Okay, so I had this itch recently to try and capture some family photos, but specifically in black and white. You know, get that classic, timeless sort of vibe. Felt like a good project.
Getting Started
First thing, I figured doing it at home would be easiest. Less fuss than trying to get everyone organised to go somewhere specific. Plus, home just feels more natural, right? I told everyone to just wear simple clothes, nothing too loud or patterned. Thought that would work best for black and white, keep the focus on people, not their shirts.
I didn’t use any fancy gear. Just my regular digital camera, nothing special. Honestly, I shot everything in colour initially. My plan was always to convert them later on the computer. Figured I’d have more control that way.
The Actual Photo Session
Getting everyone in one place, smiling nicely? Yeah, about as easy as herding cats. Kids were being kids, someone was always looking away or pulling a face just as I pressed the button. We tried a few spots around the house, mostly near the big window in the living room for natural light. Didn’t want to mess with flashes.
I tried a mix of things:
- Some posed shots – trying to get everyone looking at the camera.
- Lots of candid ones – just capturing moments as they happened. Those often turn out better anyway.
It wasn’t exactly smooth sailing. Light kept changing, batteries died halfway through (of course), and keeping the energy up was tricky. But we muddled through.
Turning Them Black and White
Later, I dumped all the photos onto my computer. I just used some basic photo editing software I already had. Nothing complicated. Most programs have a simple ‘black and white’ or ‘monochrome’ button.
I clicked that for each picture I liked. Then, I played around a bit with the sliders – you know, brightness and contrast. Some photos needed more contrast to really pop in black and white, others looked better a bit softer. Just tweaked them until they felt right to my eye. No real science to it, just messing about.
How They Turned Out
You know what? I was pretty happy with the results. They’re not perfect studio portraits by any means, but they feel real. The black and white definitely gives them a different feel. It sort of strips away distractions, and you focus more on expressions and the connection between everyone.
It felt good to have actually done it, captured a little slice of our family life. Even the slightly blurry ones, or the ones where someone’s not quite looking, they have character. Definitely worth the effort, even with the chaos of the shoot itself. Simple, but effective.
