Black and White Photography Quick Tips
Though color photography is quite common, black and white photography is often a great choice for exploring your creativity. This article lists quick tips for black and white photography.
1. There are many different sizes of film, and different formats: 35mm (1″ x 1″), medium format- 120 (2″ x 2 “), and large format (4″ x 5″). Typically, people will start off using a 35mm SLR (single-lens reflex) camera. With an SLR, you can focus and view the subject directly through the lens.
2. Different film speeds are chosen for different situations and are rated by an ASA (American Standards Association) number. A slow film is 32 ASA and is used for brightly lit subjects; it produces fine grain negatives. 125 ASA produces medium grain negatives, and is chosen for outdoor use. 400 ASA is a faster film and is best for indoor use and results in coarse grain negatives.
3. The aperture is adjusted to control the amount of light entering the lens. F-stop is a measurement of the size of the lens opening. A smaller F-stop number is a bigger opening and allows more light to reach the film. A larger F-stop number decreases the amount of light that reaches the film. The following is a typical F-stop range: 1.4, 2, 2.8, 4, 5.6, 8, 11, 16, 22.
4. Lens size is measured in mm and is referred to as focal length. A narrow angle of view is a result of a longer focal length. Conversely, a wider angle of view is a result of a shorter focal length. Lens types and focal length: normal (50mm), wide angle (21-35mm), and telephoto (105-300mm).
5. Shutter speed refers to the length of time the film is exposed to light. A fast shutter speed means the length of exposure time is short. A slow shutter speed means the length of exposure time is long. Shutter speeds: B, T, 2, 4, 8, 15, 30, 60, 125, 250, 500, 1000. Shutter speed time can be better understood if you place a 1 over the number to turn it into a fraction. When you place a 1 over the 2, that means the shutter speed is a second.
6. Referring to shutter speed, the B stands for bulb, and the T stands for time. When you hold down the B, the shutter will stay open for as long as it is pressed down. If you use T, the shutter will remain open from the time you push it down, until it is pressed again.