Tag Archives: Black and White

High key fun

Posted on February 5, 2012 by Michael Willems

When I shoot glamour portraits, I like to use black and white, and I like to make them high-key, as in this example below from a few days ago. Why high key b/w? First, because I very much like the … Continue reading →

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Quick fixes are sometimes good

Posted on January 28, 2012 by Michael Willems

As I mentioned the other day, converting a portrait to black and white can be good if it is not optional in the first place. It is an “easy fix”. Not that my friend, model Kim, pictured below in a … Continue reading →

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An underestimated mode

Posted on May 19, 2011 by Michael Willems

One mode is underestimated today – black and white. As I have pointed out here before, black and white can make your images much more powerful by allowing the eye to concentrate on your subject – not on coloured objects. … Continue reading →

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B&W tip

Posted on May 6, 2011 by Michael Willems

Have you ever thought that a nice black and white photo was very worth looking at? That is because in B&W we do not get distracted by colour: we see the pure image. A photo is composition + moment + … Continue reading →

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Black and white

Posted on November 29, 2010 by Michael Willems

Black and white is often under-appreciated. You are taking stuff away, after all. Yes. Colour. Of course. But you are also adding stuff. As advantages of a black and white image, you get: Shades of grey. Everything becomes shades of … Continue reading →

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Berlin Wall

Posted on June 11, 2010 by Michael Willems

Toronto, for the next weeks, has a Berlin Wall, designed to keep any protesters and citizens (a.k.a. “threats”) away from the visiting G20 dignitaries, who must not see any of this. I took a few snaps yesterday, from the car: … Continue reading →

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What if…

Posted on June 6, 2010 by Michael Willems

…your picture is not sharp enough, or too grainy, or slightly blurred, or too contrasty? Then consider making it into a black and white image. Black and white is less critical. Many images can be made better this way: B/W … Continue reading →

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Dark trick

Posted on March 9, 2010 by Michael Willems

A trick from the dark side. When you have to shoot in low light, and I mean super-super low light (think f/1.4 at 1/15th sec at 3200 ISO), you can underexpose and pull up the image later. This introduces nice … Continue reading →

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When to look for black and white?

Posted on November 15, 2009 by Michael Willems

It seems almost too obvious, but one time you may want to consider going to black and white is… when you see strong blacks and whites. Like in this shot I made at a recent wedding: Strong blacks, strong whites, … Continue reading →

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More Black and White tips

Posted on November 2, 2009 by Michael Willems

I love black and white, so I thought you might too – in which case you might be interested in the following Quick Tips: Use B&W when the image is too grainy. In B&W pictures, grain can add, rather than … Continue reading →

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