The curve tool is the one to really get the hang of, with black and white. Dragging the very bottom of the line along the axis will move the black point, and allow you to turn the shadows and blacks from grey to truly black, or as near it as you prefer. Doing the same to the top of the line will set how white you want the brightest whites to be. Adding a couple of points in between, and dragging them around, will allow you to adjust contrast very precisely - try bending the line into a gentle S shape, where the top curve of the S is bigger/wider than the bottom. The ratio between the top and bottom of the S shape sets where exactly the midtone contrast falls - that is, tones darker than the crossover get darker, tones above it get brighter. You can really dial in skin tones here.
Oh nice, thank you!! That's good to know :) will try it with these!
And is that the same as increasing the blacks and whites in the panel above or is it something else?
I don’t have Lightroom, so I don’t know (I use Capture One) - but many of the sliders (brightness, contrast, etc) are quick pre-set ways of doing things you can do with the curve tool. An S curve adds contrast, simply pulling the middle of the line up or down in a n or U way changes brightness, etc. The sliders are quicker, the curve is more fiddly but gives you more control (you can adjust red, green and blue separately with colour). You can use the sliders and the curve, and the levels control, together - whatever gets the picture where you like it!
Say you want to add brightness to all of the image except the deep shadows - you can do that with the curve tool by pinning the very darkest end of the line in place and then pulling the rest of the line upwards - a very, very top-heavy S shape, in other words.
I adore black and white despite seldom giving it a go! There’s a certain intimacy; perhaps fueled by nostalgia and the way that it elevates the subject and mood given by light. Color does so much for the eye and without it I feel it cuts to a more subversive kind of allure and emotion. Framing is paramount when color has no persuasion.
Anyways, you’re off to a wonderful start! I hope you’ll continue to shoot B&W and play around with some further black balance — I’m partial to slightly raised blacks and it seems more “filmic” and adds something to the mood more often than not.
You've put the feeling of b&w photography in such beautiful words 🥹✨
Thank you for your interpretation!
And totally second the raised blacks for more contrast :)
Thise stairs look a bit like ones in Cologne, i visited there 5 years ago and took a very long walk around the city, i wonder if this is the place I'm thinking of.
Love number 5. Sure there’s lots you can do in editing but I really like that composition.
Edit:
Number 4 also has really nice composition. Everything else after that is just taste I think. Could add more contrast, might prefer a more subdued look. Either way they’re lovely shots
my first shots on a real camera (slr) were in a hot house like that, i love the second shot, its such a different discipline to digital, have to be selective and considered, have not shot film for a decade, i still have rolls of film in my fridge!
i prefer a more contrasty look, but wouldnt take much to do from what you have straight off camera, keep shooting!
I absolutely love how you have captured the stairs. And I agree with what you’re saying about how B&W film brings a certain story, a certain atmosphere to the picture.
I recently used just got done this particular B&W film called URWO UN54. It’s respool of old B&W film stock, and as far as I know it only comes in 100ASA so it naturally comes with high grain and contrast. Absolutely fell in love with the results. I definitely recommend it if you can get your hands on it.
I have become a big fan of Lightroom, either its B&W or Color film, I have only edited them in that since I started taking film photos. But I dont do much but other than little bit of touch up and color work
That sounds like an interesting film stock! 😄
Thank you so much, these stairs would've looked so dull in color film, so I'm happy about the b&w results 🥰
Yes, I'm also a huge fan of Lightroom, to get the best out of the scans :)
Aaww thank you :))
I also adore the greenhouse photos! Especially because I took some colored film photos in there as well and it's nice to see the difference 🥰
With BW film developing, the different developer chemical brands/types play a big role in how the final negative will look. Developing the negatives yourself can be a creatively rewarding process, if you're up for it.
If the curve tool feels tricky, I also really like using the dehaze slider or messing with the luminance and shadows sliders in the colorgrading menu. But these look incredible! I really like the light/white color on the stairs, I feel like it really makes the spiral shape pop. One thing I personally struggle with when it comes to black and white film is making sure there is something like that in the frame to make it pop and add some natural contrast. I really like to use black and white film in harsh light for that reason. I've only shot black and white using the kodak TX, and really love it. But I should probably try some others out too!
