Black and white photography
Nov 30, 2021 06:21:11 #
I've also occasionally been in a quandary about the same issue. I sometimes think in B&W, so I set to monochrome, or load up my FM2 with Tri-x or T-Max.
Nov 30, 2021 06:39:21 #
billnikon
Loc: Pennsylvania/Ohio/Florida/Maui/Oregon/Vermont
warrenm wrote:
Thinking of doing more black and white and wonder if I should set my camera to shoot that style or just make the change in my photo editing program. Any suggestions?
It is more diligent to shoot in color and change in post. It is hard to anticipate what will look good in B&W. So, why worry about it, just continue to shoot creatively and I am sure we will see many good B&W posts from you in the future.
Nov 30, 2021 06:56:22 #
larryepage wrote:
I agree with Photomac...because if you are new to ... (show quote)
From an image quality point of view, applying a filter digitally has less of an impact than a glass filter on an lens. Plus you have an infinite range of adjustment for both color filtered as well as strength.
And as you stated, making a black and white from a color capture can be as simple as desaturation, or it can involve a bit more.
http://vnf-west.nl/BlackandWhite/7BW_PS_Conversion.html
I do a bit of black and white myself - but I almost never "shoot" for black and white. I shoot whatever grabs me, and make the decision later as to whether black and white or color is appropriate to best display my creative intent. It used to be a different process when I shot and developed black and white in my darkroom. I would seek out images that would look good in black and white, and install the appropriate filter to adjust contrasts. I like the freedom that using digital provides.
Nov 30, 2021 07:18:53 #
For digital, I prefer to photograph the subject in RAW and color and use processing to produce a black and white image. Additionally, I use UniWB and set the camera to capture in Adobe RGB. This provides me with the necessary information from which to produce a black and white photograph. YMMV
--Bob
--Bob
warrenm wrote:
Thinking of doing more black and white and wonder if I should set my camera to shoot that style or just make the change in my photo editing program. Any suggestions?
Nov 30, 2021 08:24:11 #
warrenm wrote:
Thinking of doing more black and white and wonder if I should set my camera to shoot that style or just make the change in my photo editing program. Any suggestions?
If you're really serious about b&w, you might want to consider something like the Leica M10 Monochrom, which uses a 40MP mono-only sensor. Documented advantages include eliminating the need to demosaic, resulting in a final image that's inherently sharper than a color image, saturated or no. Also, color filters used on most sensors absorb around 1EV of the light, resulting in a base ISO rated one stop higher than a chip with a color filter array would be.
Nov 30, 2021 08:55:54 #
warrenm wrote:
Thinking of doing more black and white and wonder if I should set my camera to shoot that style or just make the change in my photo editing program. Any suggestions?
Do it in post. You just never know when an image is better in one or another as you shoot it.
Nov 30, 2021 09:01:21 #
warrenm wrote:
Thinking of doing more black and white and wonder if I should set my camera to shoot that style or just make the change in my photo editing program. Any suggestions?
I'll shoot in raw color and then convert it with Adobe Camera Raw processor or in full Photoshop. Then I have full control including the color channels.
Nov 30, 2021 09:03:06 #
lamiaceae wrote:
I'll shoot in raw color and then convert it with Adobe Camera Raw processor or in full Photoshop. Then I have full control including the color channels.
You can find numerous B&W defaults, out of the box, in LR ....
Nov 30, 2021 09:04:51 #
I don't have a mirrorless camera but with those do you have a B&W mode which the viewfinder turns B&W?
Nov 30, 2021 09:06:18 #
BebuLamar wrote:
I don't have a mirrorless camera but with those do you have a B&W mode which the viewfinder turns B&W?
Yes. Both the view and the output become B&W if you save JPEGs at the camera. The raw file always contains processable color data.
Nov 30, 2021 10:37:46 #
quixdraw wrote:
Actually if I am on a B&W run, sometimes most of a day, I find it useful to set the camera to monochrome. On the cameras that have U1, U2, one is always programmed for it. Helps me think in terms of value rather than color. Once in a while I do miss a good color shot so there is a downside.
I also prefer to set my camera to monochrome if I'm shooting B&W. I also will record both jpeg and raw. The jpeg provides me with the monochromatic image while the raw provides the color version.
Nov 30, 2021 10:40:58 #
warrenm wrote:
Thinking of doing more black and white and wonder if I should set my camera to shoot that style or just make the change in my photo editing program. Any suggestions?
I suggest that you set the style to B&W but keep the raw file and convert it to B&W on your computer. That way you can do things that would be difficult to do in a JPEG SOOC.
A color rendition on your LCD can mislead you about the scene's tonality and contrast. For example, what you perceive as a contrast between any pair of colors might not show up in a B&W image. With your camera set to display B&W you will know ahead of time whether the scene has the contrast and tonality you are looking for.
Nov 30, 2021 10:50:28 #
Nov 30, 2021 10:53:47 #
CHG_CANON wrote:
You can find numerous B&W defaults, out of the box, in LR ....
True enough, but I don't use Lightroom. I learned Ps many years ago. I am sure many people like presets in Lr and several other programs, but not me, unless I am using Topaz or Nik with Ps.
Nov 30, 2021 10:56:10 #
selmslie wrote:
I suggest that you set the style to B&W but ke... (show quote)
If you convert to B/W in camera, you are limited to one algorithm to convert colors to monochrome. There are many different ways to convert to B/W, so you'd be better off using the raw file and playing with it in post. You can compare what you get to the camera's version to see which you like.
Always save the raw file. You can do a lot with it.
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