Gebruik zwart als kader voor je zwart-witfotografie

Thursday 6 July 2023, 20:02 by Nando Harmsen | 2,408 views | 2 comments

This article was translated from Dutch with the help of AI. Read the original.

Do you shoot black and white? Then it can be interesting to look at using black as a frame to look through. The condition is that what you photograph has plenty of contrast. I think it is perfect for black and white photography in sunny weather, in the middle of the day.

I am not talking about a vignette here. Although a vignette can be used for almost every type of photography, this is something different. I mean actually keeping black areas in a photo black, to create a view through.

Nando black and white with black frame 7

The condition is that you have shadows. In other words, photographing in so-called hard light. The contrast is high, which quickly gives you deep and especially dark shadows when you expose for the lightest areas.

When you are in that situation, look at the dark shadows in your composition and let them frame your subject. You do not have to work symmetrically, but let those dark areas 'embrace' your subject.

Nando black and white with black frame 8

It enables you to create very strong compositions. In some cases, you could even call it artistic. However you do it, avoid lightening the dark areas, because then the power disappears from the photo.

Nando black and white with black frame 4

This is similar to photographing from a dark room through a door, an opening or a window. You then get a physical frame that works best when it is dark. But by using shadows, you get a virtual frame.

Nando black and white with black frame 2

Nando black and white with black frame 6

Give it a try, and see how you can use shadows in high-contrast situations perfectly as a frame or a view through. Remember that this is not a vignette, but that the effect is similar, or even stronger.

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About the author

Nando Harmsen has been photographing for more than 40 years. He specialises in wedding photography and landscape photography. Nando also gives talks, workshops, masterclasses and photo trips, and regularly reviews new and interesting equipment.

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2 comments

Donald Willemsen wrote on Tuesday 11 July 2023 at 23:10 | reply
I do agree with you Nando, at least except for one thing.
I use a vignette as little as possible and actually prefer not to use one. It is indeed a means of drawing attention to the subject and I don't really like that. Rather, I think that the composition and the position of the subject in the photo should be what draws attention. With a vignette you hide what is at the edges of the photo and isn't interesting enough to show.
I once photographed a view through an opening in color and in the RAW image you could barely see anything around the middle, it was so dark. You could only see what was visible through the opening in the middle. During post-processing I lightened the dark areas and then you could see a beautiful stone structure of a window without glass. So that stone framing also made the photo much more interesting. You don't achieve that with a vignette.
Everyone has their own taste, of course, but your article above is certainly a source of inspiration.
Translated from Dutch.

Nando wrote on Wednesday 12 July 2023 at 09:32 | reply
A vignette is a part of composition techniques, as I also explained in my book.
Of course it should be applied in moderation, and not in such a way that it becomes distracting.
Moreover, a vignette is not 'on' or 'off'. In your example too, a vignette sounds like a good choice, whereby the beautiful structure of the stones is simply retained.
Translated from Dutch.

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