Bold Black and White: How to create dynamic black and white photos 

Text and photos by Heather Cline 

Twisted Tree, Dead Horse Point State Park

Black and White photography gives photographers an opportunity to push the boundaries by emphasizing highlights and shadows more aggressively than we might if processing color images. This article will provide some tips and examples for creating bold black and white images. 

Contrast 

Some scenes and subjects lend themselves to higher tonal contrast. These situations are great for creating bold black and white images. When scenes have high tonal contrast, the highlights and shadows can be emphasized in post processing to increase the contrast, creating bold and dramatic effects. In the photo below, the bright areas of this slot canyon stand out against the walls in shadow. This is an example of a scene that had natural tonal contrast. 

Antelope Slot Canyon, Arizona

Here is another image where the lighting provided natural high contrast. Shooting wildflowers close to the ground can provide many opportunities to create images like this. If the ground isn't naturally in deep shadow, you can use a reflector, your photo pack, or even your own body to cast a deeper shadow. 

Iris Detail

Your camera's histogram is a good indicator of how much contrast an image will contain. When your histogram shows a lot of peaks and valleys versus one peak in the middle that flattens on the left and right, you have a scene that will typically convert well to black and white. The image of the arch below is a good example where the histogram spiked in the whites, highlights, shadows, and blacks because the image contained all of these. 

Arch Rock, Valley of Fire State Park

Harsh Light

Harsh and direct light can help certain areas of the scene stand out, so it pays to keep shooting if even you think the light is less than desirable. 

Cypresses, Pebble Beach

Changing weather can also create dynamic lighting conditions. When the sun breaks through the clouds and illuminates one area of the scene, this adds a almost immediate drama to any image and works particularly well when converting to black and white. 

Storm approaching Badwater, Death Valley National Park

Time of day 

When I was first learning about photography, I was taught to avoid shooting landscapes during the middle of the day, and while it is true that the time around sunrise and sunset provides excellent low angle light, there is something to be said for the harsher light that is cast during those hours in between. This type of lighting can result in more graphical elements that contribute to the drama of a black and white image. In the image below, I was hiking some of the trails on Grand Canyon's north rim in the afternoon. When I saw this single cloud floating about the canyon below, I thought it would make a striking composition and an interesting statement about the arid climate. 

Arch Rock, Joshua Tree National Park

Midday can also be a good time to capture dramatic wildlife images. If your ability to photograph exotic animals, like this lion is limited to the local zoos and sanctuaries, then you know the open hours typically align with when the sun is high in the sky but that doesn't mean you can't capture a stunning image. Cropping out bright spots and focusing on a tight portrait is a good way to ensure the light doesn't distract from the subject. 

Lion, Sacramento Zoo

Strong contrast can be created when the light is high in the sky, especially when there is texture, lines, or patterns that can be accentuated, such as these striations in the rock. 

The Wave, Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument

I hope you will consider and use these tips for creating bold images in black and white. By recognizing high contrast scenes, embracing harsh light, and getting out to shoot outside of the golden hour, you also can create bold black and white images. To see more images from this article, check out my Bold Black and White Gallery.