So do the sensors on our digital cameras. But with digital photography, we need the highlights in a scene.Īdams’s black-and-white film had a finite dynamic range. The zone system is as relevant today as it was all those decades ago. He made sure the highlights would also retain details. Here, he was able to manipulate his negative and print-developing process. It meant that those shadow areas would keep some detail through careful exposure. This helped his black-and-white landscape photography. He identified the darkest zones in a scene. Standardizing the process meant capturing the right exposure in any lighting conditions. To do so, he divided each scene up into ten zones, with pure black being zero and pure white being ten. It was a way to exercise complete control over the tones in the images he was producing. He developed the zone system in the 1930s. If you haven’t, I’m sure you’ll recognize the name of the man who invented it.Įqual parts artist and scientist. You’ll no doubt have heard of the Zone System. Let the scene dictate what will look best. And hitting a pleasing balance across each element will make for a more successful result.Īlso, don’t be afraid to experiment with a portrait format. You should be thinking about how the tones of the scene in front of you will look in the final image.Įach color will be represented by a different shade. These are all things to keep in mind when framing your shot.īut when shooting monochrome, there are other important things too. Leading lines, patterns, natural framing, placing the horizon, and varying your viewpoint. The rules of composition still apply whether you’re shooting color or black-and-white landscape photos. Strongside lighting, or even backlighting, can emphasize the texture of an object. This helps to create another sort of contrast. In black-and-white landscape photos, we can use the difference in texture.įor example, something in-between, say, a craggy cliff face and a smooth sea. The world around us is full of texture, both the natural as well as the man-made aspects of it. How the hue of certain elements, such as green grass, means different contrasts in black and white images. With experience, you will see start seeing how an image translates in B&W. That doesn’t mean disregarding the colors in front of us altogether. It takes a little effort to train our brains to think about a scene based on highlights and shadows. That contrast across the image, when used well, can produce some striking results.īut we are used to seeing the full spectrum of colors. These tones range from almost pure white through to deep, rich black and everything in between. The best black-and-white landscapes have a strong range of tones. So, if you can’t rely on color to make your photograph for you, what do you use instead? Instead, you have produced a flat, uninspiring monochrome image. This will create a scene that has lost all its dramatic impact. That gorgeous orange cast over your scene becomes reduced to a series of greys. In black-and-white landscape photography, the golden hour is no longer the golden rule. But for those of us wanting to create stunning black-and-white landscape shots, we need to think in a different way. The golden hour might be the key to a great color image. Or even earlier, to photograph your favorite location.Įven better if it’s bathed in the soft glow of the golden hour, that all too brief period at the start and end of the day. There’s nothing better than heading out at the crack of dawn. I’ve come up with a list of some of my favorite tips below. Or you might be looking for some advice on how to get the most out of your time in the wilderness. You might have yet to try your hand at this exciting form of photography. Black and white has a pure and timeless quality. Discover the Beauty of Black-and-White Landscape PhotographyĬolor photos show us a place as it is. Here are nine tips to improve your landscape photography. 9 Black-and-White Landscape Photography Tips
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