Top tips for black and white shooters
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Avoid flat lighting like the plague and avoid shooting mid-day in the sun, find spots with interesting light and shadow details. Look for interesting textures and patterns.
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Try shooting at night – the light, or lack thereof, is much more dynamic at night and looks fantastic in black and white
work print on final stock
A calibrated computer monitor is a must and the print is the ultimate goal, make work prints/proofs for better control.
Lightroom Histogram with slightly blocked shadows
Check your levels/histogram for punchy blacks, it’s ok to block the shadows a little. when using levels in Photoshop, turn on the warning tool by pressing the alt/option key when moving the sliders. In Lightroom turn on the warnings in the histogram palette.
Digital grain overlay
Digital files look more natural with film grain imposed. In photoshop add grain layer and adjust opacity. In Lightroom use the grain palette.
Shoot RAW for flexibility and adjust -1/3EV to protect highlights. Some cameras allow for a b/w preview on the LCD screen (Leica Akademie tip)
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Adobe Photoshop CS6 | Adobe Photoshop Elements 11
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