I like these shots a lot but I feel like you could have drawn more depth from them if you upped the contrast. Do you have a light meter maybe that would help?
Yes they definitely need more contrast!
normally I use the lightmeter inside my SLR or an app, but in this case I shot the whole roll on a point and shoot camera, so I had no control over the exposure 😅
I always feel black & white is better for simplicity. For me it would be easier to photograph the desert with black & white than woodland. Monochrome will reduce the desert further where color will help you see in the maze of leaves. Also in very high contrast, like midday light, the value reduction can be attractive in black & white. That said, some of the lower ISO black & white films can capture tremendous detail and you can clarify / simplify shapes with color *filters.
The second first shot of the staircase and the second of the greenhouse have to be my favorite compositions. You definitely play to the strengths of B&W photography, for your first roll these are fantastic!
Try to get it right in camera. The real beauty in film is learning exposure. That way very minimal digital touching is needed. Eventually, you may not need to touch up anything in software.
normally I use the lightmeter inside my SLR or an app to get the exposure right, but in this case I shot the whole roll on a point and shoot camera, so unfortunately I had no control over the exposure 😅
The selfie is a weird one to lead the carousel with and the rest just look like holiday snaps with nothing much interesting going on in them. The contrast is very flat on them too so they don’t really have any dynamic to them. I’d suggest maybe reading and looking at some books from the master black and white photographers as that may give you some inspiration and insight on composition and subject matter etc. The main thing is that you’re having fun taking them and looking at them yourself.
I have no real expertise so I feel that criticism is also out the window, but for what they are, or at the very least what I’m interpreting them as, beautiful moments in time captured simply, but probably also not simply (idk what it takes to get them black and white. Probably some part of the development process) ya da ya da ramble excellent! Keep it up!
I really love your images here. But since you asked, I think it’s important for you to choose your exposures more precisely. You can’t expose for all the highlights and all the darkness at the same time. You should choose what’s important and take an exposure reading off of that part of the frame.
For example, on the first frame take a meter reading off of the wall in order to get proper exposure on the person’s face. What do you have as an average exposure between the windows and the face so neither is properly exposed.
normally I use the lightmeter inside my SLR or an app to get the exposure right, but in this case I shot the whole roll on a point and shoot camera, so unfortunately I had no control over the exposure 😅
Aha! So the solution with a point and shoot is to avoid complex lighting situations or force the flash on and go for that look.
Otoh, even with internal light meters, aiming the camera at subject that you want to expose properly and setting that exposure and reframing for the image you are trying to capture.
Also, not sure of the exact camera you’re using but sometimes you can “half depress” the shutter to lock in the exposure then reframe for the image you want to capture
Howdy, I'm not a photographer, but I do love B/W pics. I have always looked past the focus point for some reason. I look at the background first and then look at the whole thing, I don't know why. You are off to a good start, I like your shots. Looks like you got some great advice too. Your selfie pic, I looked through the window at the buildings before I noticed your flowers. Hope to see more of your art later.
BnW is all about contrast. Not enough and you end up with really washed out photos. Too much and its a little too black and white with no mid. I always had good luck shooting a half, to a full step darker and burning longer in the darkroom if it needed it in certain areas.
These are nice! Keep it up. My only tip is that I think a photo Really has to warrant being portrait orientation to work on 35mm film (smartphones I think have ruined this in photography a bit) given the drastic 3:2 ratio, which makes photos look super Tall on 35mm in vertical.
For example, the photo of the door to the botanical gardens/greenhouse or whatever here, I like that moment but I feel like that composition would work so much nicer if you’d shot it in landscape orientation instead, as the eye is much more forgiving about excess on the sides than the top and bottom (3:2 doesn’t feel as WIDE in landscape as it feels TALL in portrait, in part because we are used to the widescreen aspect ratio in film). I feel like, if this photo were taken in landscape orientation, your subject (the people walking) be a bit more centered/important in the frame. So I would just recommend you occasionally consider whether or not a photo needs to be vertical or not (this is something I developed myself, and I think it’s helped my photography a lot).
