Black and White Photography - From Dull to Dramatic

BlackandWhite Photography

BlackandWhitePhotography

❖WhydoesBWPhotographyMatter

❖History

❖IsColorEvil?

❖SeeinginBW

❖PostProcessingWorkflow

❖InfraredBWphotography

❖BWFilmphotography

“Whenyouphotographpeopleincolor,youphotographtheirclothes.

Butwhenyouphotographpeopleinblackandwhite,youphotographtheirsouls!”—TedGrant.

❖Historicallythisiswherephotographystarted.

❖Mostbeginnersusedtostarthere.

❖StartnoticingBWincommercialfashionads-it’sallaround you.

❖MonoChromedoesn’t=BlackandWhite

HowisBWphotographyDifferent

Ablackandwhitephotodrawsmorefocustoothervisual elementssuchasshapes,textures,andmostnotably, contrast.

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IsColorEvil?

❖WouldanyonearguethatthesephotosbySteven ShoreandWilliamEgglestonwouldlookbetterinBW?

❖Colorcanbedistractingespeciallyifitisnotintegralto theshot.Warmcolorssuchasredandyellowarethe mostdistracting

ObviousChoices

❖ArchitecturePhotographymanytimeslooksbetterin B&W-we’reinterestedinthelinesandtexture,not thepaintonthewalls

❖FoodPhotographyisalmostalwaysinColorbecause ColorISimportanthere

HowtoseeinBlackandWhite

❖ThisisataskthatIthinkisdifficult-Ihavenotmasteredthisyet.

❖MytechniqueistoconvertanimageintoBWinpostproductiontoseeifIlikeit.

❖Whenshootingfilm,E6orC41givesyouoptions.Youknowwhenyou’vereachedBWnirvanawhenyouarenot afraidtoheadoutwithBWfilmonly.

OptionsforShootingBW

Digital

ConverttoBWincamera-notrecomendedorinpost production.StronglyrecommendshootinginRAWto preserveyouroptions

DigitalCameraconvertedtomonochrome: https://maxmax.com/

BWdigitalcamera-LeicaM10mono~$9000

SmartPhone

Analog

C41orE6thenconverttoBWinpostproduction-C41( colorprintfilm)hasgreaterlatitudeandthereforeeasier toconvert

BW-manyoptionstodaygiventheupsurgeininterest inBWanalog.

BWInfrared-DigitalandAnalog

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InfraRedDigital Thesewereshotwitha$280pointand shoot thatisIRreadyoutofthebox.

kolarivision.com

Analog

ShotwithRollei400IRandanR72filter. Forthisarangefindercameraworksbest.

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AdditionalThoughts

❖OnealternativetoshootingRAWonlyistoshootRAW+jpgandsetupyourcameratodoBW.Thiswaythejpglets youpreviewwhatBWlookslikeandyouhavethefullcolorshotintheRAW.

❖Colorprintfilm(C-41)isbesttostartwithunlessyouarebraveenoughtostartwithBWfilm.Slidefilm(E-6)hasless dynamicrangeandisunforgivingofpoorexposure.

❖TIPoftheDAY:Expiredorpoorlyexposedslidefilmgenerallywon’tgiveacceptablecolorresultsandI’vefound takingthatimageintoBWpostprocessingtobeveryhelpfulinsalvaginganimage.

PhotoshopandLightroombyAdobeareverypopular.Theyarebysubscription only-thisisniceinthatyoualwayshavethelatestupdates.It’sdownsideisthat you’realwayspayingmonthly.

GIMP(https://www.gimp.org/)isanopensource,freesoftware.

CaptureOne,whichusedtobepurchaseonlyisnowalsogoingtoasubscription model.Captureone.com

ForIphonesSnapSeedisveryhandy.

WorkflowFromDulltoDramatic

•ImagesneedtobeinBlackandWhite

•Multiplewaystoachievethis

•Useyourdesaturationslidertogetridofallcolorinformation–notthepreferredmethod

•BWconvertoptioninyoursoftware–thispreservesthecolorinformationwhichcanbe manipulatedinthenextstepusingcolorsliders.

•CanusetheLABchannelmethodwhichismentionedinupcomingslide

•IfyourfinalproductistheBWimage,donotadjustparametersincolorandthenchange toBWasyourmodificationwillnotcomethru.

