Here are some tips for a successful black and white portrait
- Ask your model to move.
- Choose accessories for black and white portrait photography.
- Decide a background for a good shot.
- Take full advantage of your camera.
- Decide the right lighting technique.
- Install the camera correctly.
- Forget colors.
- Use shades of gray and contrasts.
- Create a photo in the old style.
- Add new trends in portrait photography.
- Start with preliminary preparation.
1. Ask your model to move
Who said that portraits are made in a sitting or standing position?
Moving objects or moving people can create an even better picture that reflects their own personality. Try to focus not only on the face, but also on the hands of the baker, or the feet of a dancer, for example. For better photography, you can use the face corrector.
There is nothing more amazing and beautiful than the unique features of each individual. Sometimes this is what makes us special and different from others. Light movements become elegant elements. These details will make each image unique and tell the story you captured in the shot.
Try to capture only natural images without theatricality and artificial expression.
2. Choose accessories for black and white portrait photography
It is quite possible to take a high-quality photo both indoors and outdoors. Any weather will give a special effect to your images. In addition, a rainy or overcast day will enrich the moment with its unique contrast and effects.
The main task, in this case, is not only to build the composition of the frame and decide on the right exposure but also to find the right words that will help your model relax and enjoy the process, removing the masks and exposing their own soul.
Avoid additional elements in the frame to focus only on the protagonist.
Perhaps it is better to pick up some accessories and items to create the necessary atmosphere. Or just go for a walk to capture a person’s natural movement or their normal activities such as talking on the phone or styling their hair.
3. Decide a background for a good shot
It is important to always remember that you have only three colors at your disposal: black, white, and gray. You can also colorize your black and white photos. On the one hand, this fact simplifies the process of deciding on the background, because the audience will not be distracted by bright colors.
However, their eyes will “cling” to every detail. For example, if photography takes place on the street, people passing by, passing cars, or even a flying bird can become such a distraction.
If the shooting is not in the studio, exclude any unwanted and disturbing objects from the frame. A brick or any other wall, a large staircase, or a massive tree trunk can be a good backdrop.
4. Take full advantage of your camera
The RAW format will surprise you with the number of possibilities.
Obviously, RAW files have a lot of advantages, which are considered one of the most important aspects of photography ideas. Among the main advantages:
- High-quality photos;
- Simple compared to JPEG process;
- Better print result;
- More options to meet customer needs.
When viewing a color image, our brain instantly recognizes and identifies the elements of the frame in accordance with the already accumulated images. This means that often we see not just a picture, but its interpretation created by our brain.
Texture and relief add realism and depth to the frame. They help the viewer see the details. Only RAW can provide these details.
5. Choose the right lighting technique
Many professionals mistakenly believe that wide-angle cameras can provide more opportunities to capture the right expression.
The fact is that by focusing on the background, you can lose your model, allowing other objects to be present in the frame.
Don’t be afraid to face it.
Save your wide-angle camera for streetscapes and city views. Concentrate on the person you see in front of you and open up his or her inner world, trying to capture the right moment.
All you have to do is stay as close as possible to the face you are photographing and try to catch the slightest movement of the face.
6. Install the camera correctly
Think ISO when planning your end result. The noise created by high ISO settings will be very noticeable, although it can sometimes create the effect of film grain. Basically, an expressive look on the contrary can be obtained due to the high contrast of light and shadows. The base is the combination of light and shadow in the frame.
Lens, shutter speed, and other parameters to consider.
It is better to use a sharper fixed lens given focal length. The aperture should be set to F-5.6–8 so that the entire face, from the tip of the nose to the ears, falls into the range of sharpness.
There are many tips for influencing shutter speed, but it’s best to use them according to the situation. Just set up the camera and try to work with the basic settings to see where you need to tweak and what to change.
Of course, this will all depend on the camera you are working with and the results you expect.
7. Forget colors
Color is practically not used to reveal the features of the face, character, and emotions.
Where there is poor lighting, all people will turn gray. But this does not become an obstacle to the recognition of facial expressions and emotions, even at dusk, when the eyes do not distinguish colors.
Black and white portrait.
By extracting colors, you add volume and accentuate form, because the color is often distracting and can oversaturate. The shape and size become more visible in the absence of color. When looking for a good shot, it’s best to take your mind off-color and focus on form instead.
8. Use shades of gray and contrasts
By applying filters and films with different chromatic sensitivities in an analog process, you can change the brightness of your model’s lips or eyes, compared to the base tone of the face.
Only a winning option for professionals.
You need to use expressive methods — grayscale and contrast. Use contrast to recognize and identify objects in your photo. In contrast, you can emphasize the central component of an image — for example, by placing a dark object against a light background, and also adding the depth needed to differentiate tones and hues.
The possibilities of black and white photography allow you to focus on different parts of the face and change the sensitivity.
9. Create a photo in the old style
It may seem that the time of using effects that set the photo has passed, but it is not. This simple method of burning and fading an image created in the old style or restored from an old photo is widely used today.
Portrait of a black model.
This is undoubtedly one of the most popular ways to get the following results:
- Shadows or light directed to certain parts of the portrait;
- Emphasizing the details of the set;
- The attraction of the viewer’s attention to what you like;
- Focus avoidance by model isolation.
10. Add new trends in portrait photography
No one will tell you how best to work with this or that subject on the street or in the studio.
Equip yourself with new work and a new portrait.
You can go out in search of interesting people in the city, or make yourself a new star by adding your lucky photos. If you are just taking the first steps in a black and white self-portrait, feel free to practice anywhere, anytime, as you are the only viewer and model.
Use your best pose and who knows, maybe your portrait will become the best-selling on the Internet.
11. Start with preliminary preparation
Here we will talk about your desire to get certain effects on the portraits that you make.
Black and white portraits in profile.
Modern cameras provide an opportunity to immediately see the result. It is recommended to have several photos at once in one pose or with a certain emotion. This way you will be sure that you have captured a good frame that you will work with later.
You simply add more or less contrast, vignette, or sharpening — this is your particular vision of the model.
Summarizing the ideas of black and white self-portraits
It must be recognized that the existence of applications and programs for retouching and editing can greatly facilitate the process of processing and correcting defects thanks to adjustment layers.
Study all the advantages and disadvantages in advance.
However, good ideas and important tips will always come in handy.
Today, everyone can try to become a professional portrait photographer, but there is always something to learn and something to fix. So have fun with your work and take advantage of the above tips, so you don’t have to look elsewhere for inspiration and quick help on the Internet.
To get professionally edited photos use a high-quality retouching service RetouchMe. As the leading photo editor app for iPhone and Android, RetouchMe provides over 100 options for face and body correction, skin enhancement, object, and background manipulation. Using a professional photo editor, you will quickly and efficiently hide flaws and emphasize your natural beauty!
