“Black and White Art”

(English edition)

The Complete Guide to Mastering

Monochrome Photography.
Lesson # 1. From the Series: Higher Training in Photography. (New Edition,
January 2023)

Author: Ernesto Martinez.

The series includes the following titles:

1. Black and White Art / 2. Color and Photography / 3. The Exposure
4. Focus and Sharpness / 5. Photographic Lighting / 6. Composition and
Photographic Language / 7. The Digital Camera / 8. Photographic Lenses / 9.
Practical guide to Lightroom / 10. Photoshop for Photographers

Table of Contents

MEANING OF BLACK AND WHITE PHOTOGRAPHY.

Brief History of B/N Photography.
 The Meaning of Black and White Photography.
Learning to Work in Black and White .
What Images are Appropriate for Black and White.
COMPOSITIONAL ELEMENTS OF THE B/W.
Black and white compositional elements.
Discover what the Color Hides.
Determines if the Color Subtracts Prominence.
TONAL KEYS.
The Gray Scale.
What are Tonal Keys?
The System of Zones in the Gray Scale.
Tonal Contrast as a Compositional Element.
EDITING AND PROCESSING OF Black and White.
Black and White: In the Camera or After?
The Post Processing in black and white.
Photoshop’s Desaturate Tool.
Grayscale Mode and Photoshop.
Photoshop Color Lab mode.
Photoshop Channel Mixer.
Photoshop Gradient Map.
Selective Desaturation, B/W with a touch of Color.
Michael Freeman method for B/W.
Rob Carr method for B/W..
Russell Brown method for B/N.
Greg Gorman method for B/W.
Professional toning in Photoshop.
Nik Collection: Silver Efex Pro 2: Professional Results in B&W.
PRACTICAL EXERCISES.
HDR for Black and White.
Final Adjustments of your Photography in B/W.
Landscapes in Black and White; Technique and Method.
The Portrait in B/ N .

Presentation of our Book:

Black and White Photography never goes out of style, it has

always held a prominent place in the history of photography, and the
constant interest it arouses in this digital age demonstrates its
immortal charm. It is a very powerful form of expression and a
resource of extraordinary power to convey feelings and emotions, it
has its own language and a unique appeal, using it in our portfolio
will help us grow as photographers. It is and has always been one of
the main subjects in the study of photography. Many photographers
are unaware that there is a universe of possibilities to obtain black
and white images, a multitude of techniques that allow different
effects and nuances to be collected in the same image.
The simplicity of a Black and White (or gray scale) image is
based solely on the tones, it is a guarantee of elegance, the absence
of color focuses attention on important aspects such as shapes,
silhouette, textures, light and the different shades tonal. With all the
digital development tools at our fingertips, today we recover the
concept of photography as a craft and B & W is its best expression.
“Black and White Art” is a complete advanced guide, to help
both amateurs and photography professionals, we propose to address
everything related to black and white photography , from technique,
equipment and composition, tips for correct post-production editing,
the vision and inspiration for you to master this type of photography
perfectly.
How to configure your camera for this purpose or convert your
photos to black and white with programs such as Photoshop using
different known methods, what settings purposes apply to black and
white images, and the compositional and technical elements that
make a Black and White photograph extraordinary.
Black and White is Artistic Expression, it transmits the purest
Visual Language and mastering it requires preparation and a lot of
effort.
If you are looking to get better photos… Incredible photos, you
don’t need to wait until you can get this or that camera, this or that
lens, flashes, filters or accessories. Not having the best equipment is
not an excuse. You can improve a lot in photography even simply
using your mobile camera, however modest it may be. There is no
more secret to success than quality training and lots of practice.
This Book is part of the series [Higher Education in
Photography], dedicated to the study of photography in all its
depth. This series will cover all the basic subjects for your training
as a photographer, including the use of Photoshop to edit your
photos. Whether you’re just starting out, or looking to improve your
skills in this area, this series will give you a great foundation.
 MEANING OF BLACK AND WHITE
PHOTOGRAPHY.

Its name expresses the essence of this type of image. Black and
white photography it is an achromatic photograph, there is no color.
The expressed tones range from white, passing through the gray
scale and reaching the purest black. It is the most genuine and pure
expression of the form through areas of light and of shadows with
all its shades or shades of gray.

It is a minimalist photography where the value as a

compositional plastic element bares the soul of the forms. Its
importance lies in the impact it produces on the viewer, its great
vitality to communicate an emotion and narrate a message.
 When photography was invented, all images were monochrome
(black and white, blue and white, and brown and white), obtained by
using the materials available at the time. Today, “black and white
photography can be many things. They may exist in the commercial
world, they may be artistic, they may be documentary or scientific in
nature, they may be found on film or digital.” While shooting in
color with your camera or smartphone is always an option,
practicing black and white photography is a great way to explore art
forms.
Black and white photos are a useful way for beginners to learn
the art of photography. By removing the complexity of color, you
can better understand your camera’s tools and explore how light,
aperture, ISO sensitivity, and shutter speed all influence each other.
Creating black and white images can allow you to approach
photography as an art form, a study in light and composition, rather
than a way to document your life for social media.
This revolutionary transformation was thanks to many
established and innovative photographers, such as Nicephorus, Louis
Daguerre, Maddox, and George Eastman, the young hobbyist
photographer (and bank clerk) from Rochester, New York who
developed a machine to produce photographic printing plates. ,
which became commercially available for the first time.
Four years later, the same innovative young entrepreneur made
an even more important invention: flexible roll film, followed, still
four years later, by the first Kodak camera, which came pre-loaded
with a 100-exposure roll.
The portability and simplicity of Kodak cameras transformed
photography from an activity reserved solely for professionals, to
one also accessible to hobbyists.
 Brief History of B/N Photography.

Black and white photography, B/W, is a “concept” used

primarily in film and photography to describe various forms of
visual technology. This is characterized by the absence of color, due
to its origins (chemical revealed), which consisted of an emulsion of
silver halides. In a first step, the film is exposed to a certain amount
of light in a camera obscura or camera, resulting in a latent image
that cannot yet be seen. It is revealed with special liquids, and it can
be passed through a stop bath, with which the image is obtained.
Finally, the image is fixed, so that it is chemically stable and does
not react to light or other external agents.
Until the 1970s, black-and-white photography was the standard
for photography at the time. All the development in the image
industry of our times is initially based on black and white and has
gradually evolved to include color. We actually use the term “black
and white“, even though sometimes the visual technologies in
question include various shades of gray in addition to black and
white, or when white and shades of a single color are used, such as
sepia.
In the mid-1930s, Kodak introduced the now legendary
Kodachrome. A color reversal film, it enabled the capture of highly
detailed images in full chromaticity and vivid colors. Although it
would achieve significant popularity among commercial and some
amateur photographers during the latter part of the 20th century, for
those working in what were considered more “serious” styles, (with
a few notable exceptions) black and white remained their go-to
palette. Colors of choice.
As a result, the zeitgeist for much of the 20th century: everyday
life; war; times of political turmoil or instability; It was rendered in
shades of gray.
By the early 1980s, the supremacy of monochrome photography
had waned considerably, accelerated by the emergence of a new
wave of influential color photographers who would further
demonstrate the format’s immense potential. Today, the color image
enjoys an almost monolithic status, ubiquitous, from billboards to
social media; print magazines, newspapers and all over the online
sphere.
 Even so, black and white photography continues to be used due
to different qualities that only it offers, especially the fact that the
absence of color allows the viewer to concentrate on the shape and
relationship of what is photographed, without taking colors into
account of the objects.
For a black and white photograph to be considered good, it must
enter what is known as the zone system, which roughly consists of
the photograph having the entire range of greys, from the whitest
white to black more black. It is a black and white technique designed
by photographer Ansel Adams.
It is common to find photographers who continue to work with
similar procedures to obtain their images. Which shows that the
history of black and white photography is a story that continues and
will continue in our time.
Currently, digital cameras have almost completely replaced
conventional analog still cameras. However, these allow you to take
photos in black and white. Many digital cameras have the option of
taking photos in B/W (or they can even apply a “sepia” effect that
makes photos look even older). But it is also possible to do it
afterwards, using a color image and, using a photo editor, transfer it
to B/W.
The digital technique has opened a door that was closed until
now: the possibility of intervening in Color in Photography with
the same ease as in B/W.
 The Meaning of Black and White
Photography.

This type of photography is a genre in which the image is

characterized by the absence of color. It is based on shades ranging
from white to black through medium tones (gray). That is why you
can also hear about it as monochrome or grayscale photography.
A black and white photograph is therefore stripped of colour,
which makes it more rigorous, direct to the objective, supported by
light, texture and shapes.
Black and white photography is instant, emotion and message.
With little, we are able to say everything. A black and white photo
impacts us for the simple fact of showing us a different reality from
what our eyes see.
Despite the exponential progress in the photography sector and
that color photography arrived a long time ago, black and white
continues to maintain a special charm that makes many
photographers, in much of their work, choose to dispense with color.
When we work in monochrome, what we are doing is
eliminating possible distractions from the shot, and we will focus on
the essence of the image. Black and white is an ideal vehicle with
which we can emphasize more attention to the composition of the
shot, to consider its light, its contrast, its texture.
Without a doubt, it has a unique charm. Its classic and minimalist
style gives full prominence to the subject or object of the
photograph. This diaphanous simplicity is totally attractive and
captivating and, despite the lack of color, it can cause an even
greater impact due to the contrast of this color pairing.
This simplicity does not mean that a good black and white
photograph is an easy thing to achieve. The difficulty comes from
the fact of dispensing with color to create an impression of warmth,
detail or texture. A black and white photograph can be cold and flat,
blurred and boring if fundamental technical and aesthetic elements
are not taken into consideration.
The images in B/W, well achieved, overflow strength and energy.
In addition, they are the basic, classic colors, capable of
transforming all the others. White is nothing more and nothing less
than the sum of all colors, it is the symbol of the absolute. White
gives a feeling of peace, lightness, emptiness, purity and positivity. It
can also convey contrary sensations such as sterility and coldness,
which allows its use in many situations.
On the other hand, we have black, the representative of darkness
par excellence. Black is nothing more than the total absence of light
and is born when a body absorbs all the colors of the spectrum
without reflecting any. Black is usually characteristic of negativity,
fear, the unknown and dangerous, but it is an extremely classic and
elegant color that also provides security.
Absolute light or its total absence are the extremes that black and
white photography addresses to create the most beautiful contrasts
thanks to the various nuances that these colors generate. This
undoubtedly leads us to the study of light.
A black and white photo impacts us for the simple fact of
showing us a different reality from what our eyes see. It is the raw
history, the timeless image.
The black and white in an image stops time in that snapshot,
with all its emotion. The absence of color strips it of all adornment,
of all artifice that associates it with the world we commonly see and
shows us a reality with all the rawness and emotionality that a
monochrome environment offers.
The magic of the light
Photographers who venture to immerse themselves in this art
should take this fundamental aspect into consideration. Remember
that we only have two color tones to capture the essence of the
subject, but this should not discourage you. Light (Photographic
Lighting) is one of the fundamental and wonderful elements that
help make black and white photography such a sublime art.
Knowledge of the use of light in this type of photography is
essential for any professional or amateur. Light is the best friend of
black and white photos, as it brings a wealth of ideas and
possibilities for creation.
The impact of Black and White photographs:
The visual power of black and white photographs is indisputable.
It is the oldest photographic style that exists. When we thought it
was going to fall into disuse, with the advent of color photography, it
only strengthened its power. It is a creative tool to add another
dimension to our photographs.
Simplifying the image, the range of black and white strengthens
the details within it.
You will be able to focus on the emotions and elements that you
might not have noticed in a color photograph. It provides a layer of
timelessness that will transport the observer: we return to the time of
analog photography, where they spent hours developing their
negatives.
Let us see it with an example:
Analyze what is the first object you see in color photography,
and then reflect on what stands out in black and white photography.
 Sometimes colors prevent us from appreciating facial
expressions: In this photograph, see how the red in the foreground
will be an obstacle to directly accessing the man’s facial expression.
In addition, the blue of his vest will also disturb the strength of his
eyes.
On the contrary, in black and white photography, the eye
immediately visualizes the face. Our gaze will be guided directly
towards the point of interest.
This does NOT mean that photographs must always be black and
white. We mean that we must learn when it is advisable to do so.
On the contrary, in this other image, we can see that the reddish
tones attract attention. The bicycle basket is more distracting in color
photography than in black and white.

They are noises that cloud the photograph and “steal” our attention
from the true point of interest first: the child’s expression.
 In this example photograph, the neon colors of the vest absorb
all the attention and direct it to the photographed subject. In
addition, by not appreciating the man’s head, a concern is generated.
Here the color favors the composition.
This is also helped by the vanishing points that are generated by
the edges of the sells, the ladder, and the top that you are reviewing.
We can notice how, in each photograph, our attention was
directed towards different points of interest. Our eyes will be
captured by the colors, and especially by the warm ones like orange
and red.
Naturally, our eye looks for these elements: light, tones and
saturation. Black and white gives a special character to photography.
Each color contrast and its saturation will affect the composition of
your black and white result.
 Learning to Work in Black and White.

If you are interested in dabbling in this photographic genre, you

should consider some tips. There are proven methods that can help
us in this process and learn to “see” in black and white. Keep in
mind that each color has its corresponding tone on the achromatic
gray scale.
First of all, when placing your camera in front of a scene, think
before you hit the shutter. Put your brain to work, which is used to
seeing the world in color, and see if it is suitable for working
achromatically. Cancel the tint or quality that identifies the colors
and stay with the value as a compositional element, that is, with the
amount of light or darkness emanating from each color in the
composition. This will put into perspective the play of light and
shadow, the gray scale.
Make sure that it provides a great tonal variety, including black
and white, which will allow you to express the essence of the forms
from a cruder sense, then you will make a good decision if the scene
is suitable to work in B/W.
In addition, in said scene color should not predominate as a
compositional element; rather it seeks to predominate lines, shapes
and textures, taking into account that the use of lateral light
enhances them. At first, this exercise is usually difficult. You can
help by placing your camera in B/W to see how your image will
always look with the certainty that the final image is in RAW
format, to take advantage of all the information, including color.
Learn to work with simple frames, without overloading the
composition, much more minimalist to highlight the center of
interest and the contrasts, which are vital in black and white
photography. In the photos taken outdoors, choose the central hours
since you will have hard light, with which it increases the contrasts
and the dramatic effects in the composition.
If you are looking to achieve a mysterious atmosphere, you will
work with diffused light at dawn or dusk and with a cloudy
environment. Practice with a studio at home where you play with
light, with shadow and light areas, different framing, perspectives,
varying planes and depth of field, as well as the abstraction of form.
All experimentation will enrich your technique and the search for
your own language by expressing yourself in black and white.
 How Do You Know If You Should Process A Black And
White Or Color Photograph?

