PHOTOGRAPHY 101 | BLACK & WHITE

The Subtle Art of Capturing Nature in Black and White

A photography prompt “Blanco Y Negro” in Photography 101 Publication, Duvy McGirr and GE McKerrihan

My friends and readers,

Today, we look at some basic photography knowledge in black and white. No, no, I am not here to teach as I am bad at teaching. I am submitting to a prompt I mentioned above.

There is no right or wrong what camera you use in capturing black and white in today’s digital world. But let’s look at some basic knowledge in a way everyone can do.

In the world of digital photography, black and white images are often viewed as inferior to their color counterparts. However, black and white photography can be a powerful tool for capturing the beauty of nature.

When done correctly, black and white images can convey a sense of emotion and drama that is often lost in color photographs.

To create stunning black and white nature photographs, there are a few things to keep in mind.

First.

Pay attention to the light. Is the light coming from the front, back, or side? Where are shadows falling?

Second.

Watch for patterns and shapes in your subject matter. For example, you might notice that a certain subject has odd lines or shapes.

Let’s look at the images below and what I see during the time I capture them. Though sometimes, what we see through our eyes is not exactly the same in our camera’s viewfinder.

My husband's family and I were walking along the lake of Constance. It was a very gloomy day, but no rain. I saw this harbor where people park or tag their boats, and I see art on those poles. I wanted to do a long exposure to this image, but I was not planning to do it as when I am with my husband's family, I try not to distract the family time.

The shells you see above were also part of our walk at the lake of Constance. I see art on them with their shapes and lines. No one noticed these shells from our family until I showed them that there were lots of shells at the shore by the Lake of Constance from my camera.

I was making a walk in the afternoon; walking between buildings in the afternoon usually, there are shadow formations that fall in between those buildings.

As I see the image, the patterns of the clouds and the look of the awkward tree formations make it dramatic for black and white.

My friends, since I close my glamour studio business in Singapore, I have fallen in love with taking nature photography; just like you, I am learning. Do not be afraid to experience new settings in your camera.

My friends who only have phone cameras asked me how to take nice photos, and my answer is simple, crawl on the floor, take a ladder, put your camera upside down, and find the angle, not in a normal position, be awkward and then you will see the images. Be Creative.

©ElvieLins2022

Thank you for reading

My name is Elvie, and I am here on Medium to share my travel, photography, life, and poetry stories. Join Medium to write your stories with my link and earn from it. You may also like to support my work by buying me a cup of coffee on this link

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