Enhancing your black and white

Very few clients I meet dislike photography in black and white. I’ve always felt it added that special something, especially to portraits, as it has a natural feel and atmosphere that doesn’t come across in colour. The problem is that in modern day advertising and commercial realms colour is king, mono sometimes isn’t eye catching enough to shift a product, so the medium has become an arty option in books and occasional glossy features. Even if you choose not to shoot conventional black and white film, various pieces of software allow an efficient transfer from digital colour photo to black and white, but there are several ways to enhance the end result at the shooting stage, such as shooting into or across the light source.

Pic 1 : 125th@f5.6, 100asa, RAW, 16mm lens, Canon 5D

Taking pictures where your main source of light is behind or to the side of your subject/detail is one that requires a little more thought than conventionally lit shots, but by remembering a few basic principles you’ll quickly obtain pleasing results. In all cases when shooting across or into the light you’re enhancing the contrast of the overall scene. This principle holds true for colour as well, but the multitude of greys in a monotone image react better and somehow deliver a crisper result. More often than not you will have to rethink your exposure approach to allow more light into the lens than the camera or lightmeter initially suggests. In the case of pic 1, the objective of the shot is to show the motorsport mechanics looking into their pit garage. Because I am standing inside the garage itself and they are outside in stronger light, I over exposed about a stop and a half to reveal some facial detail and also create a very bright section of the frame in comparison to the much darker foreground. The men now appear as very distinct figures against the lighter background and the  strong feeling of contrast is achieved. 

Pic 2 : 60th@f6.7, 800asa, RAW, 35mm lens, Canon 5D

While the principle is similar in pic 2 as this bride arrives for her wedding, the added complication here is the white dress, which if not spot-on with the over exposure method will flare out into a white mass. The margin for error here is smaller than with pic 1, a little too much compensation and all detail in the dress will be lost, but not allowing enough and you’d have a silhouette effect and not see her smile, so a stop over exposed was ideal. Where shooting black and white is a major advantage in this particular case is that the frame is captured at 800asa, so when viewing the high res version the slight grain of a faster film works in your favour, with colour it simply isn’t as pleasing (in my opinion, anyway).

The last example, pic 3, is lit slightly more from the side (in this case left) and illustrates how a more even exposure for background and middle ground detail can still deliver a contrasty photograph. As the racing drivers walk over the crest, opening up half a stop on a long lens is enough to maintain definition in the sky and also light the physical features of each guy, resulting in a more balanced shot than pics 1 or 2. As with all these things it’s down to personal taste and interpretation, and it’s only through experimentation with technique that you’ll settle on a method and style with which you’re comfortable.

Pic 3 : 750th@f5.6, 100asa, RAW, 300mm lens, Canon 5D

On the road…

It’s easy to flick through the pages of a magazine and speed-read reviews of this or that. An expert in any given field tries something out and delivers an opinion which is then published for the likes of you and I to take notice of, or discard. Cars are no different, and most of the manufacturers make an effort to gather together the automotive media to give them some time in a new model and naturally hope for a rave review.

The sleek lines of The Aviator

At just such an event hosted by SEAT UK recently I was their on-event photographer tasked with shooting an overview of images, together with looking after the specific photographic needs of any writer or VIP who required something bespoke to take away for publication after a test drive. In this particular case the model being launched was SEAT’s snazzy new Ibiza SC, and rather than having one or two days in the same location, we moved around the UK using four regional bases for the convenience of the invited media. But the motivation for this post comes mainly from the second stop on the ‘roadshow’, The Aviator hotel in Farnborough.

Stylish interior

Constructed on the edge of Farnborough’s famous aerodrome, the hotel appears right on the main road like something out of a Bond movie. All tinted windows and brushed metal, it’s not big, but still feels lavish – then again it’s not small, but feels like a major place to stay. So in between looking after whichever of the guests needed extra photography, I took some lenses and went for a little wander.