There are many reasons for wanting to take photographs in black

and white and just as many for doing so in color. However, at what
point do we decide that the image we just took should keep its tones
or go monochrome?
It is true that there are photographs that “cry out” for one
process or another, however, it will not always be so easy and
sometimes we will have a dilemma with it.
We must ask ourselves, Is Color the Protagonist.
Each photograph is a world and, therefore, there are no “type
processes” for a certain type of photography. When it’s your turn to
reveal an image, you should stop to look at it. But to determine if
you should keep or eliminate the color, the first thing you have to do
is analyze the paper that has it in the image in front of you. In
addition, to do so, you can base yourself on these three questions:
• Is color important? Ask yourself if, in the photograph
you are processing, color has any importance. If it is
representative What is it that color tells and if it is a
fundamental part of the story that your image tells.
 • Does color play a leading role? After analyzing whether
color is important in your photography, ask yourself how
important it is. Is it perhaps the most important element of the
composition? Does it stand out from other elements? Does it
steal prominence from any other element? If the answers are
affirmative, this is the last question you should ask yourself
regarding your image:
• Should color be the protagonist in your image? We
have concluded that it is the element that stands out the most,
but is that really what interests you? If you think that color
steals prominence from any other element, let’s analyze if that
element is not more important within the composition of the
photograph than color.
If the conclusion is no, that color is an essential part, totally
necessary, so that the photo you are treating is what you want it to
be, it is clear that what you must do is maintain it and, therefore,
discard the black and white
If, on the other hand, you come to the conclusion that the color
detracts from other elements of the image that might interest you
more, black and white could be your best solution. As we said at the
beginning, each photo is a world and not everything will focus on
the prominence that color has or does not have.
 Tips for black and white photography.
Find inspiration in the shades of grey.
Before starting to create photos, we must look at the work of
other recognized artists who work in black and white. Explore well-
known and historic works, like Ansel Adams ‘ famous black-and-
white landscape photography, among an endless sea of potential
inspiration. Find a job that inspires you and look at the techniques
those artists used. When you know what style of images you want, it
will be easier to take photos that you like too.
Master your camera.
“A good way to start is to understand the technical components
of your tools.” When you know the details of your camera and
editing tools, it will be easier to create the photos you want to take.
Understanding the relationship between aperture, shutter speed,
and depth of field will help you make superior images. See how
focusing on light, dynamic range, and composition can hone your
skills and get you started. If you are using a digital camera, look for
a setting that allows you to view the camera’s screen in monochrome
mode. Images change when they are black and white, and shooting
this way can help you compose your image more effectively without
being distracted by color.
Train your eye.
We are used to seeing the world in full colour, so it can be
difficult to understand how those colors translate into shades of grey.
“It’s hard for the brain to know that a really bright red is going to
look exactly like the deep blue in your final image,” when we
convert it to black and white. Help your eye compose black and
white photos by creating lots of colorless photos. Experiment by
shooting brilliant black and white colors and see how objects change
when viewed in monochrome.
Print your photos in black and white.
Whether you work on film (analog) photography and print your
photos in a darkroom, or are a digital photographer who manipulates
images in Photoshop, make sure you have a printed version of your
photos in black and white. Seeing, evaluating your monochrome
images on paper in your hands is quite different from viewing them
on a digital screen. Printing your images can help us interact with
them for artistic purposes, as opposed to how they look when
viewed as quick snaps from your camera. It can also help you better
analyze the dynamic range and composition of your images.
 What Images are Appropriate for Black
and White.

Black and white photography requires much more

“composition”, overloading the image as little as possible, so
minimalism works well as long as you know how to simply
highlight your center of interest and make it express itself with
emotion, vitality or the drama you are looking for in this type of
photography. And to look for the drama in your photos that is
nothing more than exploiting the high contrast and for black and
white photos, this condition is essential.
Zones of light and shadow that can be obtained when hard light
takes possession of the scene, that is, when the sun is at its highest
point. Light and dark bring great emotional force to black and white
photographs and not to mention the genre “Photographic Portrait”.
Shooting with high noise will increase the textural impression of a
portrait.
As well as playing with the silhouette or highlighting the subject
where the space complements it and contributes to telling its story.
Likewise, abstraction is very appropriate in this type of photography,
as well as street and architectural photography that plays with a type
of composition described with the elements previously discussed.
 You have before you a range of genres to work with black and
white photography that invites you to explore the conceptual, the
mysterious, the dramatic and the nostalgic in images where the
absence of color is the keynote.
The photos that work best in black and white are those that don’t
base their composition on color to begin with. That is to say, it does
not make much sense to convert an image that has color as the main
ingredient of the composition to monochrome, such as this one
The photos that work best in black and white are those that don’t
base their composition on color. In other words, it does not make
much sense to convert an image that has color as the main ingredient
of the composition to monochrome, as is the case with this example
image:

Instead, we can have these types of images as possible

candidates, which work best in black and white:
• Compositions with lines.
• Minimalist compositions.
• Images with high contrast.
 • Textures.
• Pictures.
• Abstract forms.
• Negative space.
• Cloudy days.
• High and low key (drama).
• Images with marked timelessness.
• Street photography.
• Architecture.
You will have many reasons to present your photographs in
black and white. B/W has a host of characteristics that make it
special: it is expressive, it is timeless, it is art. It is the essence of
photography. However, sometimes we can find ourselves in the
position of not knowing whether to submit a photograph in black
and white or leave it in color. It is a personal decision of each
photographer and the truth is that there are photos that it would be a
crime to remove the color and others that demand black and white
with all their might.
Abstract Photographs

One of the main characteristics of abstract photography is that

the subject of our image is totally or partially isolated from its
environment, so that recognizing it is much more complicated, or at
least that must be the intention. Leaving aside other ways to get
abstract images, using black and white in them is one of the options
available to us. If we eliminate the color of these images, we will
surely eliminate many references that would allow us to recognize
the subject of our image and, therefore, it will be easier for us to
build an abstract photograph.
In addition, as we already know, black and white photography
enhances the composition of the photographs: the lines, the visual
weights. For all this, eliminating color will help us create this type of
image. Of course, using black and white is not the only way to
achieve abstract images, but it can be a good way to start testing it:
B/W will make this job easier.
Texture Photography

Surely, you have ever heard of how to enhance the textures of

our photographs by using the lighting used in them. The fact is that
using black and white will help us even more to highlight the
textures of what we want to photograph. And the reason is very
simple; we have already seen it countless times: the lack of color
will help us to focus more on the composition, on the contrasts, on
the patterns.
 So the textures, which are basically that: patterns, light contrasts;
they will be more apparent in black and white than possibly in a
color photograph.
Dramatic photographs

We use the name “dramatic” because of its ability to “move“. If

what we are looking for is to create a totally dramatic image, that
excites, that transmits things; black and white will surely be our best
option. The lack of color, in addition to making the view focus more
on the composition of the photograph, will also make the message it
contains more evident. In addition, a black and white photograph has
an infinite number of ways to convey a message only with the
shades of gray it has:
1. High key. Perfect for those photographs that want to
transmit calm, purity, light.
2. Low key. For those more mysterious or sad images.
3. High contrast. For the most aggressive photographs.
4. Different processing. Depending on what we want to
highlight in our photography, we have a multitude of ways to
process colors. Always, obviously, starting from a color image,
we will be able to decide what shade of gray corresponds to
each color. Thus, you can get very different images between
them.
 Photographs of a Moment.

There are photographs whose focus is nothing more than a

moment in time: an action, a gesture, a look. These photographs tend
to relate very well to black and white because elements such as color
can become superfluous and “steal” our attention too much, taking
away from what we really want to show in our photography. We can
find these photos in a multitude of photographic disciplines, but
above all we will find them in street images or in portraits, in
general, in all those images in which you have a living subject that
can give you one of these moments.
Strong Color Dominants or Complicated Lighting Situations.
There are times when not even with the greatest skill with the
white balance we can get the image as we want it. This happens,
above all, when we have different light sources that provide different
colored lights. The different color temperatures that we can come
across can cause a photograph to not turn out, as we would like.
When we cannot control this type of problem by changing, for
example, these light sources; our best solution will be black and
white, which will suppress all these unwanted tones and, therefore,
give our photos a more homogeneous lighting. Of course, converting
images to black and white will not solve the lighting problems that
we face before taking a photo, but those strictly related to color
temperature can be easily fixed by creating monochrome images.
Timeless Photographs
 If we want to get a photograph that is timeless, a good idea
would be to opt for black and white. Keep in mind that the colors (of
the clothes, the design of the posters… the colors in general) tend to
change because they tend to be linked to the fashions of each
moment. So we can hardly separate a color photograph from the
time in which it was taken. This does not mean at all that a color
photograph cannot be timeless or that a black and white photograph
is automatically timeless. If we know how to do it, we can achieve
both.
Also, let’s not forget, either, that the processing that is given to
the photographs also goes by fashion. Some times, it is better seen to
saturate the photos a lot and others are closer to pastel tones or
vintage processes. However, black and white will always be a
classic, whatever the fashion of the moment.
Portrait Photography
Portraits are perfect for black and white photography. This color
pairing provides a definition of texture, contours and unique
depressions that will highlight the features of your subject. In
addition, it provides a classic aesthetic, full of glamor and serenity.
Of all the genre, the portrait, in addition to being a classic, is one
of the most frequent in black and white photography. Even today,
with the ease and nuances that color photography offers us, a good
portrait gets better in black and white. Because it manages to
underline the essence of the look, of the person portrayed. Again, we
avoid color distractions, to get deeper, more sincere portraits where
lighting and gaze are the key elements.
 To achieve good results in black and white portraits, you just
have to follow common sense and experience: take care of the
backgrounds to reinforce the contrast, use an ISO value as low as
possible, avoid strong lights (unless we deliberately look for that
effect) and focus on light and shadow and how they affect facial
features and gaze.
A good portrait in black and white manages to underline the
essence of the look, of the person portrayed.
 Nature:
Photographing nature in black and white brings a totally
different vision to a simple and green landscape. It can add a vast,
barren feel to a lonely landscape, or it can bring out the brightness of
a serene lake. In addition, it is perfect to accentuate the texture of
trees, leaves, flowers, etc.

Architecture:
Buildings, houses and others gain a unique role when they are
photographed in black and white. For the same benefits that it
provides by highlighting contours, shapes, depressions, architectural
or urban photography usually has another level when obtaining the
contrast provided by these two colors.
Light, shadows, contours and feeling are some of the
characteristics of this unique style of photography. Explore and
experiment with different landscapes, surfaces and textures to hone
your eye and ability to capture the finest details in the least
unexpected places.
COMPOSITIONAL ELEMENTS OF
THE B/N.
 Black and white compositional elements.

Composition is an essential element when we remove color from

an image. A good composition is the foundation of any black and
white photography. It is part of the abstraction process that we do
when we want to photograph in monochrome. It is very important to
add a good dose of intuition and abstraction and, above all, try to
think of the image in black and white before pressing the shutter.
Only then will we be able to see the compositional possibilities
of the scene before us. To do this, keep these tips in mind:

• Identify your center of interest.

• Use the rule of thirds to position your protagonist within
the frame.
• Look for the lines; they are powerful compositional
elements to direct the viewer’s gaze.
• Frame horizontally and vertically.
• Look for patterns, play with the rhythm and break the
rhythm.
• Less is more, many elements are difficult to read and can
divert attention from the main reason.
• Look for different and original points of view.
 • Frame through natural frames (windows, doors, arches,
trees…).
• Practice with negative space or filling the frame.
• Play with lights and shadows as one more compositional
element.
The art of choosing, gathering and ordering the elements of
plastic expression in an image becomes more important in black and
white photography since the absence of color accentuates and strips
the few elements that are expressed in a monochrome photograph.
For this reason, you should always attend to selecting your center of
interest, making its prominence clear, helping you with the rule of
thirds to correctly position the main subject in the frame.
Play with few elements in the composition to avoid disorder and
lack of harmony, remember that less is more. And finally, the
contrast with the areas of light and darkness, with the chiaroscuro in
the composition, which will allow the expression of drama, nostalgia
and mystery as an added emotional component of the black and
white photos.
 One of the advantages that black and white offers us is that we
isolate all the distractions that color has when composing and
choosing lighting. In fact, as a technical exercise, photographing in
duotone will be very useful for us to improve the composition, focus
on the main subject and take great care of the backgrounds and,
above all, the lighting . We no longer have different types of light
temperatures in a scene, everything is simplified and it is easier to
focus on what is most important.
In addition, it helps us to detect the direction of light more
clearly, as well as the amount of light and shadow. Something
essential when playing with the most appropriate framing and
composition.
By stripping the images of color, the gaze focuses on the shapes
and their arrangement on the image plane; in short, in the
composition. For this reason, it is important that you decide what
elements you want to include in the scene, and how you want to
place them, and although there is never a guaranteed formula in
photography, there are some compositional tricks that are advisable
for black and white images:
1. Enhance expression

The lines and the abstract forms and therefore the architecture
with all its architectural elements: Buildings, stairs, banks, etc.
Roads, train lines, vanishing points, tree trunks.
With black and white, we simplify and, therefore, it is very
useful to enhance expression. Emphasizing the atmosphere of a
landscape or the look in a portrait is easier with black and white and
it is something that we can take advantage of to reinforce and thus
the results will be much more personal and with great visual power.
2. Reinforce negative space

