1. The Beauty of Black & White
Photography
Tutor: Andrew Jackson
2. Aims:
• To make all learners aware, know and understand all assignment
requirements.
• To show how historically black & white photography became
bestowed with notions of truth, realism, fact and being considered
evidential in nature over colour photography
• Make learners aware of how camera control, correct exposure,
understanding of contrast and equipment control and post
processing skills can creatively impact upon their image making
• To develop all learners visual language skills and understanding of
how black and white photography can be used to emphasise shape
and form, contrast, patterns and textures.
• Give all learners opportunities to produce images in around the
Botanical Gardens within two themed projects.
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18. Black & White vs. Monochrome
We’ve been using the term “Black and white” but the words
which we really should have been using to describe the
images we’ve seen so far are “monochrome” or
“monochromatic” images.
Why is this?
19. Monochrome photography
is photography where the image produced is
made up of a single shade or hue of the
same colour….
…..Black and white photography
is simply that – a photograph that is purely
black and white
Let’s have a look at an example….
21. This is actually what a “black and white” image would look like. No
shades of grey – just black and white
22. • We sometimes forget that colour negative film was available in the
1930’s – would our perception of history be different if more historic
images had been made in colour?
• So why didn’t more photographers use it?
• Even when colour photography was available the key figures within
photography believed that colour photography was less ‘serious’
than black and white photography in fact it was not until the 1970’s
and 80’s where colour photography began to be taken seriously as
an artistic form within photography.
• Colour photography was seen to be a barrier to ‘truth’ …colours
simply got in the way and distracted the viewer to the ‘message’.
23. How would we have viewed much of the 20th Century if it had been
recorded in colour instead of black & white?
38. • The purpose of art is to impart the sensation of
things as they are perceived and not as they are
known. The technique of art is to make objects
‘unfamiliar’, to make forms difficult, to increase
the difficulty and length of perception because
the process of perception is an aesthetic end in
itself and must be prolonged. (Shklovsky, "Art as
Technique", 12)
70. • Not all images are suitable to be
photographed in black and white…certain
colour combinations, for example, don’t
give enough ‘contrast’ or distinction
between shades.
73. Monochrome images are usually not direct renditions of
their subjects, but are more likely to be abstractions from
reality. Certain subjects – and colours – are more
suitable than others.
• Shape and form,
• Texture,
• Contrast
• Pattern
74. Ansel Easton Adams (February 20, 1902 –
April 22, 1984) was an American
photographer and environmentalist best
known for his black-and-white landscape
photographs of the American West,
especially Yosemite National Park.[1]
With Fred Archer, Adams developed
the Zone System as a way to determine
proper exposure and adjust the contrast of
the final print. The resulting clarity and depth
characterized his photographs and the work
of those to whom he taught the system.
Adams primarily used large-format cameras
despite their size, weight, setup time, and
film cost, because their high
resolution helped ensure sharpness in his
images.
Adams founded the Group f/64 along with
fellow photographers Willard Van
Dyke and Edward Weston. Adams's
photographs are reproduced on calendars,
posters, and in books, making his
photographs widely distributed.
95. In landscape photography, a red filter will turn a blue sky almost black and make clouds really stand
out, giving the scene a dramatic feel. They're also excellent for increasing visibility in haze and fog.
When shooting plants they help increase definition between flowers and foliage. This is particularly
useful when shooting red flowers, as they have a similar tone to the surrounding leaves.
Red filters produce such an extreme effect that they can make your photo look like it's been shot
through an infrared filter. This makes them a popular, cheaper alternative to true infrared
96. In portrait photography, an orange filter reduces the appearance of freckles and blemishes, giving the
skin a healthy, smooth look.
When photographing buildings and cityscapes, they give bricks a pleasing tone, and increase contrast
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between different materials to add depth and texture to the image.
Similarly to red filters, they can be used to reduce the appearance of fog and haze, and to darken
97. When snapping landscapes a yellow filter darkens the sky slightly, helping to balance its exposure
against the darker ground. They also bring out clouds nicely, resulting in more interesting skies.
In portrait photography, they produce warm, natural, pleasing flesh tones, like an orange filter but less
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intense.
Yellow filters are good for separating shades of green, and can be used when photographing plants to
98. A green filter is mainly used for photographing plants as it helps separate the green foliage from the
brightly-coloured flowers and buds.
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They can also be used in landscape photography to boost the appearance of grass and trees, but
they also lighten the sky so you need to be careful not to lose detail there.
99. Blue filters are rarely used for black and white photography. They darken most colours and reduce
contrast across an image.
When used correctly, this reduced contrast can be useful for giving a shot a calm, soothing
atmosphere. A blue filter also increases the appearance of haze and mist, making it handy for
enhancing the mood of an early-morning scene.
