Making Black and White Portrait Photography

By Syahrul Fitri

In the sixty's all photos in advertising were shot in Black and White. The photographer usually use large view cameras sizes 5x4 inch, half plate, whole plate and 10x8 inch, using B/W sheet film made by Kodak and Ilford. Shooting with negative film was so expensive to buy and even more expensive to process and print, most times it just wasn't used and the quality was poor.

Shooting Black and White, simply put, It's just so refreshing to see an object that is not in bright. We can look the beauty of the photo is from the tonal range whites to blacks. But you must carefully using lighting to the object, if you shoot a Portrait Head Shot with a white or plain background, you are really only going to see a making of an photo where the character or beauty of that person shows without confusing it with color.
You can do Black and White Portrait Photography on the studio and outdoors. If you use studio to take Black and White Portrait Photography . The first you must do it is set up your flash with a soft-box or umbrella attachment, positioned to the side of your camera, approximately at a 45 degree angle to the subject. And use the tripod to minimize shaking from your hand .
In the other side of the camera and fix a second light facing into the reflector as a bounce light to fill-in the shadow side of the model. I would be wise to have an additional small reflector below the models head to reflect light up under the models chin. Sometime you need additional lights to light up the background and a clip light to clip the models hair. Before take the photo check your exposures using a stand-in mode to eliminating mistakes .
If you take Black and White Portrait Photography on the outdoor is a whole lot simpler than taking photo at expensive studio with flash equipment. However, need a fine warm day and you will be working outside in the SHADOW of the building.

First you must do it when take Black and White Portrait Photography on the outdoor is seat your Model facing where the majority of light is coming from, making sure that the sun is not falling on the model. Behind the models head as a white background place the white card. And place two others each side of the model, reflecting light back into the subjects face. It's good idea to lights up any shadows under the models chin by seated your model in front of a table on which you have also placed a white card.
Use tripod so you can then carefully control your photo. Remember you are creating a beautiful picture , not taking snaps of your kids, be professional and you photos will look professional also. You can improvise by setting up your background, you can use the garden broom .Make sure that you support the reflectors and background with a strong tape in case of a sudden gust of wind.

Check out my other guide on archival photo albums and magnetic photo frames

Black And White Portrait Photography

Black And White Portraits Photography

Making Black and White Portrait Photography

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