{"id":58988,"date":"2016-04-15T00:30:53","date_gmt":"2016-04-15T07:30:53","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/iphonephotographyschool.com\/?p=58988"},"modified":"2019-12-12T08:01:47","modified_gmt":"2019-12-12T16:01:47","slug":"black-and-white-portraits","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/iphonephotographyschool.com\/black-and-white-portraits\/","title":{"rendered":"How To Create Dramatic Black And White Portraits On iPhone"},"content":{"rendered":"

Portrait photography is all about capturing mood and emotions, and one of the best ways to create\u00a0dramatic and evocative images is to work in\u00a0black and white<\/a>. To capture an emotive quality in your photos, you must focus on two factors: lighting and editing. This duo is your key to powerful black and white portraits. In the tutorial you’ll master this combination so that you can start creating stunning black and white photography\u00a0<\/a>portraits with a touch of drama<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"Black<\/p>\n

1.\u00a0Shoot In Strong Sunlight<\/h2>\n

Natural light<\/a> is great for shooting portraits, but you need to keep in mind that the strength and direction of the sunlight will have a big impact on the final image.<\/p>\n

While overcast days are good for achieving soft, balanced lighting on your subject, it doesn’t create much drama. For more dramatic high-contrast portrait photos<\/a>,\u00a0strong sunlight is perfect.<\/p>\n

Shooting in harsh light<\/a> allows you to\u00a0capture the drama of shadow play on your subject. Shadows<\/a> are great for creating a sense of mystery<\/a>, and\u00a0they\u00a0give you the sharp contrast to play off the model’s expressions.<\/p>\n

\"Black<\/p>\n

In this photo, the half-lit face accentuates the intensity of the contrast and makes it more evocative.<\/p>\n

The best time to capture shots like this is during the earlier or later part of the day so that the sun is illuminating your subject from one side.<\/p>\n

\"Black<\/p>\n

Ensure\u00a0your subject is in direct sunlight, then experiment with the best position to capture shadows on part of their face.<\/p>\n

Another way to capture natural light is to shoot indoors and illuminate your subject with light from a\u00a0window. Having the window light offset by a dimly lit room can create a wonderful\u00a0cinematic feel in your image<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"Black<\/p>\n

In this photo, I used the window\u00a0blinds as a\u00a0filter. Having the light behind my model creates an almost theatrical silhouette that makes it look like a still from a film.<\/p>\n

Experiment with the position of your model and the angle of the light to create different lighting effects. For example, you could have half the face in shadow and half illuminated, or you could create a total silhouette.<\/p>\n

For moody portrait photography<\/a>, capturing silhouettes allows you to create striking and dramatic\u00a0compositions.<\/p>\n

\"Black<\/p>\n

To create a silhouette<\/a>, ensure you’re shooting into the light. Tap to set focus<\/a>, then swipe down on the screen to reduce the exposure\u00a0(image brightness) until the subject appears as a dark outline against the brighter background.<\/p>\n

2. Use Artificial Light<\/h2>\n

In the absence of natural light, you can use artificial light sources<\/a> to illuminate your portrait subjects.\u00a0While artificial light can be more difficult to work with,\u00a0it certainly produces some great results in many situations.<\/p>\n

One of the main problems with artificial light sources such as lamps and fluorescent lighting is the unflattering color casts. However, you don’t need to worry about this if you’re converting the image to black and white.<\/p>\n

\"Black<\/p>\n

To achieve the best results, keep your subject close to the light source. In this photo, the model is sitting right under the light. This highlights the subject and creates\u00a0shadows which add depth.<\/p>\n

Another way to make artificial light work when shooting indoors is to\u00a0choose interesting backdrops. You\u00a0can’t always control the light, but you can try to\u00a0use the venue as a striking frame around your model.<\/p>\n

\"Black<\/p>\n

In this photo, the light reflecting off the handrails really makes the photo “pop,” giving it an\u00a0almost three dimensional feel. The subway interior adds a\u00a0gritty character to the background, making for an edgy urban portrait.<\/p>\n

Whenever you’re shooting indoors, pay careful attention to how the light bounces off the various elements around the subject, and use this\u00a0to your advantage when composing your photo.<\/p>\n