Negative space or that space without information that we leave

around our center of interest.
Only with contrast can we make an image melancholic,
haunting, mysterious or even surreal. So let’s take the opportunity to
express ourselves based on the theme, motive and what we want to
convey with the ease that black and white gives us.
Known as negative space it is nothing more than the area of a
frame that does not contain anything relevant, often a uniform
background that serves to reinforce the main element. This, in black
and white, is even easier to highlight and we must take advantage of
it. Reinforcing negative space in a monochrome image, we manage
to eliminate distractions, enhance the main motif or subject and give
the image greater depth.
3. Digital noise: Do not be obsessed or limit yourself
One of the great obsessions in digital photography is noise they
offer when shooting at high sensitivities or when images or areas of
the frame are underexposed. This in black and white also occurs
naturally and, up to a certain point, it tends to be more pronounced.
But still, if the image is well exposed and we accentuate the
contrasts well, then digital noise is much better tolerated, so we can
take advantage of it to our advantage.
This is because it’s more like film grain and so isn’t always a
negative, as it can add atmosphere and interest, something important
beyond limiting sharpness or dynamic range. Noise can be an ally
and we are not afraid to use high sensitivities (much better to have a
photo with noise than not to have it) and, in addition, it is much
easier to treat that noise in post-processing using the corresponding
software.
4. Reinforce shapes and textures
It is well known that black and white in photography helps us to
better reflect shapes. Lines, patterns, geometry… are very attractive
in black and white and, therefore, are a resource that we must make
the most of. In addition, it is necessary to reinforce the forms well so
as not to fall into abstraction (unless we intentionally seek it) and
forces us to compose better than in color to guide the viewer’s gaze
towards the main motif or motifs of the frame.
One of the themes that is best reflected in black and white
photography is undoubtedly shapes. Lines, photographs with
patterns that lead to vanishing points, symmetries and geometric
images, etc… Are a great claim for this type of photography. The
lack of color introduces much more through the guides and paths
that are formed, thus seducing the minds of those who observe them
more. Thanks to the strong contrasts and the good use of light, the
viewer’s gaze can set a path to follow.
In the same way it happens with the textures, which are not easy
to appreciate in color and, in black and white, by simplifying them,
they are enhanced. We must take good care of the light in terms of
its direction to achieve appropriate textures and also in intensity to
increase them.
5. Know the Light.
It is essential in all types of photography, it does not matter if
you are going to dedicate yourself to the genre of fashion, landscape,
portraiture or Street- photography. Controlling the light is essential,
knowing how to play with it and knowing how your camera behaves
in relation to it is what will give you great photos and allow you to
adapt to any situation.
For this, it is very important to know everything about the
Photographic Exposure, to know how to use the histogram of your
camera. With it, you will learn to expose properly in any situation,
namely, where to measure the light, and over time, predict the result
without even looking at the screen of your camera.
Trying to “fix” an underexposed image is always tricky, but in
black and white, it is even more difficult, unless you love noise,
because it is very difficult to rescue an underexposed black and
white image without generating excessive noise. So pay special
attention to light when shooting in monochrome.
You always have to try to make the images speak, to trap us in
the story. A simple play of light can tell one story or a completely
different one depending on the metering point or exposure. From the
purest to the darkest, from the most mysterious to the most obvious.
You can achieve almost anything you want by mastering the light in
the scene:
1. Backlights
2. Shadows
3. Harsh or diffuse lights
Pay Special Attention to the Composition
 Composition is always vital in photography. But you must think
that in black and white you cannot take advantage of colors as a
guide and focus attention. For this reason, a good composition is
fundamental in B/N.
Shapes, tones and textures are always very important, they have
a vital significance in black and white photographs. Do not forget
either to play with the shadows and the lights to direct the gaze of
the person observing the photograph towards a specific place in the
composition.
Virtually all of the composition rules and recommendations that
we have studied for photography apply to black and white
photography, except those associated with color. In black and white
photography, lights and shadows play a special role in terms of
composition, precisely because of this absence of color.
Play with Contrast, Shapes and Textures
As I was saying, one way to achieve better compositions in black
and white photographs is to pay special attention to tonal contrast,
shapes, and textures.
> Tonal contrast. In a color photograph, we can look for
complementary colors to make our image more attractive, but if it is
in black and white, what we will have to play with is the contrast
between the different shades of white, black or gray. A good starting
point is to look for compositions in which very strong black and
white points appear, achieved thanks to the lighting received by the
elements that appear in the scene and the exposure settings of the
photograph.
>Shapes. Playing with simple shapes such as lines can help us
achieve the most impressive images. Looking for the right angle, for
example, in architectural photography, our composition will have
more strength and will attract the attention of those who observe it.
>Textures. Capturing details and textures, we will be able to
give our photographs more depth, and generate more interest
towards them. In order to capture a greater degree of textures, the
ideal is to use a hard side light, either natural or artificial light from
an external flash, for example; or backlight.
Shapes and Patterns
One of the themes that is best reflected in black and white
photography is undoubtedly shapes and lines. Photographs with
patterns that lead to vanishing points, symmetries and geometric
images, etc… Are a great claim for this type of snapshot. The lack of
color introduces much more through the guides and paths that are
formed, thus seducing the minds of those who observe them more.
Thanks to the strong contrasts and the good use of light, the viewer’s
gaze can set a path to follow.
Color can prevent us from perceiving repeating patterns of
certain elements. This type of element is very common in nature and
subtracting the distraction of color can help to perceive very striking
repetitions that occur throughout the photo.
We must rely on factors that reinforce our composition. It is very
useful to look for support in the shapes and volumes that we have in
our scene. Combine geometrically different or opposite elements to
get an impressive photo. Try to forget about the color and pay
attention to the shapes, maybe the color is preventing you from
seeing the real photo.
In a similar way to what happens with lines or textures, the use
of shapes and their repetition in the form of patterns simplifies the
composition of photographs with the absence of color.
The use of curves, the appearance of edges, the contrast of lights
and shadows in the shapes, the possible framing that we can do,
contribute when composing those black and white photos in which
the mere representation of certain shapes is becomes the center of
attention of our photo.
Contrast between Black and White
Color helps separate and differentiate elements in a scene. And
when he is not there, it is more difficult to carry out this task.
Contrast helps you differentiate the different subjects found in a
scene.
By simply highlighting a luminous object (white) on a dark
background (black), we will be able to define them. It can also be
interesting to introduce different shades of gray in the photo since it
would give depth to it.
Lines
 Lines are a formidable compositional resource in
photography. They transmit many different sensations depending
on whether they are horizontal, vertical or diagonal, and they are
very helpful when it comes to directing the attention of whoever
contemplates our photography, becoming an extraordinary ally when
it comes to composing an image.
And in black and white, with the absence of color, we can keep
the essence of those lines, further enhancing the effect they produce.
There is no point in focusing on the colors of a composition that you
will record in black and white. It helps a lot if you focus on the
beauty of the lines to preview your black and white photo.

Shadows and Silhouettes

Probably because shadows are colorless in themselves, that’s
why they work so well in black and white photography.
Their presence in the black and white photographs helps to
emphasize the drama that they themselves convey to the photograph.
Casting a shadow can be a fantastic element in black and white
photography.

A silhouette is a perfect example of plastic simplicity in which

we turn an object into a simple figure that we deprive of color and
volume, understanding by volume the three-dimensional sensation
that the same figure transmits in other lighting conditions.
In addition, after that process of simplicity in which color is lost,
the silhouettes convey all their strength in black and white
photographs.
Undoubtedly another most interesting element to take into
account when composing.
 Discover what the Color Hides.

We see the world in color, so showing something in black and

white intimidates us to see it in a new way. A black and white
photograph probably attracts more attention than one in color, since
color seems everyday, habitual to us. While the B/W brings us closer
to the cinema, to the staging, to art in general.
Hiding the distractions
More than a technical aspect, we could mention this as a mere
resource to attract attention and not divert it. Color often manages to
attract those of us who see a photo much more than the objects that
we want to see. In addition, it is that, very intense colors can distract
us from what is truly important in a shot. Thanks to black and white,
we can manage to eliminate that distraction, trying to focus the
viewer’s attention on what we want through all the aforementioned
means.
These aspects are not unique within black and white
photography, but they are one of the most used to get good images,
and many of them can be achieved by adding the help of post-
production to the shot. Despite this, we always have to take into
account the main reason for our photos, the purpose we want to
show.
The B/N hides surprises.
When shooting the camera we can imagine what the final result
of our photography will be like, because we think about it first and
then we shoot. But we will have to wait to see the image in grayscale
to be able to appreciate the final result. A good photographic
exercise is to try to imagine our scenery in black and white, with the
intention of identifying possible interesting black and white
photographs. And it is that not all photographs are suitable for black
and white processing, there are some more appropriate to become
good monochrome photographs (abstract images, with a lot of
texture, lines…) and there are less suitable ones.
 The color hides secrets.
It has happened to us that having taken a photograph that, at first
glance, is insignificant, but when converted to black and white, it
has gained strength. That happens because the color hides secrets.
There are elements that remain concealed, hidden in a certain way,
therefore color. We could say that the color draws our attention
visually, so it distracts the eyes so that they do not distinguish certain
elements in which we wanted to draw attention with our photo. It is
for this reason that it is pointed out that, in black and white
photographs, the composition is more important, because with the
absence of color, the lines, the textures, the light contrasts stand out
and become more evident.
A good B/N photo requires more work.
 Black and white photography is very attractive. And with the
ease that digital technology allows us, we can decide with a click if
we want a photo in color or in black and white and we see the results
instantly. This is a great advance. And, precisely because of this
ease, we sometimes lose perspective.
In other words, why haven’t we decided before taking a photo if
we were going to want it in color or in black and white? This
decision greatly conditions the results. Therefore, it is important to
review some technical tips that allow us to take advantage of our
creativity that will help us achieve better results in black and white.
The absence of color helps us to notice things that, in the
presence of colors, might have gone unnoticed. It is true that the fact
that we are not used to seeing in black and white can help us to
achieve a visually attractive image, but this will not free you from
having to pay more attention to the technical aspects of the image
than in white and black, they are more exposed.
The perfect excuse to use high contrast
 If we want to use a high contrast for a color photograph, surely,
the tones will vary and you will also have to dedicate yourself to
modifying the saturation and intensity to achieve the desired effect.
In a black and white photograph, you will not have to go through
this. In addition, as a general rule, monochrome photographs with
high contrast tend to have a lot of visual force, even more than in
color. However, you must not forget that it is very important that
your photography has the full tonal range: from the purest white to
the most intense black, passing through all shades of grey.

Variety of Development Options.

It may seem like converting a photo to black and white is an easy
thing to do. And that, with a single click, the development of the
photo is solved. Nothing is further from reality. There are a huge
number of possibilities: you can choose to desaturate the image, or
convert your photo to grayscale, among many other development
options that we will explain. Also, do not forget the filters that, in
the same way that they exist to edit color images, there are also to
interpret black and white photographs in a different way.

As an example: the same black and white image processed in

two different ways. The only difference between them is the
interpretation of the colors; the exposure or brightness have not been
changed.
Sometimes it’s the only way to express ourselves
Sometimes color cannot express what we are looking for or it
does not achieve it strongly enough. In these cases, black and white
can become your best medium. A black and white processed in low
key It can give rise to a very deep image, expressing aggressiveness,
harshness or also melancholy and sadness. Instead, a high key black
and white can help you a lot to express feelings of purity and
tranquility. It all depends on the photograph we want to achieve and
how we work with it before and after processing. We will talk about
these two techniques later.
B/W is one more expressive resource, we are fans of color as a
general rule, but black and white can be a very good option. In the
photos, we always look for the perfect color for each image, but
there are times when we can’t find it. On occasions like that, before
“deleting” the photo, try turning it to black and white. More than
once I have been surprised and I have realized that the color that that
photograph was asking me for was, neither more nor less, black and
white.
Black and white is simpler
As a consequence, those images that are converted to black and
white will be simpler. Of course, there are exceptions, it is not
difficult to find truly complex images in black and white, but if you
think that the colors do not add much to your photography, try
converting it to black and white, surely you will like it much better
that way.
It may seem redundant, but “Retro” is in fashion. All you have to
do is look at Instagram (and similar applications), tutorials to get
vintage effects on photos, Photoshop actions , Lightroom presets …
Be that as it may, black and white takes us back to the beginnings of
photography: when it could not be photographed in color or, later,
when it was possible, but it was not within the (economic) reach of
the majority.
So shooting in black and white is like going back to the essence
of photography. If, in addition, you add effects such as coarse grain
or sepia tones to the photos, you can get images that look really very
old. That cannot be achieved in the same way with color.
 Look in black and white
You have to learn to see in black and white.
To do this, we must go beyond what our eyes, accustomed to
color, interpret, we must force our senses to see the lines, shapes and
balance. See the lights and shadows, the story that a scene gives off,
its timelessness and its beauty in its rawest state.
The decision to take a black and white photograph or not should
not be left at the end, it is something that we must try to take into
account before shooting, in theory it should behave like this. We will
know better the subject that we are going to capture and how to do it
in a specific way in search of a suitable result for black and white
For this, our digital camera helps us a lot, since almost all
models offer the possibility of taking monochrome images and, more
importantly, being able to visualize the world in grayscale on our
screen or in the viewfinder (if it is electronic). This is very useful for
us when capturing our photographs. We can ignore the distractions
that colors offer us when composing and thus we manage to frame
and focus on the contrast, backgrounds and textures that we want to
highlight.
We already mentioned this in-camera utility, which certainly
helps guide us in our B/W shots, but whenever you can, use it at the
same time you shoot RAW to ensure that if the result is not ideal,
you will be able to recover a lot of the RAW file (which is in color).
This abstraction exercise is basic and at the same time the most
complicated to achieve. It requires practice and dedication, but it is
within the reach of anyone. Just try to ask yourself before taking the
picture what the black and white result will be like. Don’t just take it
“thinking in color” and then convert it to black and white, because if
you’ve thought of it in color, it probably won’t respond as well when
converted to monochrome.
 Shoot RAW whenever you can.
We have heard and read it hundreds of times. You have to shoot
in RAW, it is our digital negative that obtains all the information that
the sensor of our digital camera is capable of capturing. And this,
when it comes to black and white photography, is even more
important. Because this way we prevent the camera from making its
“particular” interpretation of the black and white capture (if we
activate the corresponding mode) in a JPEG file that we cannot
process again to our liking. With the RAW file, we have all the
information in color, with greater depth (16 bits) and with the
corresponding software, we will convert to black and white
according to our criteria, taste and total control.
So, when we activate the black and white mode , very useful to
preview the result on the screen, let’s not forget to also activate the
RAW mode (in addition to the monochrome JPEG that the camera
will process and that will be useful to preview the result ), in order to
have the best possible file to process later. In addition, a JPEG file is
more limited in images with high contrast, since the transitions
between highlights and shadows are more abrupt, in addition to its
limitation in reproducing the most exposed areas.
It may seem inappropriate to want a black and white image and
shoot it in color, instead of black and white as most cameras offer us,
but the truth is that converting to monochrome from a RAW file (or
failing that in color) retains much more tonal information (a great
deal more) than is contained in the cameras’ black and white
programs (JPG). This translates into a richer and more complete
image with more processing possibilities.
 Determines if the Color Subtracts
Prominence.

Now in which color does not have the prominence that interests
you, black and white will be the most efficient option to highlight
your photography. However, it may be the case that you are not
interested in deleting it. In order to decide what is best for your
image, it is best to continue analyzing the importance of color in it.
There are two possible elements that color can take away from the
prominence:
> The composition. There are a number of compositional
elements that can be hidden behind an excessive hierarchy of
color: lines, textures, empty spaces.
> The scene and its context. If you are interested in
keeping the color, before deciding to stay with black and white,
 look for other alternatives: recomposition (by doing the
appropriate cropping you can manage to highlight another
reason over the color), color processing (treating the colors in a
way concrete).

The Purpose of the photo.

