Black and White Photography

 Hey Tribe,

Black and white: my favorite colors!  But wow are black and white dogs challenging to photograph well: either their faces come out looking like dark holes in the universe and they have no eyes, or their white legs are completely clipped in the highlights.  I accept the challenge, because if it were easy there wouldn't be any learning or growth.

Those eyes!

The monthly calendar photo contest theme in one of my KBD facebook groups is "black and white in landscape."  With most of these "b&w photo challenges" people just take their regular photos, pop on a b&w filter, and call it good, but rarely do I think they're really decent images.  There should be more to a really good black and white photo than just removing color, because without color, the shapes, the lines, the contrast of light and dark become more necessary to tell the photo's story.  A good black and white photograph should take more consideration.

I'd like to improve my photography and take more deliberate photos; a little black and white challenge seems like a fun way to get going.  First, I scrolled through the photos I happened to have on my computer and selected a few I thought would transition decently into b&w images.  Here are the results:

This photo started out as a less than clear image to begin with: Fly is not in focus and the noise, or grain, in the photo is immense.  I do like how the glacier's lines and cracks are pronounced and I think snowy mountain peaks always look great in b&w.  But, without the color, you lose the cool effect of the location - you can't really tell that the foreground is ice and that Fly is walking on a glacier.  Glaciers might not be the best b&w subjects. 

This one isn't too bad.  Again, those craggy, snow clad mountain peaks are looking sharp.  However, I would have liked more contrast with the sky, so the clouds could be more prominent and add some drama.  Also, I think the foreground Fly is standing on has too much texture going on and it takes away from the mountains.  What I do love is the light falling across Fly's body and her shadow.  More of that, please.

I saved what I think is the best for last.  I loved this photo in color and I still really like it in b&w.  Shapes play more of a role now that the color is gone: the slope of the mountainside, the bend of the bush from the weight of the thick snow, the angle of Fly's ice coated body, the log that connects the bank to the river and mirrors the mountain slope.  It's all nicely composed.  What we miss is the gloriously soft winter sunlight that is glowing through the trees across the river.  How can I help that ah, shine, through?

I'll work on these points.  Hopefully it will help me become a better, more thoughtful photographer.  I'd like to take photos with a black and white outcome in mind, rather than just slapping a filter on any ol' photo.