from the Brightness/ Contrast tool. (Image by www.gimp.org)

26 • 256 Shades of Grey Blur/Sharpen The Blur/Sharpen tool produces subtle but noticeable results to locally blur or sharpen your image. It achieves this by decreasing or increasing the contrast in the area you have chosen. You will notice that the image below has been sharpened completely. If you wish to sharpen or blur the entire image, you would need to choose one of the Filters menu, e.g. Gaussian Blur or the Sharpen filter. Please note that this is not a magic wand to enhance images which were poorly focussed in the forest instance. You still need sharply focussed images to work with.

Before After

(Image by www.gimp.org) (Image by www.gimp.org)

27 • 256 Shades of Grey Cloning This is a useful tool to get rid of unwanted blemishes or spots, particularly in portraits. It can also be used to assist in the removal of unwanted objects in your image to produce a better compositional image. You select another part of your image which is near to your unwanted blemish or object. Using the Clone tool you copy and paste your selection as an overlay to your unwanted object, effectively removing it.

Healing The Healing tool is a close relative of the Cloning tool but instead of overlaying a blemish free part of the image to your unwanted object, the Healing Tool takes into consideration pixels near to the unwanted object. It works well small areas of pixels, such as with wrinkles in a portrait image, smoothing the selected area.

Graining

If you’ve used a high ISO setting to capture your image, (Image by www.gimp.org) you may see some noise in the form of graining. You can remove this noise by using either the Despeckle or After Gaussian Blur filters from the Filters menu. Sometime, you might wish to add graininess to simulate the old fashioned, high ISO, grainy film look. You can do this by using the Scatter HSV filter which can be accessed via Filters, Noise, Scatter HSV. You will notice the graininess in the “After” image below, particularly in the areas of the hat and face. You would probably not want too much graininess to affect the overall appeal of the image.

(Image by www.gimp.org)

28 • 256 Shades of Grey Selective Colour There are times when you need to emphasize a portion of your black and white photograph with a selective colour, such as in the photo of the adult’s and baby’s hands.

(Image by www.gimp.org) This can be achieved by using layers in your photo editing software. Copy your colour image into the software and convert it to a black and white image first as a duplicate layer.

(Image by www.gimp.org) (Image by www.gimp.org)

29 • 256 Shades of Grey Overlay the black and white image over the colour image and add a Layer Mask. Next use the paint brush set to the foreground colour black as a transparency, paint over the baby’s arm which allows the colour to appear in your black and white image.

This method can used to great effect to enhance any of your black and white images.

30 • 256 Shades of Grey