Have fun with Black & White photos

Have fun with Black & White photos

I felt like trying something a little different and as I have just acquired a new photo editing program I decided to play with some of the different effects that can be achieved. The simplest and sometimes the most effective technique is turning your photos black and white. Almost every program is capable of achieving this whether it is a simple photo editing program that comes with your computer or Abode Photoshop.

B&W photography was the beginning of photography back in the days when they had nothing but. There are beautiful old B&W photographs that may be fifty, sixty or maybe even more and they could have been taken yesterday, besides the fashions and hair styles. Some places such as Dreamworld have people dress up in the old time clothes and take photos, editing them to make them look as though they are from the period they are after. Not only are these a lot of fun but they are a great idea for presents and make a unique family portrait. These days with the diversity of programs it is easy to take some of these photographs yourself. You just need to pull out the dress up box or raid the salvos. Then set up a simple background and away you go. Remember though to try and adopt the traditions of the time, for example, sorry to say, but the males are always the prominent ones in the photo.

However B&W photography is not just limited to period photos. There are many photographers that use B&W photographs, especially in weddings. B&W photos are good because they show the shade and textures of the subjects rather than the eye focusing on the colours. If done properly it can make the subject jump out of a photo simply by placing a dark subject in front of a light background or visa versa. You have to be careful though because impurities or intrusions in the photograph will be more prominent and could easily ruin a shot. B&W photos tend to have a different mood about them than coloured photos, as you can see in the example below. It is the same photograph but the black and white photo has a stronger presence.

B&W photography is a lot of fun and is good for teaching you to be aware of what you are photographing and considering the different shades of things. Also between your camera and your editing program you can also achieve some really creative shots. For example in the photos below I simply selected the balloon and then turned the rest of the photo B&W, making the balloon the focus of the photo. The possibilities are endless, all you need to do is go out and experiment and most importantly, have fun!

Amy works in the Ballina Eastmon store and has written a number of articles as she pursues her passion to be a Professional Photographer. You can read other article by Amy here.

Related posts:

1. How to Create Depth in your Photos
2. How to place hands in your photographs
3. Easy tips to shoot great group photos
4. 5 Tips for Better Portrait Photos
5. 5 Tips to take Better Family Photos