Sometimes the photograph itself is not the one that has the last
word in the processing and it is that on many occasions the image
that we are dealing with will not be an individual piece, but will be
part of a series, session or project. In these cases, you must be aware
of the general style that the other photos will have.
Black-and-white portraits, there may not be room for a color
photograph. Although, yes, you should not forget that your sessions
or projects are yours (unless you have a client who tells you how to
take the photos) so it is you who has to decide, in the end, what they
will be like. If you think it convenient that a color photograph should
be part of a series in black and white, you are free. But always being
aware of what you do and why.
Another thing that you should consider is the destination that the
photograph in question will have: uploading an image to an internet
gallery is not the same as publishing it in a newspaper or using it for
a web page or any other space that has its own code graphic (this
means that it can be, for example, a colorful space in which a black
and white image has no place).
The final Quality of the Photo also determines.
Under certain circumstances and with specific equipment, it
often happens that the colors can be greatly affected by these two
variables, so it is important to take this into account when deciding
the processing that a photograph should carry. There are cameras
(especially those that are very low-end) that do not have good color
management in certain circumstances. In addition, there are lighting
with strong color casts that can be impossible to fix even shooting
raw and changing the color temperature in processing.
On the other hand, when taking pictures in very low light or in
difficult lighting situations, colors may be affected. These are some
examples in which we should reflect on how the colors were
registered in our image and whether it is really worth keeping them
or turning them to black and white, in situations like this it is usually
more beneficial for photography.
Best Test: Compare.
If you still don’t decide. Convert your color image to black and
white and see what happens. Which elements gain strength, which
elements appear highlighted (because before they were hidden
among so much color) and, above all, what general atmosphere
surrounds the image in front of you.
Don’t forget to try different ways to treat the tones in the
monochrome, there are many ways to interpret the colors and an
image with different interpretations can vary a lot. Once this is done,
compare both versions and determine what suits the image you are
working on best.
There is no written rule about this, therefore, each photograph
will demand a different interpretation. There are many factors that
will make you hesitate when developing an image in color or in
black and white, including the photograph itself (there are some
types of photography that tend to work better in black and white and,
also, individual photographs that require a specific processing) but it
will also determine your photographic style, what you need to
convey with that particular image, the story you want to tell with it.
With time, practice and, above all, looking at a lot of photos, you
will end up developing your own personal criteria that will help you
make the decision to process a photo one way or another.
TONAL KEYS.
 The Gray Scale.

Each tone in the color image has a translation to the grayscale

that makes up a black and white photograph. Knowing in a general
way what tones the image will be translated into when going from
color to black and white will give you an idea of the image you are
going to get, and even help you decide before you take the image if
it is a good candidate for the image conversion.

A sample of color equivalence with the corresponding shade of

gray in each case
In the absence of color, the tonal contrast is limited to a contrast
between light and shadow, between lighter and darker areas in the
photos. Like lines, the lightest and darkest elements in a photograph
count when it comes to directing attention.
And photographs with more tonal contrast between their
elements tend to attract more attention as a whole. So if you want to
get better results in your black and white photos, try using tonal
contrast as a lure.
High Contrast, a great ally
Although this point is above all very subjective, since black and
white photography in its technique of carrying it out depends a lot
on the language that we intend to transmit, it is true that the high
contrast within this type of photography acquires an added value
over the final score. The high contrast leaves a very low
intermediate value of gray tones between blacks and whites, which
gives much more volume to the photograph, marking all the features
of the shot much more, the photograph acquires more strength
before the viewer’s gaze.
Choosing this type of contrast versus more neutral or low
contrast is important but difficult at certain times. Always keep in
mind that to achieve this it is essential to follow the previous advice
on learning to see in Black and White; since we can “paste” colors
of the same tonal range by converting them to grayscale. It is true
that many times this contrast can be increased in postproduction, but
if we get a good base photo, we will get better results.
Contrast adds interest to the scene.
 If the photos have parts that are very close to total white or total
black, the hues will be richer and more diverse.
Work with the gray scale; if the photograph only has black and
white, it can look boring and flat. Different shades of gray add
character and dimension to the scene. And of course, this does not
mean that you cannot, nor should, take black and white shots with
low contrast; Of course, they can, and sometimes, depending on the
result you want to obtain, they can be better than those with high
contrast.
Prioritize Textures and Good Lighting
This point overlaps with the previous one, since generally an
image with high contrast tends to bring out textures, although not
always. Getting the textures to flourish in black and white shots is
almost always an important task. In color, textures are often
important, but thanks to colors it is easier for us to guess the
materials we see (this does not indicate that color is not important).
In black and white, however, emphasizing all possible features of
a photograph increases its bulk and closeness to the viewer (also in
color, but to a lesser degree); like the recognition of what we see, to
the point of knowing what we have before our eyes with a single
glance.
Despite everything, we must not fall into excessive texturing;
and that is why the contrasts between areas with many textures and
softer areas manage to increase attention to the important areas of
the shots without overloading them visually. The absence of color
information can lead the brain to focus more on textures, giving the
impression that we are able to touch it and feel it by touch.
Textures are one of those things that we always find works best
in black and white. Probably the reason is that a texture itself
transmits sensations related to touch, not sight, and touch does not
understand colors.
We can find many more textures around us than we might think
at first. Subjects such as sand, dirt, asphalt, tree bark, a wall, and all
of them are a good element to photograph in black and white.
 What are Tonal Keys?

Tonal keys are methods for working on the general tone of a

photograph. Hue is the full range of grays (from pure white to the
deepest black) or tones in an image. There are many tonal keys;
actually, each photograph has its own. But in general terms, we can
distinguish three types of keys:
1. The High Key
2. The Middle Key
3. The Low key.

Medium key. It does not have many secrets, since the vast
majority of images are made using the middle part of the gradation
of gray tones. The situation is complicated if you want to get a high
key image or a low key image.
High Key. For High key images, the composition will be full
gamut, but the photo will be dominated by lighter tones.
Low Key. In images taken in low key, all the tones in the range
will also appear, but in this case, the darker tones will predominate.
It is important to note the fact that high key images are not
overexposed photographs, nor are low key images underexposed. In
both cases, they are images with a very controlled light.
There are photographers who believe that a good low key
photograph should not contain pure white, and similarly, a high key
photograph should not contain pure black. It is up to you to include
these tones in your photography or not. But you must consider that
lighting an image correctly achieving, at the same time, a low key
and the purest white is much more difficult and elaborate than
looking for only the grays and blacks, so a good high key
photograph should contain black in its tones and a low key
photograph should have white in it.

What Does Each Tonal Key Convey and For What Kind of
Photography Are They Suitable?

◦ High key images evoke feelings of peace and sweetness. For

this reason, they are often used a lot in children’s portraits, wedding
or maternity reports. They are also very light images visually. If they
are used for landscapes or everyday scenes, they can bring a certain
fantastical and magical atmosphere.
◦ Low key images evoke the opposite: melancholy, sadness,
aggressiveness or dramatic suspense. They are often used in
portraits. They are especially attractive when looking for textures,
silhouettes and abstractions in general, because by leaving part of
the subject in the shadow, a very interesting visual attraction is
generated.
 The key to all this is to know what we want to transmit and
promote it through these resources.
Tips
The most important thing you must do to get good photographs
in the key that interests you is to plan the shot very well. As we have
already seen, the lighting in these photographs must be very
controlled, so you must organize the lighting very well to achieve
the desired result. The histogram will help you to know if you are
taking a good photograph in high or low key. In addition, to achieve
good photographic lighting, it would surely be useful to have a
photometer that calculates the incident light and not the reflected
light (which is what the photometer of our cameras calculates), it
would also be interesting to measure the light from various points of
the image to further control the final result. But let’s put general
advice aside and focus on each type of tonal key:
 > To get high key photos.
These types of photographs are, by definition, very flat: without
high contrasts. With lots of light and very soft tones. To achieve this
you must light your subject very well. The ideal would be to place it
in a room with a lot of light and, in addition, surround the subject
with different points of light so that everything is evenly illuminated.
In case you do not have different points of light, placing the subject
next to a window so that it acts as a natural diffuser could be useful.
In general, it is usually more grateful not to use direct lighting,
but to use diffusers or bounce the flash. Thus, the shadows that are
generated on your subject will be much softer. Of course, it prevents
any part of the image from being overexposed, burned, without
information. You won’t be able to fix it in the processing (even
having shot in raw, we won’t find any information) and as we have
already seen, a high key photograph is NOT an overexposed
photograph. On the other hand, keeping the diaphragm as open as
possible will help us in our goal of achieving a high key image, as it
will allow more light to enter our sensor.
It is logical to think that, in the case of high-key photographs, a
lot of light is needed, the ideal would be to have a light background
and colors that are not too dark (the colors in this type of
photography are usually in pastel tones). , either because they have
been achieved with the processing or because they were already like
this at the beginning) so a well-lit room and several points of light
may be necessary. If we do not have a room with these
characteristics or several points of light, we can get great high-key
photographs with white cardboard and a flash bounced off the
ceiling.
 > To get low key photos.
In contrast to high-key photography, low-key images are high-
contrast, and the light is usually very harsh and direct. Therefore, a
single point of light directly focused on our subject will surely help
us to enhance the sensations we want to evoke. If, in addition, that
point of light is not from the front (for example , from the side or
located behind the subject) it will help us to create even more
dramatic effects, generating more light contrasts that will add
tension to your images.
Note: The reflected light meter tends to underexpose dark
subjects and overexpose lighter ones. To get a precise exposure
using the camera’s photometer, you must compensate the exposure
and carry out tests, although to get the exact exposure first, it is best,
as we have already said, to use an incident light photometer.

Low key photography, a Completely Black Background may

help. In both cases, the use of black and white is quite recurrent. If
you choose this option, you should bear in mind that when there is
no presence of color in the photograph, the composition draws more
attention to the human eye because the contrasts become more
evident.
The Chromatic Representation in shades of Gray.
Learning how colors are translated to grayscale is one of the
most complicated topics in photography, but it will undoubtedly help
us a lot to perfect our technique. When photographing in black and
white, there are certain color tones that acquire very similar nuances
in black and white, and therefore if they are too close together in the
shot, they can become “pasted”. This generates loss of detail and
endless mismatches.
 Knowing, therefore, with which colors to associate each shade of
gray, it will be very easy for us to better compose certain shots, to
know if in the subsequent development we will have more or less
contrast, if we can change said color in post-production to better
adapt it, etc.
 The System of Zones in the Gray Scale.

The 11 main tones

The zone system is a method developed in the 1930s by Ansel
Adams and Fred R. Archer and initially intended to develop black-
and-white negatives. Adams would go on to become the greatest
landscape photographer of the 20th century (perhaps of all time). His
large-scale renderings of the natural landscapes of the USA,
displaying the full tonal spectrum of black-and-white film, reshaped
the genre and had a dramatic influence on the leagues of
distinguished photographers who followed him.
The main function of the zone system is to be able to offer the
user a reliable resource that indicates the gray scale, from pure white
to pure black. There are a total of eleven zones and the system has
remained in force until today without modifications. Thanks to this
scale, it was easier to develop photographs.

Currently, digital photography has somewhat set aside the

function of the zone system. However, the scale is still used to
define when a photograph is in high key or low key. These types of
photographs are often highly emotionally charged and consist of
extremely white (high key) or extremely black (low-key)
photographs.
This method helps to ensure that the tones of the scene are
represented in the print in the way that the photographer chooses.
The principle of the zone system is to simplify the entire range
of possible tones in the print, from white to black, into 11 main or
key tones known as zones. These zones are numbered from 0 to 10
in Roman numerals. That is, from 0 to X. Nine shades of gray, along
with pure black and pure white.
These keytones or zones are specific tones or densities in the
print that are separated in the scene by one stop.

However, the simple fact of converting an image to black and

white (or grayscale) is not enough, since it is necessary for the image
to have some specific characteristics, as well as to carry out an
adequate processing to get the full potential of this process. . It is not
automatic and requires some training.
To compose your black and white photography, we have to be
aware of which shades of gray we are facing. This way we will
achieve the expected effect.
Ansel Adams gray scale, and perceive the shades of gray.
 Tonal Contrast as a Compositional
Element.

In the making of a photograph, there are many concepts that

intervene and determine a better or worse finish: Framing,
composition, environment, naturalness, diversity.
Perhaps one of the concepts that has been written about the most
and that generates the most attention is Composition. There are
many rules of composition what can we study in photography? In
this term, we are going to refer to the tonal contrast and its
possibilities as a compositional element.
The Tonal Contrast or Luminosity Contrast.
Tonal contrast, or perhaps as we should call it, luminosity
contrast, is generated by the proximity of elements in the scene with
different levels of luminosity.
It has, therefore, nothing to do with the tone of the colors, as we
understand it, but with the luminosity of the elements in the
photograph. Thus, a photograph with sufficient tonal contrast will be
one that presents well-defined lights and shadows that are close
enough to allow this contrast.
 Our eyes are designed to search for luminosity, that is, those
elements that are brighter or those that present a greater contrast
compared to the elements around them.
Hence, a well- contrasted photograph is an image that is very
easy to read for our eyes. For this reason, the use of well-contrasted
elements ensures an easy interpretation of the photograph,
navigation through it and a better result in the eyes of the one who
observes the photograph.
Discovering the Presence of Tonal Contrast.
 As we have commented, it is about contrast at the level of
luminosity in photography. Therefore, the elimination of the color
will allow us to continue maintaining the differences in luminosity,
but without the distraction that the color supposes.
A photograph with good tonal contrast will be one that, when
completely desaturated (transition to black and white), offers an
equally contrasting result and whose reading continues to be just as
easy.
From the previous point it follows that images with strong tonal
contrast are photographs that work really well when converted to
black and white. Showing the importance of tonal contrast.
Emphasizes the subject in the foreground through increased
brightness against the background. And it shows why this contrast
should be chosen to “highlight” the subject on the “background”.
 This is not to say that they are the only rules that work as a
starting point for black and white. There are images without enough
tonal contrast but that offer a great finish when converted to black
and white. There are many other elements that will also work very
well: textures, shapes, silhouettes, lines…
Black and white is not simply the absence of color. It is totally
part of the story that your photography wants to tell. Sometimes a
decisive part. Games with lighting are the true protagonists of this
type of image, and not only that, but it will require us to work better
with it.
There are many users who do not use the RAW format, simply
because their digital camera does not allow it, or because they have
never been informed about the advantages of RAW over JPEG. In
case the latter is your situation, you should spend a few minutes
reading The Advantages of Shooting RAW vs. JPEG and
immediately change your camera settings to shoot RAW from now
on, as the RAW format gives you Much greater control over post-
processing of the image.
Work in the Right Light
One of the things with which you can play the most when taking
black and white photographs is light. With it, you will be able to
decide where the weight of the image falls, and you will be able to
give it more contrast, emphasize the textures or even play with the
shadows by only altering the direction of the light.
It is therefore important that you know how the different
qualities of light (direction, color, quality and intensity) affect the
result, and that you take advantage of it in your favor.
In outdoor photographs with natural lighting, the central hours of
the day give a harsher light than sunrise and sunset. Most
photographers prefer to use these hours of softer light to take photos
with less contrast between light and shadow.
 Cloudy days will allow you to get that softer light in the central
hours of the day. In this sense, when it seems that the weather is not
conducive to taking color photos, it helps us to take them in black
and white.
In any case, do not stop taking a photo because you do not have
the best light. You can always discard it later if you are not
convinced by the result.

Includes Pure Blacks and Whites in the Composition

It is important that when we choose a composition, as far as
possible, it includes a pure white and a pure black.
If you’re converting to black and white in editing, be sure to pay
attention to the histogram. Depending on the photograph, the black
present in the shot may correspond to a larger or smaller region.
However, to give it as much depth as possible, it is recommended
that the photo have some pure black. If not, it would be a gray and
white photo.
On the other hand, white cannot be missing either. In the same
way that happens with black, it is also recommended that your photo
have a region of pure white. So keep an eye on the histogram and
make sure that, once converted, the highlight area extends from one
extreme to the other.
Try Long Exposures
 Have you considered doing long exposure photography in black
and white? The results can be surprising, especially if we include
clouds or moving water in the composition. In addition to improving
the tonal contrast of the scene, we will be able to highlight the static
photographic motif that appears.
Don’t Convert a Badly Exposed Photo to B/W
Sometimes to try to “save” a badly exposed photo we can make
the mistake that if we convert it to black and white it will improve.
The conversion to black and white does not have to help us to cover
failures or defects derived from a bad exposure.
If you have underexposed photographs and you want to see how
they would look in black and white, you will realize that, in most
cases, the result will not be good. However, if a photo is properly
exposed and we convert it to black and white, we will see how the
result is still good, or even better if the composition and subject
matter lend themselves to monochrome.
EDITING AND PROCESSING
 OF Black and White.