If you're serious about black and white photography then a selection of coloured filters is a great
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addition to your kit. They'll give you much more control over the way your photos appear, helping you
to create mood, balance contrast, and emphasise the most important parts of a scene.
101. Reflected light meters -
the type of light meter found in every camera, it measures the light reflecting off
the subject.
Your camera meter is calibrated to expose for an object that has a reflective
incident of 18% grey
It is easily tricked as it sees both black objects and white objects as a grey
object – resulting in blacks that look grey and whites that look grey.
102. Incident metering is the most accurate method of determining exposure as it reads the
light falling on a scene.
When you hold the meter near the subject, so that the dome is directed toward the camera position, it
reads the ambient light and gives you incredibly precise exposure information regardless of the
reflectivity of the subject. This is extremely important, because the reading isn’t influenced—or tainted
—by the subject in any way. This means that accuracy isn’t compromised by what the subject looks
like.
If you are shooting snow, or a black cat in a coal room, the meter only reads the light emanating from
the light source.
103. • Incident metering is the most accurate method of determining
exposure as it reads the light falling on a scene.
• When you hold the meter near the subject, so that the dome is
directed toward the camera position, it reads the ambient light and
gives you incredibly precise exposure information regardless of the
reflectivity of the subject. This is extremely important, because the
reading isn’t influenced—or tainted—by the subject in any way. This
means that accuracy isn’t compromised by what the subject looks
like.
• If you are shooting snow, or a black cat in a coal room, the meter
only reads the light emanating from the light source.
106. Exposure
The meter The meter
over-exposed under-exposed
to make Gray to make Gray
Middle Gray – Midway between black and white
107. The Zones for Film
Light grey-white, shows last texture (minimum) but no detail. Reflected
highlights from light coloured skin, textured snow in sunlight
Bright light gray, highest zone that still holds good details. Weathered
white paint, silver hair.
Rich mid-toned grey, average Caucasian skin in sunlight, shadowed snow
on bright sunny day, sharp fine detail visible.
Your meter’s suggested settings. Medium gray, Kodak 18% Gray Card, clear
dark blue sky, excellent detail visible
Medium - dark grey, dark green foliage, shadow side on Caucasian skin.
Details plainly visible.
Important zone, very dark grey, but good texture and detail can be seen.
Dark textured bark on shadow side of tree. Where you probably want to
place your shadow details.
Dark grey-black, possibility of slight texture
110. If our scene has more than five zones of latitude we will loose shadows
or highlights, use your histogram to check your exposure.
III IV V VI VII
111. Use Exposure compensation to change zone five to any other zone,
e.g. take a reading off snow, the camera gives Zone V, use +2 to make
snow white or Zone VII
112. Over expose +1 and + 2
Under expose -1 and -2
We can place any zone
where we want it by
using exposure
compensation!
113. Zone Example
A meter reading was
taken from
The Brides dress, this
placed the dress as a
zone V. White with detail
should be a zone VII,
we need to over-
This has produced an expose to correct the
underexposed image white and therefore
correct all other zones
Note this has also
separated the dark
hair from the dark
background
116. • We’ll now go out for a 30 minute shoot
• For this exercise we will all set our
cameras to shoot in black and white –
purely to make the viewing of your images
easier for today’s workshop.
• Normally it would be best to shoot in
colour and then convert your images to
black and white in post production.
117. • All of the techniques of digital black and
white photography and post production
evolved from analogue black and white
photography
Jacob Riis (1900) Homeless Conditions in Basements The figure most directly associated with the birth of this new form of documentary is the journalist and urban social reformer Jacob Riis . Riis was a New York police-beat photographer who had been converted to urban social reform ideas by his contact with medical and public-health officials, some of whom were amateur photographers. Riis used these acquaintances at first to gather photographs, but eventually took up the camera himself. His books, most notably How The Other Half Lives of 1890 and The Children of the Slums of 1892, used those photographs, but increasingly he also employed visual materials from a wide variety of sources, including police "mug shots" and photojournalistic images.
Life in a woman’s boarding house. Renters slept on a plank.
Jacob Riis The figure most directly associated with the birth of this new form of documentary is the journalist and urban social reformer Jacob Riis . Riis was a New York police-beat photographer who had been converted to urban social reform ideas by his contact with medical and public-health officials, some of whom were amateur photographers. Riis used these acquaintances at first to gather photographs, but eventually took up the camera himself. His books, most notably [[ How The Other Half Lives ]] of 1890 and [[ The Children of the Slums ]] of 1892, used those photographs, but increasingly he also employed visual materials from a wide variety of sources, including police "mug shots" and photojournalistic images.
Glassworks, Midnight. From a series of photographs of child labor at glass and bottle factories in the United States by Lewis W. Hine, for the National Child Labor Committee. 1908
Most histograms will show the five zones, any details reaching red line will have no texture.