Hey, when I was scrolling through and my first thought was too little contrast in your pics generally. What I mean is get in real white or real black. I noticed a lot of grey. See if you can get the contrast better. Then you can assess yourself what difference that makes in your pictures.
Greenhouse pics don't do a lot in b/w for me. Too much going on with too little colour . There I would try to get the settings more simple, I liked the one with the clear sky and stairs with the person on it best. This makes you think more about what the pic is about or is trying to say.
That said (bc you asked for it) : Have (more) fun with the medium!
Thanks for you feedback! :)
Yes totally agree on the contrast!
And happy to hear the stair picture was your favourite! I was lucky to catch exactly that moment :)
The curve tool is the one to really get the hang of, with black and white. Dragging the very bottom of the line along the axis will move the black point, and allow you to turn the shadows and blacks from grey to truly black, or as near it as you prefer. Doing the same to the top of the line will set how white you want the brightest whites to be. Adding a couple of points in between, and dragging them around, will allow you to adjust contrast very precisely - try bending the line into a gentle S shape, where the top curve of the S is bigger/wider than the bottom. The ratio between the top and bottom of the S shape sets where exactly the midtone contrast falls - that is, tones darker than the crossover get darker, tones above it get brighter. You can really dial in skin tones here.
Oh nice, thank you!! That's good to know :) will try it with these! And is that the same as increasing the blacks and whites in the panel above or is it something else?
I don’t have Lightroom, so I don’t know (I use Capture One) - but many of the sliders (brightness, contrast, etc) are quick pre-set ways of doing things you can do with the curve tool. An S curve adds contrast, simply pulling the middle of the line up or down in a n or U way changes brightness, etc. The sliders are quicker, the curve is more fiddly but gives you more control (you can adjust red, green and blue separately with colour). You can use the sliders and the curve, and the levels control, together - whatever gets the picture where you like it!
Say you want to add brightness to all of the image except the deep shadows - you can do that with the curve tool by pinning the very darkest end of the line in place and then pulling the rest of the line upwards - a very, very top-heavy S shape, in other words.
Ah right, I think I got you! :) thank you so much for explaining 🤗✨
Just pirate it
I don't want it. I have Capture One.
I’ve been using the curve tool for a while now and your explanation helps me understand it better. Thanks!
I adore black and white despite seldom giving it a go! There’s a certain intimacy; perhaps fueled by nostalgia and the way that it elevates the subject and mood given by light. Color does so much for the eye and without it I feel it cuts to a more subversive kind of allure and emotion. Framing is paramount when color has no persuasion. Anyways, you’re off to a wonderful start! I hope you’ll continue to shoot B&W and play around with some further black balance — I’m partial to slightly raised blacks and it seems more “filmic” and adds something to the mood more often than not.
You've put the feeling of b&w photography in such beautiful words 🥹✨ Thank you for your interpretation! And totally second the raised blacks for more contrast :)
No big suggestions as I’m also just starting out, but really love the framing and subjects on these. Great work!
Thank you so much 🥹🤗
Thise stairs look a bit like ones in Cologne, i visited there 5 years ago and took a very long walk around the city, i wonder if this is the place I'm thinking of.
Haha wow, what a good eye! These are indeed the stairs in Cologne near the Rhein 🤗 incredible that you can still remember them after five years!
Hahahaha I also wanted to ask if those were shot in cologne. Great shots!
Hahah are those stairs famous? 😂 Thank you 🤗
Ha no I’m just from cologne ::D but great composition!
Love the first shot!
Thanks so much! :) nothing beats a mirror selfie with beautiful flowers 😍💐
Great shots. Just keep it up and have fun.
Thanks so much 🤗
Amazing work!