Presenting a black and white photograph is an art form and an

essential part of our creative growth process as a photographer.
Going from a color scene to a black and white scene is a simple
exercise but it has many nuances that you will learn as you practise.
When taking digital photos, always try to shoot with a regular
DSLR or digital camera that stores RAW files separately. Even if
you use the monochrome setting to view black and white images
with your camera, it’s important to store the RAW color file, not just
a black and white JPEG. We already mentioned this and we must
remember it because it gives us more opportunities for post-
production editing and photo manipulation.
“Good” black and white and color photos share many similar
characteristics. Both modalities have to do with composition,
contrast, tone and light. If you decide to shoot images in color and
want to edit them in black and white, there are many tutorials and
literature on post-processing that can help you. With Adobe
Photoshop or Lightroom , it’s pretty easy to transform any image to
black and white with preset settings. From there, those shades of
gray can be manipulated in almost unlimited ways.
Experiment with moods and emotions in your photos by
changing the exposure and contrast levels in your images. Altering
these values can help you understand how a photo’s tone influences
the story the photo is telling. By highlighting the midtones, we can
compose a calmer or more relaxing image. By creating a high
contrast and remove the midtones, you immediately add more
drama. Depending on your objectives, any tactic can work for you.
 Black and White: In the Camera or After?

Most digital cameras have a series of pre-configured programs

that adjust the image output to more or less creative modes (semi -
automatic): black and white, sepia, intense colors, muted colors.
Most of us are fascinated by the ability to see the shooting result
on the LCD screen instantly. And with B/W plus, we don’t have to
wait for development to see how it would look in black and white; I
was there. But when I started to delve into the world of digital
photography, I realized with amazement that I had made a mistake
when using the creative mode camera black and white.
The reason is very simple. At the moment we select the black
and white mode, we are authorizing, ordering our camera to lose part
of the information that it could have collected at that moment and
that perhaps would later be useful to us.
Advantage?
Shooting in black and white versus shooting in color on a digital
camera is like shooting in JPEG when you can shoot in RAW.
When we take a photo, we are collecting a lot of information, much
more than what we can appreciate on the small LCD of the camera.
But much of this information is lost (eliminated) when we decide not
to save it by telling the camera to store a particular compression or
aspect format.
When the camera uses a preset mode, such as black and white
shooting, it is deciding for us how to perform this conversion, taking
away all control over the process.
It’s not that the pictures are bad. It just depends on how much
time you want to dedicate to post-processing the image. If you want
a quick and effective solution, do not hesitate: use the black and
white mode of the camera. However, if you’re picky and don’t mind
spending a little time on it, shoot in color. The control you will have
over the subsequent black and white conversion process will be
infinitely greater.
If for some reason you don’t have the option to shoot RAW, a
color JPEG is always better than your camera’s black and white
option directly. Why? For the same reason that we recommend
working in RAW: we will store more information in the color image
and therefore have more freedom to edit and with better results.
 As additional tips to camera settings:
• ISO: Always keep it to the minimum possible in each situation.
It would be good if you knew the values in which your camera
moves with acceptable levels and thus try not to exceed them.
• White balance: In this case, you can leave it on automatic.
• Adobe RGB: This color space is the one that stores the most
information and with which you will get the best results.
• Work in manual mode: It will allow you to decide each one of
the aspects of the shot. If you still have a little trouble mastering it,
try starting with a semi -manual mode with aperture or speed
priority.
 The Post Processing in black and white.

The time has come to convert our color photo to black and
white. There are many proven methods of doing this.
Transforming a photograph to black and white is an art and an
essential part of the photographic process. Going from a color scene
to a black and white scene is a simple exercise but it has many
nuances that you will learn as you practise. Over time, you will see
that the exercise begins already at the moment of taking the image,
long before you open your reference-editing program. Through
adjustments such as lights and shadows, contrast, clarity or the
color channel, you will give shape to your idea.
Processing is essential to get the best results. A good base
(exposure, focus, framing, composition, etc.) along with good
processing are the perfect combination to obtain the image quality
you want.
Filters:
The filters included in image processing programs such as
Adobe Camera RAW, Lightroom or Photoshop, allow you to control
the entire tonal range of the image, individually darkening or
lightening the tones of the image.
It is important that we maintain the initial idea and not “play” to
convert the images with excessive effects. Once we have our images
conceived and intended to be monochrome, it is time to edit and
process them. Here it is key that we maintain the initial idea. The
ease of achieving black and white with Photoshop or any other
software is so high that the temptation to overdo it is frequent. But,
at all times, let’s keep our initial idea and be consistent.
In addition, we must be clear that only a good capture will be a
good black and white photograph. That the conversion to
monochrome does not serve to hide defects or make a badly
composed image or with exposure errors more striking. Let’s
process the good ones and we’ll see how black and white will
reinforce the results and not the other way around.
What software or plugin to use? It is a matter of taste or
preferences. There are many black and white conversion techniques
such as Greg Gorman ‘s technique and even very simple tricks to
achieve high contrast results. We must find the one that best suits
what we are looking for and that is not a distraction or an
impediment to achieve our best results.
There are great plugins like Silver Efex Pro, Exposure 7 by
Alien Skin or B&W Effects by Topaz Labs, among others. And,
always, we have the excellent option of Lightroom or Photoshop
that has specific tools to achieve good results.
As much as you are passionate about black and white, you
should know that you cannot use it indiscriminately. In other words,
not every image is worthy of going to grayscale. Some photographs
are sustained by color or contrast, or even by other characteristics
but that disappear the moment you remove it. That is why it is
important to know first if your image is black and white, if so, you
can already do the conversion.
Editing is not the same as retouching.

Almost all of us are in favor of taking the photo in the camera, as

perfect as possible, but it is almost always unavoidable to make
certain adjustments in a later edition. Before, when they were analog
photos and we took them to the laboratory to be developed, they also
made these adjustments, but we didn’t find out, they did it in a dark
room. Now we shoot and reveal, therefore, we have to do that part
that consists of adjusting, for example, the exposure, contrast, tone,
etc. That is not retouching, or distorting the photo, it is doing the job
well done. And if you directly like the result of the camera, great,
but if not, feel free to adjust the necessary parameters.
If you have the option to convert to black and white from
Camera Raw or Lightroom, do it from there for the best image
quality and for the versatility it offers you. Now, in those cases
where this is not possible or when what you have in your hands is a
JPEG, we will use Photoshop.
Now let’s see the simplest Black and White conversion modes
with this example photograph:
 Photoshop’s Desaturate Tool.

The method that we will see below is undoubtedly the simplest

process to convert a color image to black and white with Photoshop.
If what you want is to convert a photo to black and white without
complications or technicalities, this is the quick and easy method.
However, it is the least recommended method of all due to the
quality obtained, but the truth is that it is not worse than using the
preconfigured option of our digital camera to take the photo in black
and white, and you can always go back if you don’t you like the
result.
It will also help us to verify for ourselves the quality obtained
compared to other techniques of switching to black and white and
decide if it is really worth more complicated editing or if we will be
satisfied with the result.
I go black and white
 We open in Photoshop the photo to change to black and white.
We go to the IMAGE menu -> ADJUSTMENTS -> DESATURATE.
And ready. We already have the image in black and white.
Simple as that. Also, this method works in all versions of Photoshop.
PHOTOSHOP Hue / Saturation Tool.
There is also another rather fast method to desaturate which is
Image / Adjustments / Hue and saturation.
 In this case, you will have to move the cursor to the extreme left.
Unlike the previous mode, you can choose the degree of
desaturation. If you want it to be almost black and white, but not
quite, this may be an option, so you can choose how much to
desaturate and how much to keep some color.

As you can see, the difference with the previous step is not very
evident. The advantage of this method lies in the possibility of
configuring the saturation in this second option. That is, if you don’t
want the full black and white image (desaturate), you follow this
procedure. Another advantage is that you can select the colors with
the dropdown and move the brightness cursor to adjust it to your
liking.
 You can also desaturate by independent tones, but in this image,
in particular, the differences are not appreciated because it is already
quite monochromatic.
 Grayscale Mode and Photoshop.

The truth is that this method is just as simple as using the

Desaturate tool and similar in the quality of its result. It is the same
as shooting monochrome from the camera. You lose any information
related to color and if you want to continue editing, you may miss it.
Its use could be to check for we the quality obtained against
other methods of conversion to black and white, deciding if you
want to perfect it or if you are happy with the result.
This conversion process to black and white is one of the fastest
and easiest: We open the photo to be converted to black and white
with Photoshop. We go to the IMAGE menu -> MODE ->
GRAYSCALE . It will ask us if we want to lose the color
information. We answer yes.
We’re done. We already have the image in black and white. This
is the simplest method to convert to B&W . Also, this method works
in all versions of Photoshop.

Try stick with one of the three RGB channels

 This first procedure only requires that we explore the three RGB
channels separately (from the Levels option of the Image >
Adjustments menus). We will immediately verify that the finish and
the level of detail of the image vary when comparing one channel
with another. Choose the one you like best. Blue is the one that
usually gives the worst result, but we do not recommend neglecting
it. To conclude, select the appropriate channel (red, green or blue)
and use the Grayscale tool to save this copy in grayscale, you will
find it in the Image / Mode / Grayscale menu.
Black and White from the Adjustment Menu.
Another option that Photoshop offers us. Here you begin to
have other adjustment possibilities. With the Image > Adjustments >
Black and White menu path, a box is displayed where you can play
with the different colors of the image. It directly performs a
“default” conversion.
 You can press the automatic button, which will offer you another
image. Alternatively, you can move the different cursors to the right
and to the left until you find the best tonal values for your image, it’s
a matter of testing, because there is no written rule here.
Another option is to use the presets, in the corresponding
dropdown. Give them a try and if any of these settings work for you,
great.
 Photoshop Color Lab mode.

The procedure is easy. It consists of varying the way in which we

work with the photo, which is RGB by default. Color Lab is a mode
in which we have a black and white channel where the brightness of
the photograph is collected.
Switching to black and white in Color Lab through this
Lightness channel usually gives very good results in most cases.

The process to follow is the following:

1. We open in Photoshop our original color image that we
want to convert to black and white.
2. We go to the IMAGE / MODE / COLOR LAB menu.
3. In the Channels Panel we will see that our typical RGB,
Red, Green and Blue channels have changed to Lab,
Luminosity, A and B. We select the Luminosity channel. The
image will turn black and white. Next we select the entire
image from the Selection menu > All (or by directly pressing
Ctrl+A). We copy the image (Ctrl+C or with the EDIT /
COPY menu).
4. We return to convert the image to RGB (IMAGE Menu /
MODE / RGB). We paste the image that we have copied in
each of the RGB channels. We go to the Red channel and hit.
Select Green and paste. Finally, Blue, and we go back to Paste.
And that’s it, there would only be some final touch up to your
liking. In our case, we apply a Levels adjustment layer.
 Photoshop Channel Mixer.

Photoshop’s Channel Mixer command. You will see how easy

it is.
To work, we will start from the original image. We can apply the
change to the image directly (PICTURE -> ADJUSTMENTS ->
CHANNEL MIXER) or create an adjustment layer with the same
objective in the menu LAYER -> NEW ADJUSTMENT LAYER ->
CHANNEL MIXER).
 The first thing we must do is select, in the “properties” pop-up
window that opens, at the bottom left the little box that puts the
MONOCHROME option . When doing so we will have a black and
white photograph.
From there, it is time to play with the cursors trying to make
them add up to 100 so as not to find ourselves with an unflattering
result.
By default, Photoshop use the red channel. But we can work
with the information collected in the Green and Blue channels. The
ideal is to find a balance between the three, so that the image is to
our liking. You can also pull down the “Preset” window and choose
one.
What is important is to keep the sum of the percentages of red,
green and blue at 100%, since otherwise we will obtain unwanted
effects.
In case of having opted for an adjustment layer, we can always
edit its values, having to combine the layers when we finish
working. And ready.
 Manipulating Adjustment Layers

This other method that we propose, in our opinion, usually offers

us the best result because it respects a good part of the information
of the original image and offers a result with a lot of volume.
The first thing to do is create an adjustment layer by going to
the menu / Layer / New adjustment layer. We select the
Hue/Saturation option and we will accept in OK. Next, we’ll create a
second adjustment layer in exactly the same way, and when we’ve
got it ready, we’ll change the Saturation parameter to -100 to fully
desaturate the image.
Next, we will select the first adjustment layer we created in the
layers panel and change the blending mode to Color. If we double
click on this same layer, we can manipulate the Hue slider until we
assign it the value that gives us the finish we like the most.
To conclude we just have to complete the hue adjustment by
modifying the saturation until we get the result we want. And we
will finish this procedure by flattening the two layers from the Layer
/ Flatten layers menu, and converting to grayscale from the Image /
Mode / Grayscale menu.
 Photoshop Gradient Map.

A slightly more elaborate, but just as simple option is to create a

Gradient Map adjustment layer. We explain it step by step.

1 . The first thing we do in Photoshop is to place the default

foreground and background colors (black and white respectively ),
then we will create an adjustment layer , click on the quick icon
below the Layer Panel and when the drop-down menu appears,
select Gradient Map.
2 . Now in the pop-up panel ” PROPERTIES ” we click on the
gradient bar.
3 . A Gradient Editor dialog opens and a slider appears. The
image may appear very light or very dark, do not be alarmed. Click
on it and the “Color Picker” will appear:
Four. You select a shade of gray on the left edge of the color
picker and press OK. Back in the gradient editor, slide the triangular
cursor to the left or right until you find the desired image. As a last
option, you can lower the Opacity of the adjustment layer to recover
some of the color.
 Desaturation, B/W with a touch of Color.

