USWhile the summer and autumn seasons are ideal for colourful photography, winter’s weather provides some amazing alternative photo opportunities.
Winter might seem a little bleak and dull but with some creative imagination, you can turn winter scenes into dramatic, detail-focused photos. Shooting in black and white opens a door to a completely new photography land. So, let’s jump in and explore online photography for teenagers: taking black and white photos….
Top tip: The best way to master black and white photography isn’t to take photos and edit them to black and white later. You’ll usually get better results if you start in black and white, as you’ll be able to see which objects and landscapes work well.
Capturing the World in Black and White
To get started, switch your camera to the BW setting or put your camera on Aperture Priority mode (Av) if your phone doesn’t have a BW mode. On the Av mode you can change the picture style to black and white from the menu or choose the “monochrome” setting.
Teen photography courses are a great way to learn how to capture dramatic black and white photos but we cover the basics to help you get started in this article. You can also pick up some tips for online photography for teenagers on our YouTube channel.
Tips for Shooting in Black and White
Taking black and white photos can evoke deeper emotional responses and often has a stronger emotional impact compared to colour photos. With black and white, photos, there is more focus on shapes, patterns and textures.
Whether you are a complete beginner to photography or you are looking for some tips to improve your photography results, here are some of the key areas we recommend for online photography for teenagers.
Use Contrast
When working with B&W photos, contrast is your best friend. There are a few ways you create contrast, including using the flash setting or adjusting the +/- on the exposure meter.
Bright sunlight is the perfect setting for capturing contrast and finding high-contrast scenes with deep blacks and bright whites will ensure your photo pops. Take photos of shadows of interesting objects and shapes for some great examples of contrast.
Weather
During winter, the cold weather will often present you with some exciting landscapes for dramatic B&W photos. The crisp whiteness of snow and the beauty of sparkling ice can produce stunning black and white photos. See if you can find any frozen water or icicles hanging down from roofs, trees or other surfaces for some icy photos.
Clouds can also create interesting photos, especially misty scenes, unique cloud shapes or clouds with light pouring around the edges of dark clouds. We cover all of these techniques in greater detail in our teen photography course if you want to learn more.
Explore Textures
Try using different textures to take close up photographs to focus on the detail and emphasise it through black and white contrast. Experiment with subjects such as fabrics, tree barks, brick/stone walls, paving and get creative with all kinds of textures in your home or outdoors in nature.
Black and White Portraits
Another exciting way to use black and white to great effect is with portraits of people or even animals. Taking portraits in black and white photos creates a moody feel, and details such as freckles, hairs and lip shapes stand out more in B&W.
Play around with taking close up photos of a subject’s face, using side profiles and use the focus point on the eye or other facial features. Try using natural lighting, as well as harsh lighting for bolder results.
If you can get a pet to stay still for long enough, they could help you to create a super cute black and white photo! Or you could get a friend or family member to model for you and get them involved in your fun hobby so they can experience the thrill of online photography for teenagers.
Lines and Angles in Architecture
Buildings and structures are ideal subjects for black and white photography. Head into your nearest town or city to find interesting buildings to capture stunning architecture.
Look for architecture with striking lines and angles, and try using reflections in buildings to create edgy patterns. If you are taking reflective photos, the best weather to do it in is cloudy when it isn’t very bright so there isn’t a glare off the building.
Go Abstract
Get imaginative with objects to create abstract black and white photos. Try capturing intricate patterns, silhouettes of trees, puddles and shadow patterns from fencing or other outdoor objects. The fun thing about taking abstract photos is that the more mysterious the subject is, the better.
You can capture long shadows at sunset, from trees, buildings or outside objects, using the strong light coming through as the sun goes down. There are loads of interesting ideas to experiment with when you’re trying black and white online photography for teenagers. Go out and explore all the possible subjects – outdoors in nature is a great place to look.
Black and White Maestros
If you want to get some cool ideas for your black and white photography, take a look at the work of:
Ansel Adams – Visit the Ansel Adams Gallery to see some of his best B&W work.
Edward Weston – You can see the works of innovative American photographer on his family website – https://www.edward-weston.com/edwardweston.
Teen Photography Courses
Take your photography hobby to a new level by taking one of our teen photography courses to learn more techniques for capturing amazing black and white photos. If you’re wondering what is involved in our teen photography courses, the emphasis is always on having fun while learning loads of useful tricks and techniques to capture great photos.
Check out our online photography for teenagers courses to get started on your journey and discover all the tricks and techniques for taking seriously impressive black and white photos.