Of all of the subjects you could tackle in black & white, portraits are among the most powerful. Let’s look at how a lack of color can translate into an abundance of character and personality.
Creating portraits in black & white is a great way of putting the viewer’s attention firmly where it needs to be – on your subject. Without the distraction of color, we are free to focus on the subject’s expression and character, or better see their unique features like freckles, wrinkles, or stubble. In short, black & white portraits just have more soul.
© Michael Clark
© Benedict Evans
Your approach should mimic that of black & white photography itself: keep it simple, unfussy, and stripped back. Try to inject some contrast into the image by choosing a dark background behind a light subject, or a light background behind a darker one. You should also try to look for lighting that illuminates your subject slightly from the side from a single source, rather than from all directions – a bit of shadow on the face is no bad thing in a monochrome portrait.
© Bobbi Lane
You can see if the picture in front of you is looking good as a potential monochrome photograph by composing it with your camera switched to one of its black & white Film Simulation modes: MONOCHROME or ACROS.
Otherwise, many of the rules of color portraiture still apply when photographing in black & white. Try to select wide apertures (small f-stops) using Aperture Priority mode and with some distance between your subject and the background. This will help your subject stand out against a soft, blurry background (an effect that can look wonderful in high-contrast monochrome). A short telephoto lens also helps, as it lets you fill the frame with your subject’s face without getting too close or crowding them.
Also try to keep your subject’s eyes in focus – they’re not known as the ’windows to the soul’ for nothing, especially in monochrome. You can do this automatically by using your camera’s Face/Eye Detection, which will let you keep your concentration firmly where you need it – on your subject.
Your Next Steps
- CHALLENGE Pick someone to photograph in black & white and show us what you can do. Subjects that have distinctive features work best – like freckles or wrinkles. Post your favorite image to social media with the hashtag #MyFujifilmLegacy #blackandwhite. You can also submit your work here for a chance to be featured on our social media channels.
- LEARN Download our booklet See the World in Black and White with FUJIFILM X Series
Header image © Seth K Hughes