Surely, you have seen more than once a black and white
photograph, but with some of its elements in color. To what they call
a selective saturation. It is an effect that on certain occasions can
draw a lot of attention and give your photography a different look.
Let’s review some examples.
1. Black and White Adjustment Layer

The first thing we are going to do is apply a Black and White

Adjustment Layer to our photo and then paint over the mask to
preserve the color only in the area we want.
We go to the menu Layer / New Adjustment Layer / Black and
White, or press the quick button that you will find under the
Layers Panel. A new layer has appeared in the Layers Panel, with
a blank mask. If we double click, the adjustment layer configuration
window will be displayed. You just have to touch the sliders to
decide what shade of gray (lighter or darker) you want each shade to
have separately, to customize the black and white effect.
You can also get a very nice B&W effect by simply using a
saturation adjustment layer and lowering the saturation to zero, you
try and decide.
Now we have all our photography in black and white. With the
Brush tool in a black foreground color and with a hardness of
approximately 70-80%, paint over the mask of the adjustment layer
(the thumbnail on the right in white) to recover the color of the area
you want. Adjust the size of the brush so you don’t stray and finish
off the mask as best as possible.
Remember that if you go off at some point and paint some part
that you do want to leave in black and white, you can correct it by
changing the brush color to white. Painting in white over the mask
will restore the saturation and painting in black will restore the
color.
2. Black and White Adjustment Layer with Selection
This technique is similar to the one we have just seen, but with a
small variation: we are going to first select the area that we want to
leave in color. We have already seen how to use the most basic
selections, and how to use the more complex selections. The refine
edge command of a selection to fit it as well as possible. Knowing
all these tools, you simply have to use the selection that best suits
the area you want to leave colored and select it as precisely as
possible.
In this case, I have used the Quick Selection tool to select the
flowers of the bride. Now we are going to do the same thing we did
in the previous technique: apply a black and white adjustment layer.

As you can see, now the mask that incorporates the adjustment
layer will not be completely white, but will only have the white
color in our selection. This has achieved the opposite effect to the
one we were looking for: it has left us with the entire photo in color
except the flowers, which have remained in black and white. We
have done it this way because it is easier to select the area that we
want in color than to select everything that we do not want.
 Now to get the mask to ” Invert ” and make it fully act, on the
contrary, all we have to do is click on it and press Control+I (or
Command+I if you’re on Mac) to invert it. Now yes, we already
have the mask as we wanted. We will only have to configure, as
before, the black and white effect to our liking.
If you think the edge of the colored area is too harsh and
unnatural, you can easily fade it a bit. Simply double-click on the
adjustment layer to bring up its properties, and move the Feather
slider in the Mask Properties a bit.
Do not give it too much of a fade if you don’t want too fuzzy an
edge, give it just enough so that the edge softens a bit but is still
hard. Otherwise the effect will not be good. Depending on the size of
the photograph and the area you want to leave in color, perhaps a
couple of pixels will be enough, or if it is very large, you will still
need a few more.
 3. Selection with Range of Colors
Sometimes instead of selecting a specific area, it will be easier
for us to select a certain color, that is, select the color that we want to
be displayed on our black and white photo. For this, the Photoshop
color range tool will come in handy. We go to the Selection / Color
range menu and the tool configuration window will appear.
 If you notice, when you move the cursor out of this window it
turns into an eyedropper. Set aside the configuration window to be
able to see your photograph well and you simply have to click with
this eyedropper on the color you want to select. As you will see, in
the configuration window, the selected areas will be painted in white
and those that will not be selected will be painted in black.
If you want to choose more than one tone, click again with the
eyedropper while holding down the Shift key (you will see that next
to the eyedropper appears + , it means that we are adding to the
selection). In the same way, if you see that there is an area that has
been painted white and that you do not want to be selected, click
with the eyedropper on it while holding down the Alt key (you will
see that next to the eyedropper appears - , it means that we are
subtracting from the selection).
From the Tolerance slider, you can tell the tool to select more or
less tones similar to those chosen, to define this selection as much as
possible.
 When you have it ready, press OK to apply this selection to your
photograph. If you see that there is an area that has been selected
wrong or missing, use any selection tool to finish it.
For example, in this photo I have used the quick selection tool
and freehand I have retouched in the areas to select or deselect the
red flowers in the background that were not included in the initial
selection, and some areas of the bride’s arm that had also been
selected by mistake (since the skin usually also has a red
component). Now, just like we did in the previous technique, we’ll
apply a black and white adjustment layer, and invert the mask with
Ctrl+I (or Cmd+I on Mac) to make everything black and white
except our selection. Of the red tones.
If you realize that some area has not turned out as you would
like, you can always adjust it by painting with the brush in black to
leave it in color, or in white to leave it in black and white, as we
have done in the first technique that we have seen.
Will configure, as before, the black and white effect to our
liking, and we will give a little fade to the edge from the properties
of the mask so that the edge is more natural. We already have our
desaturation selective of all red tones in the image.
 Michael Freeman method for B/W.

There are many methods when it comes to turning our color

photos into black and white with an editing program like
Photoshop. Each teacher has his technique and Michael Freeman
(author of numerous photography books) proposes his, which aims
to respect the chromatic luminosity of the original colors of the
photograph and maintain it in the final image.
The most interesting thing about this method is that the color of
the photograph is analyzed to assess which is the predominant one,
so that the conversion to grayscale reflects the same light as the
original image. And it’s all thanks to a Channel Mixer adjustment
layer.
RGB values of each important area of the photograph. So we
can then set the proper ratios in the Channel Mixer. The idea is to
take advantage of this data to ensure that our black and white
photographs respect the luminosity of the colors of the original
image.
We will see how to carry out the conversion of a black and white
photograph step by step with the method proposed by Michael
Freeman. We will analyze the color of the image to assess which is
the predominant one and that the conversion to monochrome reflects
the same light as in the original image.
How to know the RGB values of our photographs
We have two ways of knowing these values in a reliable way:
Media filter and with the help of the Color Sampler tool. Both
methods to know the RGB values offer very similar references as
long as we use them as we recommend here.
1. Define the RGB Values
Once we have our color photograph developed, the first step we
will do is to know and register the RGB values corresponding to the
color or colors that we want to highlight.
In Adobe Photoshop, we can do it in two ways and both are
equally effective. Choose the one with which you feel most
comfortable. Let’s see each one separately.
Filter ‘Average or Mean’
Average or Mean, one of the options in the Blur filter group,
allows you to find the average of the RGB values in the selected
area. In fact, it is Michael Freeman’s proposal, which is why I
explain it first.
Rectangular Marquee tool (M) and draw a small rectangle
over the color you want to measure.
> Now go to the Top Menu and select Filter / Blur / Media.
Depending on your version of Photoshop, the word Average will
appear instead of Average. Select the option and you will get the
exact color of the section.

> If you place the pointer over that selection, you will be able to
see in the Info Panel the RGB color values of that specific section
that we will use as a reference. You should write them down on a
piece of paper or save them as a color sample.
Color Sampler Tool (I)
 Select the Color Sampler Tool (I). In the upper configuration
bar of the tool, in the Sample Size dropdown, select Average 51x51
so that the results are equal to the other way of finding these values.
Now mark the color area of the image that interests you and you
will see how a mark remains on the photograph with a number and
the reference in the Information window. If you add more marks,
more numbers will be added and, therefore, more samples.
In the Information panel, you will be able to see how the RBG
data of each sample you have taken is recorded. In total, three RGB
values will appear for each color you select.
Those three values are what we need to be able to work with
Michael Freeman’s method, which we are going to see next. It is
essential to know in advance, what is the luminosity that we want to
keep in the transition to black and white.

In our case, we have selected the purple color of the vase and we
have obtained the values: R=120, G=75, B=128. Next, we have
obtained the RGB values of the color Pink (R=178, G=23, B=43)
and the color Blue (R=23, G=95, B=81).
2. Use the Channel Mixer to go B/W
The method is to take the RGB values, convert them to
percentages, and dump them into a Channel Mixer adjustment
layer. As often happens, it seems more complicated than it really is.
Working with adjustment layers from the Channel Mixer, with a
smart object that will serve as a wildcard in case we need to correct
something during the process and with the data that we have
obtained with the Color Sampler tool.
When we have already selected the color or colors that we want
to keep their luminosity in the transition to black and white, it is
time to use mathematics. We will use the RGB values obtained
earlier to calculate percentages and output them to the adjustment
layers of the Channel Mixer, which we’ll create later.
The good thing about this method is that we can work on each
color separately because each one can have its own adjustment layer.
It sounds complicated, but it is not. Let’s see how to do it.
Convert RGB Values to Percentage Values
> We must apply a simple mathematical formula: X*100/Y (X
would be the value of each channel, while Y would be the sum of
the three RGB values obtained)
> The three values that we obtain for each color we will apply
later in each adjustment layer. Let’s calculate the values of the
example using the formula.
Purple
R= 120*100/120+75+128= 37
G=75*100/323=23
B=128*100/323=39
Pink colour
R= 178*100/178+23+43= 73
G= 23*100/244= 9
B= 43*100/244= 17
Color blue
R= 23*100/23+95+81= 11
G= 95*100/199= 47
B= 81*100/199= 40
Create Channel Mixer Adjustment Layers
We already have the percentage data for the three colors. Now
we will create an Adjustment Layer with the quick button under
the Layers Panel and selecting the Color Mixer option, you can
also access it from the Adjustments Panel with its corresponding
icon. We’ll call the first one the ‘Purple Channel Mixer’.
 In the Adjustment Layer Properties Window, you can see the
RGB data. Activate the Monochrome box and enter the values
obtained for the color purple in each of its corresponding colors
(R=37, G=23, B=39)
Right now the adjustment we have made is affecting the entire
photograph, so we will have to select only the purple color that
appears in the image. To do this, what we will do is invert the
adjustment layer. We can do this by selecting it and pressing Ctrl+I
or pressing the Invert button in the Properties Window. When you
do this, instead of appearing white as before, the adjustment layer
will change to black.
By inverting the adjustment layer, we can now select the purple
color. For this, we will use the Brush Tool (B) and paint a black
and white Layer Mask over the entire purple area of the image.
Remember that if you select a wrong area you can refine your
selection by erasing with the Eraser Tool (E)
Now we just need to do the same with the rest of the colors.
We’ll create new adjustment layers with their own names, add the
new color values obtained from the formula, and repeat the process
of inverting and painting each layer mask with the color Pink and
Blue.
 Finally, we will also have to change the background to black and
white. To do this we will create a new adjustment layer with the
Color Mixer. But this time we will convert it to Monochrome and
leave it non-inverted (white). It should be placed at the very top, on
top of the other layers.
 There will be no problem, because having used layer masks it
will not step on them. Congratulations, you have already converted
your photography to black and white with the M.Freeman method.
The technique seems a bit complicated. However, once you do it
several times you will see that it is not that difficult and that it is
useful and, above all, effective. Give it a try if you’re taking a photo
where you want to preserve the luminosity of the colors when going
black and white.
Notice in the example that there is a big difference in lightness
between the first b/w photograph, where we have only applied a
monochrome filter, and the second, where we have applied the
Freeman method.
 Perhaps it is too complex a technique for someone who is just
starting out, but it is a good way to maintain the luminosity
relationship between the colors that make up an image. It is
important to choose the photograph well to apply this technique, not
with any image it works or it will be worth so much work.
 Rob Carr method for the B/ N.

If you are looking for an effect similar to the texture that

analogue photographs had, this method has it.
Rob Carr He is an expert in digital retouching who, together
with Greg Gorman, a well-known Hollywood celebrity
photographer, managed to emulate that analog texture. We explain,
step by step, the processing to get black and white photographs with
Photoshop and with that special touch.
The process to follow is somewhat longer than the one applied
on other occasions to convert a photograph to black and white, but
following these steps you will see how easy it is.
Photoshop “action” , so we can repeat it as many times as we
want without effort.
This is the process to follow, explained step by step:
Step 1. We change the color mode of the image to ‘Color Lab ‘
through the menu Image / Mode / Color Lab.
Step 2. We go to the Panel ‘Channels’ and select the channel ‘
Luminosity ‘. If you do not see this Panel, you must activate it in
the Window menu.
Step 3. We change the work mode to Grayscale through the
menu Image / Mode / Grayscale

Step 4. In the Channels panel, we now only have the Gray

channel. We select the new channel just created. To do this, click
with the mouse and hold down the Ctrl key on the thumbnail of the
Gray Channel. Our photo will show a selection. Now we must
invert the selection by clicking on the Selection / Invert menu (or by
pressing Ctrl+Alt+ I). With the selection active, we change the color
mode back to Color RGB. Image>Mode>RGB Color.

Step 5. We continue to keep the selection and create a New

Solid Color Fill Layer. We are looking for a preferably dark color.
A black or a dark brown, for example. Layer>New Fill Layer>Solid
Color. Now select the solid color black #000000. Next, we lower the
opacity of the fill layer that we just created to 50%.

Step 6. We create a new Levels adjustment layer in the menu

Layer / New Adjustment Layer / Levels. Another alternative, if you
prefer, is to use a Curves adjustment layer, instead of Levels.
 Step 7. There are three sliders (black/grey/white) that you can
move from left to right to adjust the levels to your liking.
Step 8. Select the ‘Background’ Layer and duplicate it, from
the Layer / Duplicate Layer menu.

Step 9. We apply on the new layer ( Background Copy ) a high

pass filter ( Menu Filters / Other / High Pass ) with radius 10.
 Step 10. We convert the newly filtered layer to the “Hard Light”
Blending Mode, selecting the “Hard Light” value in the Layers
Palette. Finally, we reduce the opacity of the Background Copy layer
to a value that seems appropriate to us (Between 25%-50%).

In the end we have 4 layers, and 3 of them we can continue

modifying to achieve different results. We must pay special attention
to the fill layer, which will be in charge of giving the tone to our
photo, being able to go from gray tones to sepia tones. And that’s it,
we only have to save our photograph.
As you can see, we get a black and white with a “very special”
analog texture.
 Russell Brown method for B/N.

This is a black and white conversion method described by the

author, so that you have another reference when choosing between
different ways to convert a photo to black and white with
Photoshop.
This method is quite simple to apply. To do this we open the
original image (in color), and on it we are going to create several
Hue /Saturation adjustment layers.
Remember that adjustment layers are created by accessing them
through:
1) Layers Menu > New Adjustment Layer >
Hue/Saturation.
2) Quick access button of the Layers Panel.
3) Panel Settings.
Once created, in the Layers Panel we should see three layers;
the original image and the two adjustment layers created.
 Hue/Saturation layer that has remained in the middle of the three
and change the blending mode, which by default will be Normal, to
Color.
Now we select the second layer (the one on top) and lower the
saturation to -100.

With this, we will see a black and white image. It is now when
we will make the adjustments to obtain the black and white that
really interests us.
To do this, we edited the properties of the first hue/saturation
layer (the one in the middle of the three) and started playing with the
Hue, Saturation, and Lightness controls. On the screen, we will see
how the resulting image varies as we combine the parameters. We
test until the result satisfies us.
 Greg Gorman method for B/W.

Greg gorman is a well-known Hollywood celebrity

photographer, specialized in portraits known among other things for
his portraits of different celebrities. His work has been on the cover
of numerous magazines such as Life, Rolling Stone, Time or Vanity.
Fair.
First of all, you must be clear that the method is not going to
work miracles on your photos. This means that if you apply the
technique and it does not turn out as well as you expected, it is likely
that the photo is not appropriate. The magic of B/W does not occur
with all images, we must know how to choose well which image to
apply it to.