•Properorderiscolor---------BW----------thenmodify

LightroomMethods

Adjustcolor

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PresetsareagoodwaytovisualizewhatBWcangiveyou

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PhotoshopconversionusingLABchannel

This"additive"method,asopposedtoaneditingorcorrectivemethod,takes advantageoftheLuminanceChannelintheLABColorMode.Thismethod because:

Itisnon-destructivetotheoriginalphoto

ItusesaBlendingModethatgracefullycombinesareasofoverlyingpixels,addingrichercolor effects addssaturation,unlikemanyothermethods.

Inshort,withthismethod,weareutilizingdifferentcolorspaces,goingfromRGBtoLabColor toGrayscale,inordertocapturetheluminosity,orlightness,ofanimage.Weinversethisto achievethedarknessoftheimage,thenthattreatmentonanewlayer,andfinishbyblending itwiththeexistinglayer.

Withthisprocess,wecanutilizethenativelightcontainedintheimage,whichisalwaysa goodideaforgettingthemostnaturalresults,becauseitcapturesthesubtlelight-to-dark transitionaltonesthatkeepthephotolookingaliveandfresh,notalteredanddull.

Borrowedfromapertureacademy.com

PhotoshopusingLAB

ConvertimagefromRGBtoLABmodeImage>Mode>LAB

SelectLightness(Luminosity)channel

ConverttoGrayscalemodeImage>Mode>Grayscale

LoadtheGrayscaleasselection-HoldCmndKeyorCtrlKeyandtap theselection

InversetheSelectionSelect>Inverse

ConvertSelectiontoRGB.Image>Mode>RGB

WiththeselectionstillactiveaddaNewLayerviacopy.CMDJof CTRLJ

ApplyMultipleBlendonthislayer

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ManipulatingyourContrastisTHEsecrettoDynamicBlackandWhite

Photoshop CaptureOne

SelectiveContrastManipulations

GradientBrush

SelectiveBrush

SelectiveCurves

AdditionalThoughtsonPostProcessing

❖Adjusttoyourlikingisthemainthing.Somesuggestions:

❖Awellexposedphotowillalwaysbebetter.

❖Togetthemostdramaticlookingblackandwhitephotos, youcantrymakingtheimageincludebothatrueblack andatruewhite.

❖Asmentionedthereareprogramsandpresetsyoucanbuy togetabetterlookingBWphoto,butitwon’tbeyour photoanymore.

❖I’dsuggestyoulearnwhatyoulikebyusingthe techniquesalreadydiscussed.It’smorepersonaland cheaper.

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LearnbyDoing

❖Asmentionedthereareprogramsandpresetsyoucan buytogetabetterlookingBWphoto,butitwon’tbe yourphotoanymore.

❖I’dsuggestyoulearnwhatyoulikebyusingthe techniquesalreadydiscussed.It’smorepersonaland cheaper.

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SalvagingColorMistakes

Thiscouldbeanexampleofagedfilmwithallsortsof colorproblems.It’sactuallyLomographyMetropolis whichissupposedtohave‘colorproblems.’

TakingitintoBW,Icansalvagethephototobe relativelydecentbygettingridofthecolorshifts.

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BWFilmPhotography

Wheretostart?Tryasimple35mmSLRingoodcondition. Avoidcamerasthatrequireamercurybatterybecausethe batteriesarenolongeravailablealthoughworkarounds exist.Ifnecessary,autofocuscamerasworkaswell.I suggestyoustartwitha50mmlensthoughsomewould arguethata35mmfocallengthisjustasgood.

Film

Mostinstructorssuggestusingonefilmonlyforatleast6months toseehowtouseitandwhatarethestrengthsandweaknessesof thatfilm.Therearemorefilmsuppliersnowthantherewere15 yearsagodespitethebigplayers(FujiandKodak)droppingsome filmlines.IwouldurgeyoutostartusinganISO400filmasitwill beagoodbalancebetweenspeedandgrain[HigherISO=more grainingeneral].IfyouwanttotryISO100,Ihighlyrecommend FujiACROSII.Ilford’sXP2isaC41BWemulsion,meaningyoucan haveitdevelopedtonegativesatanumberofplaceslikeMike’s Camera.

Beforelongyouwillbelikeme-FilmHoarder

Developers

Thereareliterallyhundredsofdevelopersonthemarket. MostcommonisKodakD-76butIuseKodakHC110.

Whendevelopingathome,Icaneasilycontrolthetemperatureofthe waterthatisusedtodilutethestockdevelopersoIusedeveloperswith largedilutionssuchas1partdeveloperto31partswater.IfyouuseD-76, it’seitherstockor1-to-1andgettingthesetothecorrecttemperature( 20degC)istimeconsuming.

