How to Control Light in Primary Subjects in Black and White Photography
- 1
Use logic. If a subject is dark, the background should be light. If a subject is light, the background will be dark. Subjects of intermediate shades should contrast against a contrasting background. - 2
Use artificial illumination with the most easily produced use of light to differentiate between subject and background. - 3
Directly illuminate either subject or background to render one darker than the other. For example, if you want to light a black statue against a light background, illuminating the statue renders the statue light and the background is shaded. - 4
Create a heightened impression of three-dimensionality with shadows and blur. Shadows utilize gray scale values to define subjects. Shadow with highlights and reflection further add dimension between subject and background. When a subject is out of focus, the lack of stark contrast creates an impression of dimensionality.
Source...