The Power of Black and White in Nature and Landscape Photography

Finding Rich Contrasts

Tonal contrast is not just about having a subject that is darker or lighter than the background. Very rich black-and-white images come from tonal contrasts that blend from one area to another in an image. This can come from patterns and textures across the image or from the way light blends from bright areas to dark areas.

Back light can be a superb way to gain tonal contrast because even in weak light, it will give you shadows and highlights to work with. Back light is often used as a separation light, meaning it creates contrasts between bright sunlit top edges of picture elements with dark shadows next to them. That contrast makes subjects and other objects show up better in a photo. A good example: ridges in a landscape. ...