Okay so today I grabbed my old DSLR camera and decided to play with black and white photography again. Felt like creating some moody shots without colors distracting the eyes. Here’s exactly what I did step by step.
Setting Up My Gear
First I dug out my trusty Nikon from the closet – dusted it off real good. Threw on my 50mm prime lens because it’s sharp as heck. Made sure the battery was charged which took forever cause I forgot about it last time. Set the camera to shoot RAW files because everyone online says you need that for black and white flexibility later.
Scouting Locations
Walked around my neighborhood looking for interesting textures. Found these places:
- Construction site with rusty metal beams
- Old brick wall covered in peeling paint
- Park bench with deep wood grooves
- Storm drain with crazy patterns
Ducked under some fences I probably shouldn’t have but hey – art demands sacrifice right?
Shooting Tricks I Tried
Started shooting normal but quickly got bored. So I tried different approaches:
- Put camera directly on pavement for worm’s eye views
- Shot through chain link fences for layered textures
- Used fast shutter to freeze falling leaves
- Made long exposures of rippling puddles
Got some weird looks from neighbors but whatever. When that lady yelled “What’re you photographing?” I just shouted back “SHADOWS!” She walked away real fast.
My Lightbulb Moment
The best shot actually came when I almost packed up. Saw sunlight hitting a cracked concrete step just right. Laid flat on my stomach like an idiot and waited for clouds to move. Bam! Got this insane contrast between bright highlights and deep cracks. That shot alone made my jeans’ knee holes worth it.
Editing Process
Back home I culled the crap photos – deleted like 60% immediately. Opened the keepers in Lightroom and applied black and white presets. Played with these sliders like crazy:
- Pushed contrast hard on texture shots
- Dropped blacks until details popped
- Added grain for old-school film feel
- Burned edges for dramatic focus
Cropped aggressively – turns out my best photos worked as tight squares. The construction site beams looked amazing when I made them look like abstract lines.
What Actually Worked
Final thoughts? Black and white isn’t about removing color – it’s about seeing light differently. My winning shots all had:
- Super obvious light/dark patterns
- Textures you could almost feel
- Simple shapes without clutter
Gonna try street photography next week. Maybe I’ll sneak into the subway at dawn if security’s sleeping.
