Select a page
Select a page

{Tips} When Less is More. Black and White Travel Photography

Do you know when to take travel photos in color and when to take them in black and white?

Colors make a photo come alive. As you know, a lot of post editing of a photo is about “bringing out the colors” and adjusting the white balance to adjust the “temperature” of the photo. However, there are times when we feel less is more. Black and white being “less” that is.

 

Colors are Faded, Harsh Shadows

You must have heard that the best time to take photos is early in the morning after sunrise and a couple hours before sunset. At other times, the sun may cast too harsh of a shadow on your subjects and at other times may cause the colors to be faded.

When this happens, we prefer to take our photos in black and white. We find that the shadows and the faded colors actually “enhances” the black and white photo that we take. Here are some examples of pictures we took at Plaza Mirador de San Nicolas in Granada, Spain (TIP: This is a great location to take a great photo of the Al Hambra by the way).

Textures and Details

Another time that we take black and white travel photos is when we are intrigued by the details and texture of a scenery. By removing the colors, your eyes will tend to focus on what’s left – the details and textures.

Here, the eyes tend to focus on the delicate texture of the branches and the brick detailing of the church.

Another example of when you want to focus on the details by removing colors. The texture and details of the walls surrounding the man is enhanced in this black and white photo.

We loved the various different trees that decorated the place. By making this picture black and white, you can’t help but notice the delicateness of the branches of these trees without the distraction of colors.

Atmosphere and Emotion

Last but not least, we feel that black and white photos can help convey a certain “atmosphere” or “emotion” of the scene. Most commonly, we tend to take black and white pictures to convey a sense of serenity, peacefulness, loneliness, ruggedness and dryness (think deserts). See below for some examples.

We like how by taking this photo in black and white, it conveys how serene, peaceful and “silent” this place was when we were there.

 

Another peaceful scene we wanted to capture. We can almost see this picture being titled “A journey begins with a step”. Also, in this picture, the cobblestone walkway’s details are enhanced.

 

Despite the number of tourists surrounding this man in this area, the man was in his own world, playing his music with all his heart. We tried to capture this “alone-ness” through this black and white picture.

 

 

TAKEAWAYS:

  1. We take black and white photos when the sun casts too harsh of a shadow on our subjects and when colors are faded due to the bright sun (happens a lot at around noon).
  2. Removing colors from a picture will force the eye to focus on what’s left – the details and texture.
  3. Color is crucial in conveying the “emotion” of a picture. Black and white to us brings with it a sense of calmness, peacefulness, loneliness and ruggedness (think deserts and “old school-ness”).
  4. Most compact cameras today have a black and white setting. If you are unsure how a scene will look in black and white, use this setting to “preview” what your picture will look like.
  5. Everyone has their own style and preferences when it comes to taking black and white photos. Shirlene likes to take black and white photos directly using her compact camera’s black and white setting because her camera does a great job at black and white photos. Most of the photos above were taken using Shirlene’s compact camera. Jeremy however likes to take photos in full color using his SLR and then make the photos black and white in post editing for the flexibility. Try both out and see what suits you best.

 

 

When do you take black and white travel photos? When do you not take black and white photos? Do leave a comment!

If you liked this post, don’t forget to +1, tweet, like, stumble and share this post!

 

Posted byJeremy & Shirlene
April 9, 2012
Tags:, , ,
1
39

Related Articles

39 Comments

  1. Nate
    Twitter:
    April 23, 2012 Reply

    Great tips. One tip I have – black and white *film* is even better..nothing digital can quite capture in the same way as black and white film. It’s a pain in the ass, but the results are definitely worth it.
    Nate recently posted..Street Photography Australia – Photo Friday on The Mean Streets of PerthMy Profile

  2. (@MasqCrew) (@MasqCrew) April 17, 2012 Reply

    {Tips} When Less is More. Black and White Travel Photography http://t.co/99EObR2B via @idelishTravel

  3. Christina
    Twitter:
    April 15, 2012 Reply

    Those are great tips. I get frustrated when there’s too much light and my camera doesn’t capture the colours properly. I should switch to b/w in these situations. Great b/w photos by the way!
    Christina recently posted..Panoramic view: Curral das Freiras, MadeiraMy Profile

  4. Melinda Eliza
    Twitter:
    April 14, 2012 Reply

    Great images and good tips! I especially like your tip on how B&W images can help when you want to capture something in the harsh afternoon light.
    Melinda Eliza recently posted..The Tutu Project – Art, Love, & Humor Combating CancerMy Profile

