Week 13: Mood
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You can only submit a photo that was taken during the week of the challenge. This is the one rule that unites our entire community.
Week 13: Mood
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Week 10: Black And White!
Extra Challenge: Use A 10-stop ND
Just the Facts: You have 7 days to take a black and white photo! (in camera or processed afterward)
Why does black and white photography so often grab our attention more? It's because we have the ability to create STRONGER elements in our frame by taking away much of the distraction that often comes with color. It's simply less "things" for our brains to take in. But more than that, black and white will accentuate just that, the blacks and whites in your shot, so you can create more contrast and light/shadow play within your frame to tell a powerful story.
Black and white processing also removes any color noise you may have in your image, which can be a great technique to lean on when juggling higher ISO. Typically, you can process black and white much more aggressively than you can color, which can help accentuate the details and “grunge” in your subject.
WATCH: Off the Rails ep. 126 - "The Squint Technique" (for patrons)
WATCH: Off the Rails ep. 7 - An exercise in Black and White (for patrons)
Once you start shooting in black and white, you may begin to see the world around you a bit differently. A good black and white photo comes from the interplay of light and shadow. You may start to "see" the world around you in terms of shapes and structure more than the overall color while considering what to shoot. Look at where the light hits. Look at where the shadows lie. Look out for textures as well, that may add more dimension to your shot.
Don't forget about everything else that will make your photo strong - composition, angle, posing, lens choice, STORY. At the end of the day, B/W is yet another tool that we CAN use, if it helps to make our story stronger!
Don’t forget to “pin” any BTS (behind the scenes) photos you may have as a comment under your photo, as it’s a huge help for others to learn!
Posting to Socials? Our hashtag of the week is #52frames_blackandwhite
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TIPS:
- Contrast Is Key: Emphasize strong light and dark areas for impact.
- Texture Stands Out: Highlight rough, smooth, or intricate surfaces.
- Use Negative Space: Let empty areas enhance your composition.
- Shapes And Patterns: Use geometric forms to create striking compositions.
- Play With Shadows: Shadows add drama and depth to your shots.
- Make Silhouettes Pop: Backlit subjects create bold, graphic shapes.
- High Key Vs Low Key: Experiment with bright or moody lighting styles.
- Focus On Emotion: Expressions and body language become more powerful.
- Simplify The Scene: Avoid distractions to enhance the subject’s presence.
TUTS:
- Black and White Photography for beginners.
- Level up your skills with these great tips for black and white photos.
- Master black and white contrast in your monochrome photos.
- Gain inspiration from the 2024 Black and White Photo Award winners.
- Black and white examples of portrait, landscape, street, and macro photography.
- 📱 Guide to black and white smartphone photography.📱
- 📱 Shooting with a mobile phone? Check out our "Phone Photographers" Facebook Group.
Looking for more inspiration? Check out our previous albums Black and White (2024), and Black and White Minimalism (2024). And as always, The Googles! Oh you sweet Googles.
Extra Challenge: Use A 10-stop ND
Think the Main Challenge alone ain't worthy enough of your photog skillz? Sweet - try adding the EXTRA challenge along with the Main Challenge to showcase your abilities.
This week, we'd like to see Black And White photos taken with a 10-stop ND filter.
Do remember, the EC is neither mandatory nor does it enhance your odds of being picked for any 52F honors. It's just an EXTRA challenge for you, if that's something you want to take on in addition to the Main Challenge. We intentionally design the Extra Challenge to be difficult for most, so only take this on if you are looking for an EXTRA challenge. Get it? It's extra. 💖
Photo Credit: Pat Eeelman - Week 33: Black and White Minimalism (2023)
Remember, you are only submitting ONE photo per week. It is not necessary (and sometimes not possible) to work in this Extra Challenge into your submission. It’s extra challenge!
Upcoming Challenges
Remember, you can only submit photos taken during the week of the challenge!
Week 10: Black And White
Extra Challenge: Use A 10-stop NDWeek 10: Black And White
Week 10: Black And White