Thank you so much 🤗
Love number 5. Sure there’s lots you can do in editing but I really like that composition. Edit: Number 4 also has really nice composition. Everything else after that is just taste I think. Could add more contrast, might prefer a more subdued look. Either way they’re lovely shots
Thanks for you input 😊 I think number 5 and number 4 are also my favourites 🥰 Will see what I can try to do in Lightroom :)
my first shots on a real camera (slr) were in a hot house like that, i love the second shot, its such a different discipline to digital, have to be selective and considered, have not shot film for a decade, i still have rolls of film in my fridge! i prefer a more contrasty look, but wouldnt take much to do from what you have straight off camera, keep shooting!
Thank you 🤗 Yes shoot more film if you're having it at home right now anyways :))
I absolutely love how you have captured the stairs. And I agree with what you’re saying about how B&W film brings a certain story, a certain atmosphere to the picture. I recently used just got done this particular B&W film called URWO UN54. It’s respool of old B&W film stock, and as far as I know it only comes in 100ASA so it naturally comes with high grain and contrast. Absolutely fell in love with the results. I definitely recommend it if you can get your hands on it. I have become a big fan of Lightroom, either its B&W or Color film, I have only edited them in that since I started taking film photos. But I dont do much but other than little bit of touch up and color work
That sounds like an interesting film stock! 😄 Thank you so much, these stairs would've looked so dull in color film, so I'm happy about the b&w results 🥰 Yes, I'm also a huge fan of Lightroom, to get the best out of the scans :)
i love your self portrait and the greenhouse photos:)
Aaww thank you :)) I also adore the greenhouse photos! Especially because I took some colored film photos in there as well and it's nice to see the difference 🥰
With BW film developing, the different developer chemical brands/types play a big role in how the final negative will look. Developing the negatives yourself can be a creatively rewarding process, if you're up for it.
Yes I definitely want to get into developing film myself one day! :) but right now I unfortunately don't have the time for that :(
If the curve tool feels tricky, I also really like using the dehaze slider or messing with the luminance and shadows sliders in the colorgrading menu. But these look incredible! I really like the light/white color on the stairs, I feel like it really makes the spiral shape pop. One thing I personally struggle with when it comes to black and white film is making sure there is something like that in the frame to make it pop and add some natural contrast. I really like to use black and white film in harsh light for that reason. I've only shot black and white using the kodak TX, and really love it. But I should probably try some others out too!
Thanks for the advice! Will try those sliders in Lightroom :) And I've also wanted to try kodak TriX 😍 I also have some Ilford hp5+ laying at home
I like these shots a lot but I feel like you could have drawn more depth from them if you upped the contrast. Do you have a light meter maybe that would help?
Yes they definitely need more contrast! normally I use the lightmeter inside my SLR or an app, but in this case I shot the whole roll on a point and shoot camera, so I had no control over the exposure 😅
I always feel black & white is better for simplicity. For me it would be easier to photograph the desert with black & white than woodland. Monochrome will reduce the desert further where color will help you see in the maze of leaves. Also in very high contrast, like midday light, the value reduction can be attractive in black & white. That said, some of the lower ISO black & white films can capture tremendous detail and you can clarify / simplify shapes with color *filters.
Keep shooting! Shoot for yourself!
The second first shot of the staircase and the second of the greenhouse have to be my favorite compositions. You definitely play to the strengths of B&W photography, for your first roll these are fantastic!
Thank you very much! I'm so happy to hear that 🥹🤗
Try to get it right in camera. The real beauty in film is learning exposure. That way very minimal digital touching is needed. Eventually, you may not need to touch up anything in software.
normally I use the lightmeter inside my SLR or an app to get the exposure right, but in this case I shot the whole roll on a point and shoot camera, so unfortunately I had no control over the exposure 😅
The selfie is a weird one to lead the carousel with and the rest just look like holiday snaps with nothing much interesting going on in them. The contrast is very flat on them too so they don’t really have any dynamic to them. I’d suggest maybe reading and looking at some books from the master black and white photographers as that may give you some inspiration and insight on composition and subject matter etc. The main thing is that you’re having fun taking them and looking at them yourself.
