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THINKING AND SEEING IN BLACK AND WHITE

Quick Guide
Written by Kevin Landwer-Johan
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 In the beginning, there were black and white no colors? Using your imagination and thinking about
photos. And later came color. But black and white how a composition would look in black and white is
endured – it did not disappear. Black and white is something you can learn to do. This is fundamental
the foundation of the art of photography. Even in to consistently producing quality black and white
this digital era, understanding how to take good photos, so in this guide, I’ll give you some tips to
grayscale images can be a cornerstone to our inspire you.
photography experience.
Recommended Reading: If you’d like to
One of the keys to producing strong monochrome learn how to create amazing black and white
photos is to think and see in black and white. The images, grab a copy of Photzy’s best-selling
concept may appear rather abstract. How can we see premium guide: Better Black and White.

THINKING AND SEEING IN BLACK AND WHITE // © PHOTZY.COM 3

 ENCHANTING BLACK AND WHITE

Kodak introduced its Kodachrome slide film to the world

in the mid-1930s, but color photography did not become
popular until the 1970s. At this time, color negative films
and cheaper printing made color photography accessible.

Until then most people only saw black and white photos.
This seems strange to us now in a digital age, as we see
color photos everywhere we look. It’s not so common to
see monochrome images as it used to be. They are more
distinguished nowadays.

Loading a black and white film into a camera was always

a more intentional choice than creating monochromatic
digital images. Now, there’s no need to think or see in
black and white before you press the shutter button,
but, when you do, you will almost certainly create more
compelling black and white images.
Photograph by Kevin Landwer-Johan

The enchantment of black and white has never

diminished. Right from the beginning of capturing
reflected light that created a permanent image on film
and paper, well-crafted monochrome photos have had an
ability to captivate people’s attention and imagination.

Key Lesson: The more deliberate you are

when taking digital photos for black and white
reproduction, the more powerful your images
will be.

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 WE SEE EVERYTHING IN COLOR

We see everything, all around us, every day, in color. We take

color for granted. Our expectation is to see color. Our brains
anticipate this. So, when we see life represented in black and
white photos, we are forced to think differently.

Much of our brain function is centered around expectations

based on our experiences. When we walk, we expect that as
we place our foot on the floor it will be solid, as it was the last
time we stepped on it. We breathe in the air expecting to stay
alive. We smell the coffee and have an expectation for how it
will taste. If it tastes different, our thoughts are jolted. We can be
pleasantly surprised by a superior blend and brew, or we might
react with a “YUK” if it’s poor quality.

Our expectation to see color in a photo is jolted by black

and white rendering of images. This immediately triggers our
attention. Depending on the quality of the image, this could be
like a sweet perfume or maybe like the smell of sweaty socks.
Either way, our attention is piqued.

Simple desaturation of a color image will not render it a

compelling monochrome. Monochrome, yes, but there’s far
Photograph by Kevin Landwer-Johan
more to producing black and white photos that make you want
to look at them intently.

Key Lesson: Think of black and white photography as

going far beyond simple desaturation of color. Train your
mind to imagine how everything looks in grayscale.

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 LEARN TO VISUALIZE TONE

Tone is the lightness or darkness of

something, regardless of what color it is.
Black and white photographs are purely
tone. Each color becomes a tone when
the hue is removed. Cooler colors (blues,
greens, and purples) render as darker
tones. Warmer colors (reds, oranges,
and yellows) render as lighter tones.
Remembering these basics is the first step
to learning to see in color.

Texture, light, and exposure choices also

influence tone in black and white photos.
I’ll get into more detail about these
aspects further into this guide.

Beginning to think about how different

colors will look in your black and white
photos will help you build better
compositions. Tone is used to create the
following:

·· Contrast

·· An illusion of form

·· A sense of depth

·· Atmosphere
Photographs by Kevin Landwer-Johan

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 Visualize how colors will appear as tones
in your photos and you can compose
with confidence. Yellow and blue butted
against each other in an image will
contrast in grayscale. Orange and red
will be a smoother transition. Putting this
knowledge into practice before you take
a photo enables you to better manage
your compositions. This is easier when
you have control over elements in your
frame, but also helps when you are not
able to manipulate them.

When color has a strong impact on the

mood of an image, rendering in black and
white gives you creative license to sway
that feeling. A rather melancholy color
photo composed with blues and greens
can become much less gloomy when
rendered as a monochrome image. For
example, the top image as shown on the
left, her smile becomes more alive.

Key Lesson: Thinking about how

the colors you see will appear as
tones when rendered as black and
white helps you make more
interesting compositions.

Photographs by Kevin Landwer-Johan

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 SEEING THE LIGHT
IN MONOCHROME

The angle at which light reflects off

surfaces determines much about how we
perceive the color and how our cameras
record it. This translates directly into how
colors look as tones in grayscale images.
Surface texture and your choice of
exposure settings also affect what things
look like in photos.

A bright light reflecting off a dark-colored

shiny surface can appear as white. An
underexposed light-colored surface might
render as pure black. The point of view
from where you take a photo and how
you set the exposure determine what
tones result in your photos.