WheretoBuyFilmandCameras

Cameras–Thisisnotanexhaustivelist,justplaceswhereIshopwith confidence:

Local:Mike’sCamera

VictoryCamerainBoulderandDenver

Internet: KEH

BlueMoonCamera

UsedProPhoto

Kammerastore(Finland)

Film

Internet:FreestylePhoto

B&H

FreestylePhoto

Developingsupplies

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Ok,you’veshotarolloffilm,nowwhat?

❖Getitdevelopedwithprintsandscans.Manyplacesdo this.MyfavoriteisTheDarkroomwhichisabout $15/roll.

❖Wowthat’salotofmoney!

❖Onetimeinvestmentinequipmenttodevelopyour filmandsomeforchemicals.Allthiscanbedonein yourbathroom.Thenscan[flatbed,designated scanners,DSLRscan].

❖CometoCPACtolearnhowtousetheirBWdarkroom todevelopfilmandprintyourpictures.

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HybridApproach

❖Processyourfilmtonegativesandthenscantoadigitalfile.

❖FlatbedscannerlikeEpsonV600,V850.

❖DedicatedFilmscannerlikePlustek(plustek.com).

❖Forthesetwoaboveyouwillneedscanningsoftware,whichmaybeprovidedwhenyoubuythescanner.Other optionsincludevuescan.com,whichIwouldrecommendforbeginners.silverfast.comisverycapablebutthe learningcurveishuge.

❖DSLRorMirrorlessscanning,seeNegativeSupply(www.negative.supply)whichisthehardwareandyouwillneed NegativeLabPro(negativelabpro.com).

WhatDoIDowithMyDigitalFile?

❖Nowyoucanposttosocialmedia.Forthoseshootingfilm,thereisanewsocialmediaappcalledGrainery.app.No ads,noalgorithms;rightnowit’s$3amonthtopost.Maysoonacceptdigitalphotos.

❖PrintoutusinganinkjetprintereitherathomeoratCPAC.

❖Onlineprintingservices:Harman(harmanlab-us.com),WhiteWall(whitewall.com)alongwithVistaprint,BayPhotos andMpix.

❖Backup,BackupandBackuponemoretime:LocalHDbackup,OffsiteHDandfinallyCloudbackup

❖IphoneBackup.SandiskXpandThumbdrive$60for250MB

ThanksforyourAttention

❖ErnieNitkaenitka1@comcast.net

❖Emailmewithquestionsandifyou’dliketogetaPDFofthislectureletme knowbyemail.

Postscript-AILecture

Blackandwhitephotographyisimportantforseveralreasons,bothhistoricallyandartistically.

1.HistoricalSignificance:Blackandwhitephotographyhasbeenaroundforoveracenturyandplayedanessentialroleintheearlyyearsofphotography. Itwastheprimarymediumfordocumentinghistoricalevents,people,andplacesbeforetheinventionofcolorphotography.Manyiconicimagesfrom history,suchasthephotographsofWorldWarII,theCivilRightsmovement,andtheGreatDepression,werecapturedinblackandwhite.

2.ArtisticExpression:Blackandwhitephotographyisalsoanimportantmediumforartisticexpression.Byremovingthedistractionofcolor,the photographercanfocusonthecomposition,lighting,andtextureoftheimage,allowingthemtocreateamoreemotionalanddramaticphotograph. Blackandwhitephotographyhasatimelessandclassicfeelthatcanbebothpowerfulandsubtle,makingitapopularchoiceforfineartphotography.

3.Enhancingmoodandatmosphere:Blackandwhitephotographyisapowerfultoolforconveyingmoodandatmosphere.Byremovingthecolorsfroma photograph,theviewer'sattentionisdrawntotheshapes,textures,andpatternsintheimage.Thiscancreateasenseofdramaormysteryandevoke emotionsthatarenotaseasilyachievedwithcolorphotography.

4.TechnicalAdvantages:Blackandwhitephotographyhassometechnicaladvantagesovercolorphotography.Itisgenerallymoreforgivingwhenit comestoexposure,allowingthephotographertocaptureawiderrangeoftonesinascene.Blackandwhitephotographycanalsobemoreforgiving whenitcomestonoiseandotherdigitalartifactsthatcanappearincolorimages.

Insummary,blackandwhitephotographyisimportantbothhistoricallyandartistically.Itallowsphotographerstocreateimagesthatareemotionally powerful,timeless,andclassic.Itisavaluabletoolforconveyingmoodandatmosphereandhassometechnicaladvantagesovercolorphotography.