Using Lighting Techniques in Black and White Photography

Black and white photography has a different lighting than color photography. Black and white will bring out contrasts in pictures. It focuses on texture, shadows, and also framing than color. These aspects should be emphasized on focusing the lighting. Black and white photography expresses a timeless and mysterious quality. This is the reason why it is favored by wedding photographers, artist, and even journalist.

Features

You can use a "golden hour" to make more dramatic black and white pictures. This is happened in an hour after sunrise and an hour before sunset. In golden hour, the sun is close to the horizon and the lights are long. It makes the light visible soft and the shadow is getting intense. This delivers contrasts between dark and light part of the pictures. These shadows that used creatively will bring out the illusion of strength and texture in black and white photography.

Function

The best lighting technique that used in black and white photography of wide shots is to use harsh light. It can be found outside in the middle of the day. This will make the color photography will be worst, but it does not work in black and white photography. It does wonderful things for black and white. When the sun is high, the shadows will be more intense. It can make the object jump out of black and white photographs. For example, a photograph of a forest with intensive shadows defines each tree and will make the photograph appear more three dimensional. You can also create this type of lighting indoors with shining bright key lights trough the subjects at an angle. It also can be done in color photography by removing the shadows.

Effects

Taking black and white photograph straightly into the light can create dramatic silhouette effects. The object that is placed in front of the light source will spread an intense shadow. This effect is far more obvious in black and white than color. Subjects that are known by their shape are good for black and white background lighting. Those subjects consist of towers, obviously formed building, trees, and also people.

Consideration

You have to consider using filters in producing dramatic effects in your black and white photography. Some people may think that it is contradictory, but by removing particular color light can create more contrast in your black and white photograph. Red and yellow will make the effect looks look light while red, yellow, and orange filters make blue look darker. If you take a picture of the sky by using these filters will make the clouds jump out at you. Green filters will make the red color darker and green will make the picture look lighter.

Source : Ezinearticles