Even a relatively flat light reflecting off

the shiny surfaces in this image results in
the black, gold, and red colors appearing
white. This is true in both the color and
the monochrome versions. Some of
the intensity is lost when it’s converted
because the red color renders as a mid-
gray. A dark blue will render much darker.
(Apologies to train enthusiasts, as I guess
these numbers would never be blue!)
Photographs by Kevin Landwer-Johan

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 So, regardless of the color or tone of
a surface, how the light reflects off of
it into your camera lens has a strong
influence on how it appears. Flat and
curved surfaces, shiny and dull surfaces,
and textured surfaces all reflect light in
different ways. You can use this to your
advantage when thinking in black and
white.

Three-dimensional qualities are created

in photographs using tone. Much of how
this works is dictated by how light creates
these tones. The more you can see the
variance in tones, the more you can
manage the appearance of depth in your
images.

Photographs by Kevin Landwer-Johan

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 CONTROL YOUR EXPOSURE SETTINGS FOR THE BEST BLACK AND WHITE

Exposure meters are calibrated to read the light as Learn to pre-visualize how your camera will record
though it’s all reflecting off 18% gray. This is also the light reflecting off a surface. This allows you
called middle gray. It’s the tone halfway between to make more precise choices in how you set your
white and black. Adjusting your settings for this exposure. Think about how your exposure will alter
reading will often give you an acceptable exposure. the tones when you render an image in black and
You will have detail in both shadows and highlights white. This helps you make choices about your
unless the tone range in your composition is extreme. aperture, shutter speed, and ISO settings.

You might also choose to adjust your settings to Your intent for a photo is also an important
expose more for the shadows or the highlights. consideration when making exposure choices.
These settings will result in very different-looking What mood will you convey if you expose for the
photos. Some detail may be lost in the dark or the highlights? Will your subject look better in black and
light areas, but your photos can have more visual white if you expose for the shadows? When you can
impact. ‘see’ your subject in black and white, you are more
likely to make better choices.

THINKING AND SEEING IN BLACK AND WHITE // © PHOTZY.COM 10

 Photograph by Kevin Landwer-Johan

THINKING AND SEEING IN BLACK AND WHITE // © PHOTZY.COM 11

 SEEING IN BLACK AND WHITE MADE EASY

A great way to learn to previsualize your photos in black and

white is to make use of your camera’s technology. Most cameras
have a setting that allows you to view the monitor in grayscale.
Mirrorless cameras also allow you to set the viewfinder to show
a black and white image.

Looking at your composition in black and white prior to taking

your photo shows you how the colors and light will appear in
monochrome. This makes previsualization so easy.

When you’re using manual mode and live view together, you
can also see how your exposure settings affect the way your
photos will look. Using this method, you can clearly see how
light or dark any part of your image will be.

Photograph by Kevin Landwer-Johan

Key Lesson: If you are just beginning to explore black
and white digital photography, I encourage you to use this
method. But please don’t get lazy and rely on it. Use it for
a while until you have a pretty good idea of how things will
look in grayscale. Then begin to imagine the same without
relying on the technology. This will help you become a
more creative photographer as you begin to see the world
around you in black and white.

Recommended Reading: If you’d like to learn how to

create amazing black and white images, grab a copy of
Photzy’s best-selling premium guide: Better Black and
White.

THINKING AND SEEING IN BLACK AND WHITE // © PHOTZY.COM 12

 CONCLUSION

Imagine seeing the world in black and

white. This used to be much easier when
most photographs and even television
were all presented in monochrome. The
more you can visualize how colors appear
in grayscale, the more effective you will
be in creating great black and white
photographs.

Think about cool colors rendering darker

and warm colors appearing lighter in
black and white photos. Study light and
how it reflects off surfaces differently.
Move around as you begin to compose
Photograph by Kevin Landwer-Johan
your photos and watch as the way light
reflects into your lens changes depending
on your angle of view. And of course, be
in control of your exposure settings to
make the type of images you love the
most.

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 Self-Check Quiz:

1) What is one of the keys to produce strong monochrome photos?

2) When was Kodachrome film introduced?

3) When did color photography become popular?

4) Which colors usually look darker when rendered in black and white?

5) Which colors usually look lighter when rendered in black and white?

6) Do flat and curved surfaces, shiny and dull surfaces, and textured surfaces all reflect light in the same way?

7) What’s the easiest way to learn to see in grayscale?

THINKING AND SEEING IN BLACK AND WHITE // © PHOTZY.COM 14

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Hey there!
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we're here to help you every step of the way! Here are 3 of our most useful (and
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Grab 3 free photography cheat Take this 30 second quiz to find out Free access to our library of 250+
sheets that will help you the #1 thing holding your downloadable (pdf) tutorials on
understand the basics. photography back. everything you can imagine.

Download Cheat Sheets Take Quiz Download eBooks

Want quick photography tips?

Check out our friends at DailyPhotoTips.com they'll send you 1 solid photography tip
to your inbox, 5 days a week. So you can start your day right, with actionable tips to
help you on your creative journey. Subscribe now (free for a limited time)

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 ABOUT THE AUTHOR Congratulations! You’ve completed
this Photzy guide!

If you’ve found this photography tutorial

helpful, check out our best-selling premium
guide on how to create amazing black and
white images: Better Black and White.

Kevin is a New Zealand professional photographer living in the

north of Thailand since 2002. During his career he has worked
in editorial, documentary, and commercial photography. He
now also teaches photography workshops and writes books
and articles. You can read his blog here. He runs photography
workshops based at his home in rural northern Thailand. IF YOU’D LIKE TO CONTINUE
LEARNING AND IMPROVING
YOUR PHOTOGRAPHY PLEASE
VISIT PHOTZY.COM