Experimenting with B/W

 

I am currently experimenting with B/W photography, something I avoided in the past. For me, it is simply a new experience. I thought I should post this here hoping to get a bit of advice. 

I found it best to set the camera to B/W previews with high contrast and clarity. This will apply only to the embedded previews, of course. The files will also show the B/W previews in the grid view of Lightroom  at first. I am still shooting RAW, so the file will show the colors as soon as the development is started, and in the grid view henceforth. To prevent this, one should apply a preset on import.

It is important to see the B/W preview in the camera, because photography without colors is so different that I have to relearn it. Contrast becomes the main ingredient. You need to look for contrast instead of color. Gray gradients might be present, but it seems to be very difficult to make them the main topic of the scene. Contrast is more important, i.e., saturated blacks and whites.

That does not mean you have to push the clarity slider all the way to the right. In fact, I found it more pleasing to lower it to the left a bit like in the image above. I added some clarity with a brush to the watch face afterwards.

Still, a lot of work has to be done to get the levels right and balanced. Any part of the picture which has flat contrast needs some enhancement. In the window scene above the lower part lacked contrast and the lion was also too dark and flat.

Is it easier than color? Not really. Distracting color spots disappear. That is a good thing. But scenes that live from their color can become boring. It is a new challenge.

The downside of B/W is trivially the missing color. Many pictures would stop working. After all, color does not only add information, but more importantly mood. I have a color version of the picture below too, and it has great brown to yellowish colors, creating a warm felling. In contrast, the B/W version is more sterile.

Here is the color version. You will immediately see and feel the difference. I want to experiment with that kind of photography more. But I am already sure that it won't work most of the time.