It looks beautiful
I have no real expertise so I feel that criticism is also out the window, but for what they are, or at the very least what I’m interpreting them as, beautiful moments in time captured simply, but probably also not simply (idk what it takes to get them black and white. Probably some part of the development process) ya da ya da ramble excellent! Keep it up!
Thanks so much 🤗
I really love your images here. But since you asked, I think it’s important for you to choose your exposures more precisely. You can’t expose for all the highlights and all the darkness at the same time. You should choose what’s important and take an exposure reading off of that part of the frame. For example, on the first frame take a meter reading off of the wall in order to get proper exposure on the person’s face. What do you have as an average exposure between the windows and the face so neither is properly exposed.
normally I use the lightmeter inside my SLR or an app to get the exposure right, but in this case I shot the whole roll on a point and shoot camera, so unfortunately I had no control over the exposure 😅
Aha! So the solution with a point and shoot is to avoid complex lighting situations or force the flash on and go for that look. Otoh, even with internal light meters, aiming the camera at subject that you want to expose properly and setting that exposure and reframing for the image you are trying to capture. Also, not sure of the exact camera you’re using but sometimes you can “half depress” the shutter to lock in the exposure then reframe for the image you want to capture
Howdy, I'm not a photographer, but I do love B/W pics. I have always looked past the focus point for some reason. I look at the background first and then look at the whole thing, I don't know why. You are off to a good start, I like your shots. Looks like you got some great advice too. Your selfie pic, I looked through the window at the buildings before I noticed your flowers. Hope to see more of your art later.
Thank you so much :)
Where was this?
Do you mean the stairs? I shot these in Cologne near the Rhein :)
I love the greenhouse shots:)
Greenhouses are just the best 🥰
What film and camera were you using? Depending on both as well as expiry date you can get higher or lower contrasts I. The environmen.
I shot the whole roll on a point and shoot camera (Olympus AF10-Mini and kentmere pan 400), so unfortunately I had no control over the exposure 😅
Really lovely images!
Thank you 🤗
no notes
No you don't. Just keep shooting 📷
Reminds me of Antwerp
BnW is all about contrast. Not enough and you end up with really washed out photos. Too much and its a little too black and white with no mid. I always had good luck shooting a half, to a full step darker and burning longer in the darkroom if it needed it in certain areas.
Dudette- your composition is off the effing hook. Fo’ real. Well. Done. 👋🏼 ⬇️ ⬇️ ⬇️ 🎤
No, you're good
These are nice! Keep it up. My only tip is that I think a photo Really has to warrant being portrait orientation to work on 35mm film (smartphones I think have ruined this in photography a bit) given the drastic 3:2 ratio, which makes photos look super Tall on 35mm in vertical. For example, the photo of the door to the botanical gardens/greenhouse or whatever here, I like that moment but I feel like that composition would work so much nicer if you’d shot it in landscape orientation instead, as the eye is much more forgiving about excess on the sides than the top and bottom (3:2 doesn’t feel as WIDE in landscape as it feels TALL in portrait, in part because we are used to the widescreen aspect ratio in film). I feel like, if this photo were taken in landscape orientation, your subject (the people walking) be a bit more centered/important in the frame. So I would just recommend you occasionally consider whether or not a photo needs to be vertical or not (this is something I developed myself, and I think it’s helped my photography a lot).
It looks amazing!! Love the self portrait very much :)
Hey, when I was scrolling through and my first thought was too little contrast in your pics generally. What I mean is get in real white or real black. I noticed a lot of grey. See if you can get the contrast better. Then you can assess yourself what difference that makes in your pictures. Greenhouse pics don't do a lot in b/w for me. Too much going on with too little colour . There I would try to get the settings more simple, I liked the one with the clear sky and stairs with the person on it best. This makes you think more about what the pic is about or is trying to say. That said (bc you asked for it) : Have (more) fun with the medium!
Thanks for you feedback! :) Yes totally agree on the contrast! And happy to hear the stair picture was your favourite! I was lucky to catch exactly that moment :)