1) Switch the photo to Color Lab mode. To do this, use the

Image > Mode > Color Lab menu option.
2) Select the Lightness layer. In the Channels Panel, click with
the mouse on the Luminosity channel.
3) Change the mode to Grayscale. Again with the Image >
Mode > Grayscale menu. If at this point you are asked for
confirmation for losing part of the channel information, answer yes
and accept the window that appears.
4) Select the gray channel. To do this you must click with the
mouse on the Gray layer while holding down the Ctrl key.
 5) Invert the selection to select the Shadows. This is achieved
with the Select > Invert menu option, or by using the Ctrl+Shift+I
key combination.
6) Switch to RGB Mode. Again through the menu Image >
Mode > RGB

7) We create a new black fill layer. We go to the menu Layers>

New fill layer> Solid Color and select the black color #000000.
8) Change the color layer to Multiply mode. This is achieved
by selecting the layer you just created and changing the blend mode
from Normal to Multiply using the window just below the Layers
tab in the Layers Panel.
9) Adjust the opacity of the solid layer. Using the opacity
slider to the right of the Blend Modes tab in the Layers Panel.
 10) Adjust levels or curves. Using a new adjustment layer,
either levels or curves (whichever you like best), adjust the contrast
of the photo.

11) Create a new layer as a combination of all the previous

ones. We do this by holding down the Ctr+Alt+Shift+E keys.
12) Put the new layer in blend mode Overlay ( Overlay ) and
lower its opacity to 20%
13) Apply a high pass filter. In the menu Filter > Others > High
Pass. Select an appropriate radius (Greg Gorman recommends using
50px here).

14) Adjust the tones of the newly created layer. To do this,

double click on the new layer to edit its properties.
Under “Merge if is:” with the Gray channel selected, apply the
following changes:
 > In the “This Layer” slider, click and drag one half to 70
(holding the Alt key on the selector to split it into two halves), and
drag the other half to 50.
> Do the same with the white selector setting it to 185 and 205.
And ready. The adjustments that we consider to improve the tone
and the global or local contrast of the photo would remain.
 Professional toning in Photoshop.

The option of applying toning to black and white photographs

was made to extend the life of the printed copies ( chemical
processes ). Today, obviously, the tacks are no longer used for this,
but have adopted a purely aesthetic purpose. Whether out of
nostalgia or simply delight, you can emulate any type of tack
digitally.
The toning process consisted of bathing the already revealed
copy ( printed image on paper ) with different chemical products,
which replaced the silver halide in the copy with other components
more resistant to the passage of time. The different components used
were responsible for giving the copy its characteristic tone, acting on
the darker tones (where there is more silver), leaving the white areas
intact because this photosensitive component did not exist. We are
referring to analog photography and its chemical developments.
How to Apply a Digital Toning
To apply or mimic tones in Photoshop or in any other program,
there are different techniques. The one we are going to explain is a
very simple one that is achieved by applying a Curves adjustment in
Photoshop.
To apply these tones, the first thing we will have to do is convert
our image to black and white. To do this you can use any of the
black and white conversion techniques that we have learned.
On the black and white image, we create a new Curves
adjustment layer ( Layer Menu / New Adjustment Layer / Curves )
or by clicking the icon under the Layers Panel, or from the
Adjustments Panel itself.
On this adjustment layer, we will introduce values for each type
of toning on each of the color channels (red, green and blue),
following the following table.

The first value is the input, and the second is the output. For each
type of tack, you will see that there are three different lines (except
the last one that only has two). The first of each one corresponds to
the tack with a low intensity, the second with a medium intensity,
and the last with a high intensity.
In order to introduce these values, click with the mouse on the
slider of the curve and two text boxes will appear that allow us to
introduce the input and output values. (Example of the one
corresponding to the Red, Green and Blue channels)
 Adjusting the Tack
A characteristic of the original tones was that they acted more
strongly the darker the area of the photograph, the effect being softer
in the lighter areas.
We can also achieve that effect digitally. After you have entered
the above values in our Curves adjustment layer to achieve one of
the tones, you will need to follow these steps:
> Hide the Curves adjustment layer by clicking the eye
icon in front of it.
> Activate the Background layer again (the one in our
photograph) by clicking on it with the mouse in the Layers
Panel.
> Select the entire image from the Selection / All menu.
> We copy with the Edit / Copy menu, or from the
keyboard shortcut Ctrl + C or Cmd + C on Mac.
> Now we are going to show the mask of the curves layer in
a big way. To do this you must click with the mouse on the
layer mask while keeping the Alt key pressed. You will see that
the photo will turn white when you do this, since it will be
showing us the content of the layer mask.
> Paste the image that you had previously copied, with the
Edit / Paste menu, or from the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + V or
Cmd + V on Mac.
> Invert the image with the menu Image / Adjustments /
Invert , or from the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + I or Cmd + I on
Mac.
> Redisplay the Curves adjustment layer by tapping the
eye icon in front of it.
If you consider that you have annulled the effect of the toning on
the lighter areas excessively, you can show the mask of the Curves
layer large again , and once this is done, select the highlights
through the Selection / Color Range menu , selecting in the drop-
down menu the option Illuminations . Then, from the Edit / Fill
menu, choose the 50% gray option in Content.
Some examples
If you don’t know which one to choose, here we show you the
results we have obtained by applying the different tones on the same
black and white photograph.
 Nik Collection: Silver Efex Pro 2:
Professional Results in B and W.

The nik Collection is a set of sought-after processing tools that

the company that developed them was originally selling for $499.
After the acquisition in 2012 by Google, it lowered its price to $150
and, in March 2016, it began to offer them completely free of
charge.
You had to download these tools, in total it weighs about 500
MB in the case of Windows, and it is also available for Mac.
Although before downloading and installing them, it would be good
for you to know how they work and if you can take advantage of this
gift.
For those who do not know these tools, we can say that it is a
very complete image retouching suite that includes 7 tools:
Analog Efex Pro. It allows emulating the results achieved with
analog cameras and film.
Color Efex Pro. It is a set of filters to correct and retouch colors
and achieve surprising chromatic effects.
Silver Efex Pro. It is one of the most desired tools for black and
white development.
Liveliness. Works precisely the color and tonality of the images.
HDR Efex Pro. It allows you to generate incredible HDR
photos.
Sharpener Pro. Precisely manages the level of sharpness of
images.
 Define. Reduce the noise level of your images, without losing
definition.
These tools act as filters, or complementary tools to which to
export or to edit images whose treatment you have started in the
main Adobe applications: Photoshop, Lightroom, and Aperture.
Although if you don’t have these applications you can also use the
suite’s tools independently.
An Example of how to use Google Nik Collection.
To give you an idea of the possibilities of this suite, I will show
you an example with one of its best-known tools: Silver Efex Pro.
The tool that will offer you infinite possibilities for the conversion to
Black and White. As I was telling you, you can access all of them as
if it were a filter, plugin or tool linked to Photoshop, Lightroom, or
Aperture .
If we are going to access these tools from Photoshop, the
program catalogs them as filters within their own category.
In this way, to access them from Photoshop, once the desired
image is open, you must click on Filter Menu > Nik Collection and
finally choose the tool you want from its collection.
Once this is done, the interface of the chosen tool will
immediately be displayed. In this example, Silver’s Efex Pro.

From that moment, you will be able to vary the different

parameters, select preset settings (38 proposals), choose options to
compare before and after, include frames, bullets, etc.
 And, with a little patience, keep trying until you get the desired
result.
PRACTICAL EXERCISES.
 HDR for Black and White.

When we talk about HDR, we often think of color images with a

tonal range and “hyper-real” results. But what we do not usually
associate is the HDR technique with the creation of Black and White
images. Let’s see some possibilities in which the use of the HDR
technique will allow you to achieve better results in your Black and
White photos.
The starting point

The image shows the correctly exposed shot, whose parameters

were: 25mm, f/11, 1/200 sec and ISO 100. In addition to said shot,
an overexposed +1EV (f/11, 1/100 sec and ISO 100) and another
underexposed -1EV (f/11, 1/400 sec and ISO 100).
Once we have the three shots that will allow us to use the HDR
technique , the question arises: Is there a unique way to use the
HDR technique to achieve a magnificent Black and White finish?
The answer is no, since there are many steps to carry out:
generation of the HDR, conversion to black and white, definition of
adjustments, etc. And, depending on the order in which these steps
are carried out, the results that we will obtain will be one or the
other.
 For this reason, because there are many possible workflows, we
are going to mention only a few of them.
1: Generate the HDR in Color and Then Convert it to Black
and White

The first alternative is to first generate the HDR in color and,

once generated, carry out a conversion of the result to Black and
White.
Therefore, the steps to follow are the following:
1. Open your favorite HDR photo-generating program. In this
example, we use HDR Efex Pro 2, from the Nik package
Collection, which we discussed earlier.
2. Generate the HDR image with the values you consider
appropriate for the parameters: contrast, texture, blacks, whites, etc.
3. Save the result in TIFF or JPG format.
4. Open the generated image in Photoshop or Lightroom and
make final adjustments to tone, focus, and noise cleanup.
5. Apply the conversion method to Black and White that you
consider appropriate. Remember that there are many to choose from.
Next, I leave you the result that I got following these steps.
 2: Generate HDR Directly in Black and White
Almost all of the HDR applications that currently exist have
settings that allow you to directly generate the HDR result in black
and white.
Therefore, the second alternative is that the HDR application
itself performs the conversion. The image below shows a capture
from HDR Efex Pro that includes the selection of a preset for the
generation of results in Black and White.

Leaving as a last step the editing of the result, again in

Photoshop or Lightroom, to give the last adjustments of focus,
clarity and black and white of the image.

The result we obtained following this method was the following.

3: Convert to Black and White Each Take and Generate an

HDR
Another alternative is to convert each of the shots separately to
Black and White and make an HDR from the three Black and White
images.
The steps to follow would be:
1. Conversion to Black and White of the three shots.

2. Opening the application to generate the HDR image and

selecting the three images in Black and White.
3. Generation of the HDR image selecting those settings that are
considered convenient in the specific application.
4. Clean up noise and adjust focus, clarity, contrast, etc., well in
Lightroom or in Photoshop, to achieve the final desired result.
Next, an image with the result that I have achieved following
this method.

Whichever alternative you choose, the recommendation of the

vast majority of people who have done their tests in HDR, is that
whenever you can use RAW.
 You will have more possibilities in regards to the tonal map of
the image, the white balance, as well as the possible recovery of
shadows or highlights that may exist in your photographs.
Among these three alternatives there is no one better or worse
than another, since the result in all of them will depend on the
selection of parameters both when performing HDR and when
converting or finally cleaning Black and White .
 Final Adjustments of your Photography in
B/W.

Adjustments of lights and shadows at a general level in the

photo:
Regardless of the method you have used to convert the photo to
black and white, with the result obtained we can still make some
adjustments to better highlight the lights and shadows at a general
level in the photo. These enhancements consist of applying multiple
layers of the same photo with different blend modes.
We will open our black and white photo, and create two copies
of the layer. For the first layer, we’re going to select the Dodge
blending mode. We will obtain an image that is too light. We adjust
the opacity of the layer choosing a value to our liking between 5%
and 15%.
For the second layer, we will select the Soft Light blending
mode. In this case, the image will darken a bit. We also adjust the
opacity to our liking. A value between 5% and 30% is usually fine.
 We can play with the opacity of each of the layers until it is as
we want. When we have the final result, we combine the layers and
that’s it.
Local adjustments of lights and shadows by zone:
If you still think, you can improve one more level. It is time to
adjust different areas with the Dodge and Burn tools.
We already have our black and white image, but we are missing
something. That something is the play of light and shadow that was
carried out in chemical development by placing an object (a piece of
paper, your own hand) that prevents the light from passing through
to adjust the exposure time of the developing paper in certain areas
of photography.
In photoshop, we have two tools that allow us to emulate this
process. They are the Burn and Dodge tools.
The Burn tool (O) , of the paintbrush type, will help us to
darken the areas of the photo that we want to “underexpose”. In the
upper menu bar, we will select the Shadows range and a flux
between 5% and 20%. In this case, we have opted for 15%.
 With the Dodge tool (O), we lighten the areas of the
photograph from which we want to lighten, extract “dodge”
information. In the upper bar, we will select Illuminations in the
range, and a flux between 5% and 20%. For the example, we have
used 15%.
Both with Burn and with Dodge we will adjust the thickness of
the brush to one that allows us to work comfortably and always with
diffuse brushes.
Notice that both the Burn and Dodge tools are selected with the
same key (O). The one that we have activated in the Photoshop
toolbar will be selected.
This tool helps us, for example, to rescue details of a specific
area of the photograph that is outside the range of tones that we
want, it can be a close-up that was too light for us, sometimes we
also need to darken an area of the sky that it was too burnt and does
not let see the clouds.
 Landscapes in Black and White;
Technique and Method.

Not All Images Are Appropriate

Black and white conversion process we use, not all images will
offer us an optimal result, which fascinates whoever observes the
image.
To achieve an image that offers a great result when converted to
black and white, it is important that it have an adequate composition,
well-defined textures and lines, a strong tonal contrast, etc.
Remember the 6 fundamental elements that exist to add interest to
your black and white images.
For this reason, before wasting time converting images that do
not have one or more of these characteristics, it is better to find one
that fits and, only on top of that, start converting it to black and
white.
Prepare Color Image

Even if we are clear that we are going to convert an image to

black and white, it is important to make some adjustments when it is
still in color. These are mainly:
 ◦ Setting the appropriate average exposure level.
◦ Adjustment of the white balance to a sufficiently neutral
value to avoid the presence of dominants in the image. In the
image above, he decided to set the white balance value to
“Auto”.
◦ Elimination of imperfections in the image caused by the
presence of specks on the sensor and/or on the lens. Remember
the option to ” display flat colors ” that Photoshop and
Lightroom offer you for this task.
Once we have this figured out, we can start converting to black
and white.
Decide How You Will Want to Process the Image

This should not be too difficult if you’ve chosen your image

because it has textures, or enough tonal contrast, or clearly
noticeable lines, or any of the other features we’ve previously
discussed. If not, it will now be your turn to analyze the image to
determine what you want to highlight and, therefore, process your
image in this direction.
It is time to determine if you have a clear sky and that we should
lean towards white, or a dark sky that we want to evolve towards
black or a dark gray. Alternatively, a sky with clouds whose textures
you want to emphasize.
 And not only the sky, you also have to properly choose those
details below the horizon line that you also want to highlight and
emphasize through the conversion to Black and White.
Convert Image to BW. It is just the first step
Both in Lightroom as in Photoshop, we have multiple
alternatives to convert your image to black and white:
◦ Press the “V” key (both in the Library module and in the
Lightroom Develop module).
◦ Click on ” Black and White ” in the ” Basics ” section of
the right panel (in the Camera RAW Develop module).
◦ Toning to “Black and White” with a Black and White
Adjustment Layer Adjust panel (in Photoshop).
However, with this the only thing we have achieved is to remove
the color from our image. We have not finished our work at all.

Of course, depending on how we have configured the B&W

conversion , it is possible that Photoshop performs an automatic
color adjustment (to give a slightly less flat result). As you can see
in the screenshot above, Photoshop has varied the contribution of the
colors to the BN.
It is recommended to try resetting these values. To do this, you
can take all the sliders to 0, or, if you want this automatic adjustment
not to be applied to your conversions, go to Edit > Preferences and
in the “Presets” tab, deactivate the check “Apply automatic mixture
when converting to white and black the first time.”