\"Black<\/p>\n

Now that you\u00a0have a good idea of\u00a0how to illuminate your subject,\u00a0let’s move on to the editing process. This is the final but very important piece of the puzzle in achieving a powerful black and white portrait.<\/p>\n

3. Convert Your Image To B&W<\/h2>\n

Converting a portrait photo to black and white is a great choice for several reasons. It instantly adds a dramatic and timeless feel to your images, and it’s also great for removing colorful distractions.<\/p>\n

Look at the color photo below. There’s a lot going on in this scene, and the colorful lights and reflection in the window takes attention away from the model.<\/p>\n

\"Black<\/p>\n

By converting the image to black and white,\u00a0more emphasis is placed on the main subject.<\/p>\n

\"Black<\/p>\n

So how do you convert your images to black and white? Most iPhone photo editing\u00a0apps and photoshop apps<\/a> allow you\u00a0to create\u00a0black and white images.<\/p>\n

Snapseed<\/a> is my go-to app as it has a great collection of tools for creating dramatic black and white edits. VSCO<\/a> works, as well.<\/p>\n

\"Black<\/p>\n

Start by opening the color image in Snapseed, then tap the pencil icon at the bottom right of the screen. Scroll down to the Filters section, then select either Black & White or Noir.<\/p>\n

These two filter options offer\u00a0a variety of black and white looks with different amounts of brightness, contrast, color tint, grain, etc. This allows you to\u00a0create a particular\u00a0mood in\u00a0your photo.<\/p>\n

\"Black<\/p>\n

Simply select the filter you want to apply from the bottom of the screen. You can now either tap the checkmark if you’re happy with the effect, or you can make further adjustments to\u00a0fine-tune the edit.<\/p>\n

In the next section, you’ll learn how to fine-tune your image by making adjustments after applying a Black & White or Noir filter.<\/p>\n

4.\u00a0Fine-Tune The Filters<\/h2>\n

Once you’ve applied a\u00a0filter, you can tweak your image by adjusting various settings.<\/p>\n

In the Black & White filter you can alter the Brightness, Contrast and Grain levels. In the Noir filter you can alter Brightness, Wash, Grain and Filter Strength.<\/p>\n

\"Black<\/p>\n

While you’re still within the filter that you just applied, swipe up or down on the image and select the option you want to use.\u00a0Now swipe left or right to adjust the level of your chosen adjustment.<\/p>\n

Every image will be different, and it all depends on what kind of mood you want to create.\u00a0The best option is to experiment with the different settings until you achieve a result that you’re happy with.<\/p>\n

\"Black<\/p>\n

To amplify the sense of\u00a0drama in\u00a0your black and white images, try increasing the Contrast levels. This makes the shadows darker and the highlights brighter, creating stronger definition between the two.<\/p>\n

\"Black<\/p>\n

If you’re using the Noir filter, you don’t get a Contrast option, but try altering the Brightness and Wash settings instead.<\/p>\n

5. Add Grain To Your B&W Portraits<\/h2>\n

If you want to give your image a movie-like quality and a vintage feel, you could add some grain to the photo.\u00a0This is perfect for those close-ups or evocative compositions that bring out the mystique in your model.<\/p>\n

\"Black<\/span><\/p>\n

If you’re using the Black & White or Noir filter in Snapseed, just swipe up or down on the photo and select Grain from the list of editing options.<\/p>\n

\"Black<\/p>\n

Swipe right to increase the amount of grain or left to decrease it.\u00a0Play around with the levels of grain to achieve the desired result.<\/p>\n

Be careful not to add too much grain \u00a0as it might degrade the sharpness and quality of your image.\u00a0I would suggest keeping\u00a0keep the grain levels around +20 to +30.<\/p>\n

Another way to add grain to your photo in Snapseed is to select the Grainy Film filter from the Filters section on the main editing screen. You can then select a filter of your choice from the bottom of the screen.<\/p>\n

\"Black<\/p>\n

To adjust the grain levels, swipe up or down and\u00a0select the Grain option, then swipe left or right to\u00a0change the amount of grain in the photo.<\/p>\n

6. Use Selective Editing<\/h2>\n

Selective editing allows you to enhance your black and white edits by lightening or darkening specific areas of the\u00a0photo. You can use this contrast to draw attention to your main subject.<\/p>\n

