Brice Digital Photography

This black and white portrait shot taken by the very talented Marcus Beard is a good example of the effectiveness of black and white photography when it comes to taking candid photos of people.  With the latest digital SLR cameras, the photographer has the advantage of being able to shoot in the monochrome setting and visualise a scene in black and white using the LCD screen prior to taking the shot.  This provides a different view of the world, with highlights and shadows becoming more obvious.  In this example, the skin tone blends nicely into the background and is an even grey, the greyness suiting the subject matter i.e. an old woman. The eye is drawn to the detail brought out in the wrinkles on the woman’s face, perhaps even more so without the distraction that could be created by a colourful background.  Shooting the photo in black and white also gives it more of a timeless feel.


A recommended book on black and white photography for any level:

Brighton East Pier in Black and White

This photo was taken with black and white film on New Year’s Day in Brighton 2003 with my old Canon 300N, then scanned and cropped in Photoshop to reduce unnecessary beach and sky.  I also increased the contrast very slightly to give it more impact.  Black and white here seemed to suit the scene perfectly and helped to bring out the silhouettes of people on the sea front. 


I’m currently reading through this book on digital black and white photography which I can recommend to anyone. As usual in most photography books, there is an emphasis on software editing using Photoshop, although you don’t need Photoshop to be able to learn a lot on the subject. Don’t get put off by the title either, beginners will also find this useful.