By adjusting the sliders of each color tone we get a better result

for our black and white image, the result achieved is what you can
see in the image above. Although, as you can see, you can get to the
result we had before through the “Automatic” button in the
Properties / Black and White panel. With our intervention, we were
able to refine the adjustment.
Improving the Result through Basic Settings
Once we have the image in black and white, it is time to start
improving it with adjustments as simple as Contrast, Whites,
Blacks, Highlights and Shadows, but, above all, with Clarity,
which will allow us to accentuate the textures of our image. These
adjustments are more precise and we find it in both Lightroom as in
Camera Raw from Photoshop.
 In the previous image, you can see the result when applying
Contrast +50, Whites +23 and Clarity +20. As you can see, we get a
much stronger image.
Local Adjustments for Areas Requiring Special Treatment
Although there are adjustments that may be appropriate for all
areas of the image, there are certain regions in our photography that
require specific local adjustments: increase in Clarity, Exposure
level, etc.
As you know, Photoshop has a tool for this function; Quick
Mask (Q) for great local adjustments. We will find it in the side
toolbar, just below the color selection squares.
To do this, the first thing we have to do is activate Quick Mask
Mode (Q). Once this icon is pressed, it will turn into this other one,
which will mean that we are already in quick mask mode. In
addition, you will notice that your current layer appears red in the
Layers Panel.
Once in this mode, we are going to use the Brush tool to paint
the area that we want to select. This area will be painted in a semi-
transparent shade of red. Technically what we DO NOT paint is
what will be selected, but it is usually easier to paint what we DO
want to select and then invert the selection. You can set the size,
shape, hardness, and opacity of the brush to adjust the selection to
exactly what you need.
 To be more precise with this tool, it is recommended to use small
brushes for the edges of the selection, zoom in on the area with the
magnifying glass, and work with a graphics tablet instead of the
mouse.
Finally, when we have selected the entire area correctly, we will
press the Quick Mask Mode icon again to exit this mode. At that
moment, all the area that was not painted red will be selected. If
what you wanted to select was the painted area, you simply have to
invert the selection from the Selection/Invert selection menu or by
pressing the keyboard shortcut Ctrl (or Cmd ) + Shift + I.
We can activate this mode at any time, even when we already
have an active selection, even if we have made it with another
selection tool. Thus, we can “edit” it in this mode, painting or
erasing areas to adjust it to our needs. In fact, this mode is really for
this, to complete other selections, since painting a selection from
scratch will usually cost us more, so using other selection tools.
ALTERNATING AND RETOUCHING WITH THE QUICK
MASK.
We have observed when making a Selection, the appearance of a
row of discontinuous points (ants) surrounding the limits of the
selection and blinking continuously. It is the standard mask
indicator and has the role of separating the 2 areas of the image in
question: the selection remains inside and the outside is protected
(isolated). In the QUICK MASK mode at the end of the toolbar
(keyboard shortcut letter Q), we not only have the possibility to
better visualize the selection by coloring it all in transparent red, but
also to modify the areas with the help of other tools. The red color is
virtual, that is to say that it does not really act, it is a reference to the
semi-transparent layer created.
Once the marquee of the mask has disappeared in standard
mode, red shows the protected area and the rest (the sky in this case)
the selection area. The image below shows us a selection of the sky
with the “ Magic Wand ” in standard mode (always active by
default).
 The figure above contains this action in progress.
In the image that concerns us, we will use this tool to improve
the sky, increase attention to the lines of the stone walls in the
foreground and the mountains, and also to increase the weight of the
railing or viewpoint that runs along the facade of the building and
that helps much to read this.
That is, those points that we had identified that it would be
convenient to highlight in the image.
To extend the selection to the limits of the mountain, we are
going to do a MANUAL RETOUCH. This is the advantage that the
QUICK MASK mode allows us: we can paint over it and remove or
add parts of it with a brush (which is impossible in standard mask
mode.
Indeed, using a Brush (B) we paint with black as the foreground
color, we can increase the mask (red color) and with white we can
remove the mask, that is, increase the area of the selection.
We are going to use a painting tool (brush, airbrush, pencil) for
manual retouching, they are activated with the letter “B” or “J”. We
are going to use the “B” brush in the toolbar, in doing so we
adjust the diameter, pressure and hardness of the brush from the
options bar.
To avoid doubts, let’s look at the image on the left.
 At the far left of the options bar we see the symbol of the
painting tool which we can access by clicking on it, a dialog box
will open where we will move the size cursor to 10 pixels and leave
the hardness and pressure of 100%. A hard edge of 95 - 100% gives
us a sharp and precise line while a soft edge (20 - 30% hardness)
allows us to make smoother transitions. Press the “ D ” key to set the
foreground color to black and the background to white (display
under the toolbox). With the diffuse brush (hardness 20 – 30%) we
remove the very marked borders between the profile of the
mountainside and the sky. Observe how the foreground color (black)
covers the isolated areas of selection with red (masking).
BY PRESSING THE “Q” KEY REPEATEDLY WE CAN
ALTERNATE THE FAST AND STANDARD MASK MODE
(surrounded by blinking dots) and thus see if there are any details
left to touch up. To minimize the transition between the mask and
the selection of the part of the sky we have to use a bigger brush and
soft edges, we invert the colors with the “ X ” key now white is the
foreground color and we will use it to give it transparency , remove
a little bit of the edge of the mask. We click on the brush button in
the options bar to change the settings: diameter 50 pixels, hardness 0
and opacity 25%.
Let’s touch up by repeatedly clicking without dragging to
remove the hard top red border. We press “Q” again to return to the
standard mask. All we have left to finish the job is to go back to the
PICTURE / ADJUST / CURVES menu and drag the diagonal line
from the center down a bit to smoothly darken the light tones of the
sky. To eliminate the selection we use CTRL + D or in the
SELECTION > DESELECT menu.

Once satisfied with the treatment of the area of the sky, we

repeat the same procedure with the areas that we want to highlight
individually.
The final result.

You may also be interested in applying local adjustments in areas

that you want to reduce attention to (lowering the Exposure level,
Clarity or even applying blur filters). In short, apply exactly what
you need to each specific area of the image.

After these phases that we have described: 1. Conversion to BW,

2. Global Adjustments and 3. Local Adjustments, you will have
reached an image that has nothing to do with the original in color
(left), but neither with the result achieved after the initial conversion
to black and white (center).
As you can see, it has nothing to do with it. In the upper image
(right section), perhaps we have shown a too exaggerated
development to show the difference more clearly, but without a
doubt, it is a much more captivating result than the one in the central
section.
 The Portrait in B/W.

If there is a subject that goes perfectly with black and white, it is

portraits. Black and white portrait photography is another great way
to practice and develop your creative skills. When we photograph
people, especially someone we don’t know, we have no
preconceived ideas about that person or what the photograph should
look like.
A portrait is, by itself, a type of photography full of feeling, so
incorporating it into the use of black and white usually gives very
good results.
Some black and white portraits just hypnotize us. We can stay
for a while looking at them trying to decipher them, letting ourselves
be dazzled by that gesture or that look. However, normally, it is not
so easy to get them.
In order to achieve a good black and white portrait we need to
think in monochrome when we take pictures.
• Look for plain backgrounds or with little information to
highlight your protagonist.
• Uses the maximum aperture to blur the background.
• Practice with the high key and low key.
• Play with lighting. With high contrast images. Double
exposure.
 Use Light and Contrast
As there is no color, lighting and contrast (in addition to
composition) are going to be elements with which you will be able
to play. To get inspired and gain experience, do not hesitate to take a
look at portraits by well-known photographers; it is a very useful
exercise. The way in which these masters use light and shadow
games will give you some ideas to try with your portraits. Aspects
such as tonal contrast and light sources are going to be your best
tools.
If you are going to take your portraits outdoors in natural light,
take into account the depth of field and the background that you are
going to choose to create contrast, not distract attention or add a very
“ attractive ” texture that detracts from the subject . Use a high
shutter speed to ensure the best sharpness. Remember that even if
your subject is still, if there is a shallow depth of field (reduced area
of focus), any slight movement can ruin your capture.
As for choosing the best hours to photograph outdoors, that will
depend on the result you want to obtain. If you want a soft light
without too many harsh shadows, choose a cloudy day or the first or
last hours of the day if possible. If you’re looking for sharp, strong
shadows, the midday sun is your best ally (when it’s just above).
If, on the other hand, you take your portraits in a studio, you will
have more control and possibilities. There will be no distracting
background here, unless you include it. The light sources you add
will be the key. If you are looking for little contrast you can try a soft
box or window. But if you want to make the shadows harder, opt if
you want, for a light modifier like beauty dish. With it, you can
modify the intensity by changing the position and distance. The
higher the intensity of the light or the closer you bring it to the
subject, the harsher the shadows you get.
Giving Prominence to the Subject’s Gaze

When we look for advice on portraits, we are usually told to give

a special role to the gaze. In the case of black and white portraits, the
role played by the eyes is more important. The expressiveness of the
look can be crucial for your portrait, so try to make that the center of
interest. Ask the subject to look at the camera or to look away and
do various tests.
If the look is going to be the center of interest of your
composition, the focus on that area must be critical. Make sure the
eyes are in sharp focus, especially if you intend to blur the
background using shallow depths of field. In those cases where the
aperture of the diaphragm is very high (low f-number), it is easier
for you to lose sharpness, even more so if the subject is not
completely in front of you.
The lighting of the eyes will be another point that you should
take into account. Do not let a too tilted head cast shadows on a
pretty look. A very useful trick is to ask the subject to look towards a
light source (not dazzling) if you are in a studio. You can also bring
an extra reflector to your outdoor photo shoot and ask him to look at
it. This way you will achieve that there is a special shine reflected on
the black pupils and you will earn extra points of attention and
preponderance.
Emphasize Facial Expressions.
 In this type of portraits, the facial expressions or the poses of the
subject are going to be the difference in your portraits. Black and
white shows emotions in a pure way. As there are no chromatic
distractions, we focus on that subject completely. That is why black
and white asks us for a face that tells a story. The main challenge
will be to capture the emotion and the materialization of a feeling.
Facial expressions; a gesture, a smile, a grimace, a wink, should
be tried as much as possible. A smile that marks expression wrinkles
or a raised eyebrow should be the protagonists. The same will
happen with the postures.
 Do not be afraid that your model will overact or strike a pose too
vehemently. The greater the magnitude of the feeling that it
transmits, the more interest your image can have.
There is an exercise you can do to help your model bring out the
best in himself. Try to fully explore your subject’s acting skills and
ask them to react to what you say. Tell him a story that makes him
emotional or say a word for him to interpret in his own way.
The main thing is to cause natural and, at the same time, unique
emotions. This practice, in addition to being useful for gaining
expressiveness and variety of gestures in the same session, will also
serve to release tension and make your model feel comfortable. It
will be especially effective if you don’t have too much confidence
with the person or you notice that they are a little nervous.
Learn to Identify a Portrait in Black and White.
You may have made black and white portraits of certain people
or in certain situations and you have not obtained the result you
expected. This can happen as a result of a bad choice. When you go
to make them, you must choose very well the model that you are
going to photograph. The best thing to do is to look for people with
very unique faces, who have very marked features or attributes that
are already striking. That is why black and white is widely used in
Street Photography.
Look for a deep look, a dazzling smile, a face furrowed with
scars or very accentuated wrinkles. If you find a feature that conveys
itself, you’re halfway there.
The world is full of faces that have something to tell and to
express. What you must be clear about is that not all the portraits
you take will look good in black and white. We did the portrait of
the girl above in B/W, because the same scene asks you to be, here
the color does not say anything. This time, we considered
highlighting those bright black eyes like her hair. Here, the B/W
highlights the points of interest, it works better than leaving it in
color. That is why it is important to ‘think in black and white’ and
know how to choose our subjects.
Choose the Image Processing Method Well.
It is best to take your photographs in color. We advised it from
the beginning, that you select the monochrome mode in camera only
if you were a beginner. It is a useful method to educate your
photographic eye, but in the long run the most common thing is that
you always shoot in color and then process them in black and white.
As we already said, developing a black and white photograph is not
just about desaturating it by removing the color. It is much more
than that; the essential thing will be to choose the method.
Each photographer has their way of working, but we are going to
propose a methodology for you to try.
First, edit your color image, as usual. If necessary, correct
aspects such as exposure, color, sharpness, and if you love
retouching, soften the skin or cover any blemishes you don’t want to
appear. If you know the Dodge & Burn technique, apply it now to
enhance the volume of the face of the subject portrayed.
 Once we have edited and retouched our color portrait, we save a
copy of it. Now it is the turn of the black and white conversion.
There are many methods to convert your photography, choose the
one that best suits your style. We will explain different processes:
Grayscale, Desaturate, Color Lab, Channel Mixer, Rob Methods
Carr, Russell Brown, and Greg Gorman. Once you choose the one
you like best and make the final contrast adjustments, compare your
black and white photograph with your color copy. Finally, you will
be able to make the right decision.
If you are looking for ‘Strong Emotions’ Try Black and
White
A black and white portrait cannot be random. Color adds
information to the story we tell when we take a portrait, and
sometimes it is relevant information and sometimes it is not.
Learning to identify when color is not necessary for a good portrait
is the key.
Choosing your model wisely for black and white portraits will be
the other essential component to getting a good photo. Choose a
person with an unusual face, who is capable of expressing a lot with
a look or a gesture. Being able to communicate and show the
essence of oneself is something that not everyone can achieve.
However, that overwhelming personality is what you must hunt as a
photographer to get the best black and white portraits.

If you don’t have Lightroom or Photoshop and you want to be

able to do most of the things described here with a free tool, I invite
you to try the Google NIk Collection and, more specifically, Silver
Efex Pro 2. We already explained its advantages in a previous
chapter.
Conclusion:

Black and White or Color?

 You will have deduced, after reading this book, that there is no
written rule on this matter and that, therefore, each photograph will
require a different treatment. There are many factors that will make
you hesitate when developing an image in color or in black and
white, including the photograph itself (there are some types of
photography that tend to work better in black and white and, also,
individual photographs that ask screams a specific processing) but
also yourself (your photographic style, what you need from that
particular image, what you want to convey with it).
With time, practice and, above all, seeing many photos, you will
end up developing your own personal criteria that will help you
make the decision to process a photo one way or another.
Photography is a fascinating universe, which opens the doors to
other levels of perception. If you are passionate about photography,
we invite you to delve deeper into it by reading our specialized
training books.
the end.

“Black and White Art”

The Complete Guide to Mastering Monochrome Photography.
From the Series: Advanced Training in Photography.
[All the subjects you must master in your career as a Photographer]

If you have come this far, I congratulate you, dedicating time and
effort to what you are passionate about is a virtue, continue the route
and improve yourself more every day and you will find true
satisfaction.
Thank you for purchasing the book. I hope you liked it and
above all that you find it useful, profitable and growth in your
professional and personal career.
Ernest Martinez.
Author Page on Amazon KDP.

I am Ernesto Martínez, professional photographer and

photography teacher. Founder of the online training center
ERNESTO MARTINEZ | ACADEMY (Independent Publisher.
2004 - 2023).
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