Do your black and white images fail to impress? If you’re often disappointed with the results, it’s likely you’re just shooting the wrong kind of subjects in the wrong kind of light. But with a few simple techniques you’ll soon be taking more dramatic pictures that are guaranteed to grab your viewer’s attention! In this short article you’ll discover nine quick and easy tips for creating powerful black and white photos with your iPhone.
Photo by Kwe Bentum
1. Use simple and minimal compositions where your main subject stands out clearly against the background.
2. Create strong definition by shooting high contrast scenes. A black and white photo that has very dark and very bright tones will be more visually appealing than one that just contains a selection of different grays.
3. Find subjects that have bold geometric shapes such as circles, squares, triangles and lines. The outline of these shapes will stand out really well in a black and white photo.
4. Create silhouettes by shooting with the light behind your subject. A dark silhouette against a bright background will accentuate the subject’s shape and make a powerful statement in black and white.
5. Photograph scenes with repetitive patterns and lines. They create strong shapes that add an abstract quality to your black and white photos.
6. Capture interesting textures to create contrast and patterns in your black and white images. Illuminating the texture with strong light from a low angle usually works best for bringing out the detail.
7. Include shadows in your scene to add contrast, visual interest and a wonderful sense of mystery.
8. When shooting landscapes pay careful attention to the sky. Dramatic skies and interesting cloud formations look better in black and white than plain empty skies.
9. When converting your image to black and white in post-processing, increase the contrast to create more definition between the light and dark areas of the photo.
Quick Tips Cheat Sheet
Click the image below to download this handy Quick Tips cheat sheet!
In-Depth Tutorials On Black & White iPhone Photography
To learn more about creating stunning black and white iPhone photos, check out our in-depth tutorials and interviews where you’ll discover more great shooting and editing techniques, as well as plenty of inspirational black and white images!
How To Create Incredible Black & White iPhone Photos by Kwe Bentum
10 Tips For Creating Powerful Black & White iPhone Photos by Kate Wesson
10 Tips for Better Black and White iPhone Photography by Rob DePaolo
8 Great Apps For Stunning Black & White iPhone Photos by Rob DePaolo
Interview: How José-Luis Sáez Takes Award Winning Black & White iPhone Photos
Interview: How Jason Peterson Takes Incredible Black & White Street Photos With iPhone
Interview: How Kamau Akabueze Takes Striking B&W iPhone Photos
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