  5. Travelogged April 13, 2012 Reply

    Excellent tips – now i want to look through my photos and see if any would work in black & white!
    Travelogged recently posted..Tel Aviv: A Culinary City Kosher for PassoverMy Profile

  6. Steve
    Twitter:
    April 13, 2012 Reply

    The man standing in the corner with a guitar is excellent. I’ve just bought a better camera and this is a good reminder to try black & white photography
    Steve recently posted..Hanging Monastery at Datong in ChinaMy Profile

  7. Debbie Beardsley @ European Travelista
    Twitter:
    April 12, 2012 Reply

    Great tips! I love the feel black and white photos give off. It is another great way to capture the emotion of the subject.
    Debbie Beardsley recently posted..European Travelista’s 7 Super Shots!My Profile

  8. Christopher April 11, 2012 Reply

    Yes, these definitely carry a special impact.
    Christopher recently posted..BirthEasterDay in ItalyMy Profile

  9. Ayngelina April 11, 2012 Reply

    I love the photo of the man playing the guitar, it’s stunning in black and white.
    Ayngelina recently posted..Have you met Cory?My Profile

  10. Christy @ Technosyncratic
    Twitter:
    April 10, 2012 Reply

    I always love your photography tips! I actually just started making this connection recently – we take a lot of photos in less-than-ideal light (it just happens when traveling), and I’ve started playing around with converting them to B&W. Viola! Usually they look a lot better! =)
    Christy recently posted..How To Get Started Scuba Diving: Everything a Beginner Needs to Get PADI CertifiedMy Profile

  11. robin
    Twitter:
    April 10, 2012 Reply

    So strange that Granada was the subject matter here – I’ve just posted about it myself at http://alotofwind.com/2012/04/10/granada/ . I find myself reverting to b&w more and more. If a scene doesn’t specifically rely on colour for its appeal then colour can so often simply distract from the lines, shapes and shadows.
    robin recently posted..GranadaMy Profile

    • Author
      Jeremy & Shirlene
      Twitter:
      April 10, 2012 Reply

      I guess Granada is on a lot of people’s minds lately! A friend of mine just headed to Granada for Spring break!

      You are so right about how color can often simply distract from the lines, shapes and shadows if a scene does not rely on color for its appeal! That’s exactly what we’re trying to convey through our post above!
      Jeremy & Shirlene recently posted..{Tips} If nothing else, take these 3 photographs on your travelsMy Profile

  12. Nomadic Samuel April 9, 2012 Reply

    I’m a huge fan of black and white photography. I ought to use it more often 🙂 Great tips and examples here.
    Nomadic Samuel recently posted..Burnt Traditional Home | Hannam | Seoul, KoreaMy Profile

  13. Arti
    Twitter:
    April 9, 2012 Reply

    So good to see you back again! And this is a fabulous post, never thought black and white would be so beautiful. The pics are really amazing, will use some of these tips mentioned here!!
    Arti recently posted..Yamuna River: Ghats of Mathura – Vishram GhatMy Profile

  14. Diana April 9, 2012 Reply

    Love the photography tips! I don’t usually think of b&w pics when traveling but this gives me something to think about. Are these things you’ve just picked up over the years or have you ever taken a photography class?

    • Author
      Jeremy & Shirlene
      Twitter:
      April 10, 2012 Reply

      Thanks Diana! These are things we’ve noticed and picked up over the years. We have not taken official photography classes but we do read and check out other photography sites and blogs a lot.

      When a picture interests us, we try to determine what makes the photo stand out to us and try to recreate it ourselves. We learn a lot through trial and error, I’d say 🙂
      Jeremy & Shirlene recently posted..{Tips} If nothing else, take these 3 photographs on your travelsMy Profile

  15. Kent
    Twitter:
    April 9, 2012 Reply

    You’re back! Thanks for the tips – taking better photos is a focus area this year.
    Kent recently posted..The Best Washington DC MemorialMy Profile

Leave a reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

*

CAPTCHA: Please answer the question (this helps us prevent spam). Thanks! *
Time limit is exhausted. Please reload CAPTCHA.

Notify me of followup comments via e-mail. You can also subscribe without commenting.

CommentLuv badge

You can add a link to follow you on twitter if you put your username in this box.
Only needs to be added once (unless you change your username). No http or @
Copy Protected by Chetan's WP-Copyprotect.