\"Black<\/p>\n

For example,\u00a0the background could be darkened and your subject brightened to place more focus on\u00a0your model. Or you could darken the subject and lighten the background to enhance a silhouette photo.<\/p>\n

To make selective adjustments in Snapseed, use\u00a0the Selective option in the Tools section of\u00a0the main editing screen.
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Black<\/span><\/p>\n

When you’ve opened the Selective tool, tap on the area you want to adjust. In this case, I tapped on\u00a0the model’s face.<\/p>\n

Swipe up or down, then select the option you want to use: Brightness, Contrast or Saturation (saturation affects color so you won’t need this for black and white edits).<\/p>\n

\"Black<\/p>\n

Pinch in or out with two fingers to change the radius\u00a0of the area you want to adjust. The red areas show which parts of the image will be adjusted.<\/p>\n

Now swipe left or right to make your adjustment to the brightness or contrast of that area.<\/p>\n

\"Black<\/p>\n

To make more selective adjustments, tap the plus icon (+) at the bottom of the screen, tap another area of the photo, and repeat the above process.<\/p>\n

The selective editing\u00a0feature works best in compositions where you’re trying to achieve different layers of lighting.\u00a0For example, you can\u00a0illuminate the model’s face and darken the surroundings, accentuating the\u00a0higher contrast.<\/p>\n

\"Black<\/p>\n

Airbrush<\/a>\u00a0is another app that offers the ability to edit specific areas of a portrait photo.<\/p>\n

It has a great\u00a0variety of functions like whiten, blemish control, smoothness, reshape options, and additional filters catering specifically to portraits.<\/p>\n

\"Black<\/p>\n

As seen in the example above,\u00a0only the highlighted area on the model’s face is being whitened. This creates more drama in contrast with the rest of the face.<\/p>\n

The Airbrush\u00a0app is very easy to use and\u00a0all of the features\u00a0work in a similar manner. It’s great for final touch-ups that create a really professional look.<\/p>\n

\"Black<\/p>\n

Conclusion<\/h2>\n

There are two main factors involved in\u00a0creating stunning black and white portraits: lighting and editing.<\/p>\n

First, you must control the light in order to capture good contrast.\u00a0Try shooting in direct sunlight\u00a0during the early or later parts of the day, and use the shadows to your advantage. Alternatively, experiment with artificial light sources.<\/p>\n

\"Black<\/p>\n

Once you’ve taken some good\u00a0shots, use the Snapseed photo editing app<\/a> to convert the images to black and white<\/a>.<\/p>\n

You can then\u00a0accentuate the brightness and contrast to add more drama to your edit. Try selective editing to alter\u00a0certain parts of the image, and add a little bit of grain if you want to create a vintage look.<\/p>\n

By\u00a0experimenting with the light and editing, you’ll be able to create\u00a0beautiful and dramatic\u00a0iPhone portrait photos with\u00a0wonderful mood and emotion.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Portrait photography is all about capturing mood and emotions, and one of the best ways to create\u00a0dramatic and evocative images is to work in\u00a0black and white. To capture an emotive quality in your photos, you must focus on two factors: lighting and editing. This duo is your key to powerful black and white portraits. In […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":55,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[318,303,298],"tags":[90,157,86],"class_list":{"0":"post-58988","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-photo-editing","7":"category-taking-photos","8":"category-tutorials","9":"tag-black-white","10":"tag-photo-editing","11":"tag-portraits","12":"entry"},"yoast_head":"\nHow To Create Dramatic Black And White Portraits On iPhone<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Discover how to use lighting and editing to create stunning black and white iPhone portrait photos with a wonderful touch of drama.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/iphonephotographyschool.com\/black-and-white-portraits\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How To Create Dramatic Black And White Portraits On iPhone\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Discover how to use lighting and editing to create stunning black and white iPhone portrait photos with a wonderful touch of drama.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/iphonephotographyschool.com\/black-and-white-portraits\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"iPhone Photography School\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/iPhonePS\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2016-04-15T07:30:53+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2019-12-12T16:01:47+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/iphonephotographyschool.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/Black-White-iPhone-Portrait-Photos-18.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta 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