7 tips to help you create incredible black and white images

JamesMiller

7 tips to help you create incredible black and white images! See them here:

http://www.photographytalk.com/3220-7-tips-to-help-you-create-incredible-black-and-white-images

PB_PM

Interesting that each one of your posts on this forum points to that blog. Not that the topics aren't interesting, but it kind of seems like self promotion using this forum as a way to get hits.

JamesMiller

Here is Two tips more ...

1. Shoot in RAW, but have the picture display setting on your camera to display B/W. That way you have a good initial view of how the B/W image will look.
2. Use Nik Software Silver Efex Pro. This is an addin for Photoshop, Lightroom and Apple Aperture. Seems to be very popular with photographers who like to shoot mono. Part of the Nik collection sold by Google.

Pistnbroke

To my mind the 7 tips are rubbish..when I want a black and white image its from a colour jpeg no pre thinking at the time of shooting.

sevencrossing

One and four are vital

."Know what to look for It helps a lot to pre visualize an image in your mind."

"A proper photo has to be well exposed and well framed"

And yes shoot RAW, Shooting, jpeg throws information away, that cannot be retrieved later

(I understand why people, who do not want to spend time in post production or have small hard drives and slow computers, shoot jpeg)

but unless, you can always get it right in camera, RAW allows you more latitude when editing in Lightroom Room or similar

Regarding grain, filters, tonal range etc.

This is really best done in post, in the comfort of your home/ studio

MikeGunter

Hi all,

@PB_PM - I think @JamesMiller isn't real. He's sort like the Easter Bunny. Someone puts the candy out for him.

It's quite possible that @JamesMiller responded because he has posted several self promotion links and he's trying to mend fences with post 8 with some more 'tips'.

I could be wrong. @JamesMiller could be a real, regular guy. But I think @JamesMiller is really that site.

My best,

Mike

SquamishPhoto

Time to ban him. This is not about starting discussions, its about sending traffic his way so that he gets more advertising dollars.

donaldejose

I have a bit different perspective. I would like to see people here post links to their sites so I could look up more of their work. I would like to just click on a person's name and their should be a link to their website, if they have one and want to share it. That way you could easily learn more about someone when you liked their work on Photo a Day. But I never click on links like that posted by James Miller above because I see it as a scam on NR.

Elvishefer

(and the articles are kinda lame)

safyre

This dude is obviously just dumping links onto every photo forum in hopes of getting more views for his sub-par photography advice. Please ban him.

Gareth

Why I agree with the others about the reason for this post, I also agree with the blog post tips. I definitely do not agree with pistnbloke.

The tip I would add that is arguably the most important is; Do not use frontal light. Side light and backlight are almost always the way to go with b/w images.

sevencrossing

On the old forum there were a set of rules

RULE 6. Spam / Commercial advertisement is not allowed. Very simple rule - accounts will be deleted without notice, no exceptions. If your first post is spam, your account will be permanently deleted

PB_PM

There are here as well: Forum Rules. Unless you have dismissed the post it shows up near the top of the page of "General Discussions"

MikeGunter

Hi all,

I'm kind of like @donaldejose (as if I had any say ;-) ), in that links are easy ways to point to various things to point out (if not self serving crap - and I think we can sift that out - usually.

This thread - which is not really very good information in the first place, IMHO - it's bad advice, poorly rendered, encouraging worse, and going down a rat hole.

My best,

Mike

ThomasHorton

To me, a B/W image is not just a color image with the color taken out. A B/W photograph is a color photograph, it is just that the colors are represented as tones. It is important to consider not only the color of the scene, but how those colors will be represented as tones. This is why a good B/W shot may not look good in color and why good color shots may not look good in B/W.

But I agree with the comments on the poster. I think he uses another name when he does the same stuff on the Canon forums.

framer

I still use film for B&W, nothing better...

framer

Msmoto

There is some confusion regarding the intent of the initial post, so if this occurs again, the hammer will probably fall.

Re: B & W….I use LR 5.4 and adjust the various parameters such as shadows, contrast, highlights and the individual color sliders which can completely change the final B & W image. An example, original, and B & W variations

sevencrossing

assuming it is OK to link to other sites
Here is some B/W by Jakub Polomski

http://www.jakubpolomski.com/84070/3048037/gallery/mordor-20