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Black and White: Photography at its Best

With all the advancements in picture-taking, the simple advantages of black and white photography can easily be overlooked. For a beginning photographer, it is the best form to start out with, because it lets you forget about complicated color and focus solely on the forms present in the image. In many photographs, color distracts from the overall effect of the picture – changing it to black and white tones down the distractions and makes the flowing shapes much more noticeable.

Black and white is also considered a much more professional way to take portraits. In brochures, headshots of important people are taken in black and white to give it a high-class feel. Many wedding pictures are also taken without color to give them a romantic and classy appearance. Other than just for beginners and portraits, black and white is a good medium to use in other cases as well.

When to Use Black And White Photography

When is the best time to use black and white photography?

Even if it is not a special event, a portrait without color can make a better picture. Cameras and their flashes tend to give skin an unnaturally bright color or uneven shading. Using black and white helps even out the skin tone, giving the skin a nice, soft color, also making any blemishes less noticeable.

Another good time to use black and white film is on an overcast day. Pictures taken under a dull gray sky often make your pictures look washed out and lifeless. However without any colors, the gray sky is less noticeable and the picture can focus more on the forms present instead of the dull sky. Knowing the trick of when to use black and white photography instead of color will help you to get the most out of your picture-taking.

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