Black-and-white photography has a magical quality. The most famous photographers work in black and white. By capturing the world in subtle shades of gray, you can add an entirely different emphasis to your photos. However, black-and-white photography requires a different way of seeing. Because, how do you create an interesting photo without relying on all the beautiful colours around you? What is the secret to a stunning black-and-white photo?

1.  Focus on shapes and patterns.
   The major difference from colour photography is that you can't use colours to direct attention. When all colours are removed, composition becomes even more important. Composition is a key way to make your photo appealing. Think about diagonal lines and the golden ratio, but also utilize shapes, patterns, and textures that might not stand out in colour, yet truly come to life in a black-and-white photo.
   
   
2. Pay attention to contrast.
   For a black-and-white photo, it's often beautiful to show a greater contrast between light and dark. This difference is called contrast. Contrast is one of the most crucial elements in black-and-white photos. Without contrast, your photos can quickly become dull. Some cameras allow you to adjust contrast directly, but you can also modify this in nearly any photo or editing software. You can easily adjust contrast in our photo book software as well. Photography is writing with light. And this might apply even more to black-and-white photography than to colour photos.
   
   
3. Seek out the right light.
   Many novice photographers believe that the best photos are taken with the sun at their back, but you can also create beautiful black-and-white photos in low-contrast light or in bright backlight. How about side lighting that highlights the texture of a subject? And if you tend to stay indoors on cloudy days due to “boring light,” go outside from now on! You'll discover that you can create the most stunning black-and-white photos.
   
   
4. Shoot your photos in colour.
   Some cameras have the option to immediately take photos in black and white, but you retain more control over your photos when you still have the colour information. It's better to edit the photos afterward in an editing program. Did you know that you can easily convert your photos to black and white when creating your photo book in our photo book software?
   
   
5. Or shoot in RAW.
   Those who shoot in RAW file format can comfortably photograph in black and white. Even though you see a black-and-white photo on your screen (which is certainly useful for those wanting to take black-and-white photos), all colour information is retained. So, a colour photo is stored that you can potentially use or edit later. One of the advantages of shooting in RAW.
   
   
6. Which subjects are suitable for black-and-white photography?
   Street photography is often done in black and white to avoid distraction from colour. A black-and-white photo truly emphasizes the person rather than, for example, the clothes they're wearing. Portrait photos are also typically taken in black and white for that reason. However, landscape photos can be equally stunning in black and white. That's precisely because you look at a landscape differently.

Go ahead and experiment with this!

Equipment used for this shoot:
  - Nikon D3500  + Sigma 18-250mm F3.5-6.3
  
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