What are the best techniques for creating impactful black and white photographs with image editing?

1 Choose the right subject

Choosing a subject that works well in grayscale is the first step to creating a stunning black and white photo. Look for strong shapes and lines, contrasting tones and textures, dramatic lighting and shadows, emotive expressions and gestures, and a timeless or vintage appeal. These elements can help you create a sense of depth, drama, and interest in your black and white photo, while also emphasizing the form, structure, and details of your subject.

2 Convert to black and white

Converting a color photo to black and white can be done in a variety of ways, but not all of them are equally effective. The grayscale mode or desaturate option should be avoided, as they can make your photo look flat and dull. Instead, you may want to use a black and white adjustment layer or filter, channel mixer or gradient map tools, or a dedicated black and white plugin or preset. These methods allow you to adjust the tonal values of different colors in your image, creating more contrast, depth, and richness in your black and white photo. Additionally, they can help you control the mood and atmosphere of the image. Ultimately, the best method depends on your image and your preference.

3 Adjust the exposure and contrast

One of the most important aspects of black and white photography is the exposure and contrast. You want to make sure that your photo has a good balance of highlights, midtones, and shadows, and that it is not too dark or too bright. You can use the histogram and the levels or curves tools to check and adjust the exposure and contrast of your photo. Ideally, you want to have a histogram that shows a wide range of tones, from pure black to pure white, without clipping or losing details. You can also use the dodge and burn tools to selectively lighten or darken specific areas of your photo, to create more contrast and drama.

5 Experiment with different styles and effects

Finally, you can experiment with various styles and effects to create a more interesting and powerful black and white photo. Sepia or tinted tones, split toning or duotone, vignette or border, selective color or color splash, and infrared or solarized look are some of the options available. These styles and effects can help you convey a different mood, atmosphere, or message with your black and white photo, as well as make it more unique and creative. To achieve these looks, you can use hue/saturation, color balance, or photo filter tools to change the tone of your photo; gradient map tool to create a duotone effect; lens correction, filter gallery, or layer mask tools to create a vignette or border; quick selection, magic wand, or layer mask tools to isolate a color or object in your photo; channel mixer, invert, or threshold tools to create an infrared or solarized look.