Fine art black & white photography

Claire Gillo switches to the monochrome medium and shares her top tips for creating fabulous fine art images

- Claire Gillo

Fine art black & white photography is your artistic impression of a subject or a scene. When it comes to shooting in this genre the subject matter can be of anything, however the end result is often more abstract and/ or artistic and not commercial in any shape or form. The only stipulation for shooting a fine art black & white image, other than it being shot or processed with your artistic impression, is the image needs to be in black & white.

What subjects and concepts work?

There are many different subjects you can explore, and a good place for you to start is with the landscape genre. When shooting landscapes in black & white think less about the golden hour and beautiful sunrises and sunsets and more about the shape and form of the land. You want to find scenes that create interesting patterns or are atmospheric and alternative. Think about how the light is going to shape your image and whether you want flat light or strong sunlight. Misty scenes, grey skies and drizzly rain work great if you want to take a minimalistic approach, or if you’re after bold and interesting shadows then you’ll want to shoot in strong sunlight. Think about how the shadows will appear in the scene and how they contrast against the light.

Portraiture is another genre that can be explored through a monochromatic fine art approach and there are many ways you can capture amazing images. Again think less about the usual rules – for example, making sure the eyes are sharp – and more about the concept or emotions behind your portrait. Using a slow shutter speed and showing movement or capturing an emotion in a creative way will get you on the right track.