On my merry way I found corridors where the lights only activated when you appeared through doors, I came across spectacular staircases, not to mention enjoying some time in a very pleasant dining room which prepared a great belly of pork! A few days prior to Farnborough we’d been in Chipping Campden, then a few days after The Aviator it was up to Sheffield. The last leg of the trip was another great hotel in Leith, Edinburgh – a fitting end to a really productive few days. The whole team agreed though, The Aviator was the perfect spot to enhance SEAT’s vibrant image.

Andy at work in the edit suite

In addition to offering the services of a photographer, SEAT’s Press/PR dept. had embraced technology more than most by offering journalists the facility of their very own video footage. Sean Lees and Andy Hill of Wyndham Leigh had rigged one of the cars with a cockpit camera, the concept being the driver activated the recording of their personal road test at whatever point they had something to say. Upon their return this footage was downloaded via a compact flashcard into the portable edit suite. The ‘movie’ was ready for collection a short time later – especially useful for the official websites which now support leading publications. The only thing the guys really had to worry about was me disconnecting the power supply to their Mac and edit screens – something I did by mistake on the first morning of the tour… sorry chaps.

The new SEAT Ibiza SC

Photovision Roadshow, Tuesday Nov 4th

The popular Photovision Roadshow comes to Brands Hatch in Kent on Nov 4th. It’s one day of several such exhibitions around the UK and is well worth a visit. With numerous key exhibitors and seminars on lighting and post-production techniques running through the day, it’s always popular and very well attended. For more info, and to register on-line for admission, have a look at the official site.

Photographers v Directors

I love movies. I’m the guy who watches the extra stuff on the BluRay special editions and buys the ‘extended cut’ just because it’s got 20 more mins of the film on it. But it’s also where I obtain ideas, motivation and find inspiration. 

Looking at stuff by other photographers leaves me a little cold. That’s not to say there aren’t hundreds of them out there who are worth looking at, of course there are, but personally I love the way movie directors approach things. They ’storyboard’ ideas (which are semi-accurate sketches of scenes) before shooting, they can re-work a story thread based on a different edit and really embrace the use digital imaging (CGI) – all techniques easily applied to shooting stills. 

A good examples of a guy who’s work is a rich source of ideas for a photographer is Joe Wright. With Pride & Prejudice, Atonement and the forthcoming The Soloist he has created visually stunning films which flow gently but are full of great ideas. Knowing when to cut away from a scene so as not to linger and the mixture of focal lengths to illustrate a story are notable techniques right there on the screen to be absorbed. I also think great films can be paused in many areas and display what are basically very impressive stills, something I often play around with (OK, so I’m obsessed, I admit it). Another telling thing for me when watching a film is the format. The widescreen nature of the finished product looks amazing and often proves that a tight crop enhances a picture – so why do so many photographers seem afraid to shoot tight? With portraits of people, shooting tighter means more visibility of the eyes, which are the axis of any photograph displaying a face.

Another parallel for directors and photographers is just how far do you go with the digital side of any project. I see so many photographers, especially on weddings coverage, who in my opinion over use digital post-production effects to try and boost their results. There’s a real temptation to go too far with filters, actions and the dizzying array of quick fixes in something like Photoshop. For me, and it’s simply my take on this, the best use of digital imaging is to enhance a shot without going to the extent that it’s obvious something major has been done. Of course there are commissions where the whole point is to create something outlandish and different, but in most areas of photography the digital tools should help get a result, not actually be the result. In a movie sense some films which illustrate this point are the original Star Wars episodes. I grew up loving the first 3 films when special effects were in their infancy. They were character-led with a few whizzes and bangs thrown in. Contrast that with the more recent 3 films which completed the series, and the CGI was so advanced that the actors and storylines were totally swamped. The Lord of the Rings trilogy had the balance just right, amazing effects and yet not at the expense of the plot they were illustrating.

So I’m looking forward to sitting in the theatre again soon, wondering if this or that might work on an upcoming job. The approach won’t work for everybody and I’m sure many don’t agree at all, but that’s the point with photography anyway, there’s no right or wrong – just interpretation.