Black and white photography and printing: Some basic tips

[@tombrewton7823]

Thank you, Keith for "demystifying" the whole process of photography. Like so much creative endeavor, it is often the spur-of-the-moment "things" that grab one's attention and drive the photographer to push the shutter button. Ten other photographers would walk past and never notice what you found so compelling. And to me, it's that opportunistic ability to see momentary beauty in ordinary situations that I have always found compelling. Yes, we need the technical know-how and the equipment to express the intangibles that drove us to take the shot, but they are merely aids, not the reason we take and print photos. Thanks for all that you contribute to the rest of us.

[@KeithCooper]

Thanks - glad to have helped things along!

[@ArneHalvorsen63]

Nodding so much listening to this got whiplash... and maybe cure me for tinting / toning my bw (always felt dirty doing it). Agree much also about the slowing down thing, it is always the first one 99% of the times. But slowing down can have another meaning, taking time to know a place or subject. This I advocate, way to find some of your photos. Anyway, yours some of the best and most enjoyable photo stuff on the utube.

[@KeithCooper]

Thanks - glad it was of interest!

[@ericathefae]

I so agree with valuing the moment! So many youtube photographers seem to imply that the only "right" way to go about photography is to analyse a scene to bits, but that just does not match my process, nor is what brings me joy.

[@KeithCooper]

Ah, analysing the scene... Sounds the sort of thing that might get taught doing a photography degree and if you need to write an essay about your photos. Most of the time such analysis always seems to have been so much easier after they took the photo... ;-)

[@stevewhiteley9249]

‘You may like tints. Great! I don’t. These are my tips …’ I actually laughed out loud, then. Seriously, thank you - lots of helpful words from a voice of experience.

[@KeithCooper]

Thanks - glad it was of interest!

[@ciaranpringle9082]

Great stuff, Keith. I love the way you cut through the fluff and pretention and focus on what really matters. Keep up the good work.

[@KeithCooper]

Thanks - appreciated

[@NarcissismSurvivor]

This was an amazing eye opening video. It holds even more true whilst shooting film. Thank you. Cheers.

[@KeithCooper]

Thanks - I've a new B&W workflow video (~30mins) due in the next day or so. Whilst aimed at digital, it's not that different if I was using film

[@davidbentley8848]

Keith. Thank you again. Saw a Twitter thing from "Northlight" yesterday. I note you have "Achieved"? collected? The 10k Subscribers on the You Tube channel. The work you put into these videos is paying off. A deserved round of applause. In relation to taking more pictures, I have been following one of those "Arty" Channels. One exercise that was set. Pick something and take it 36 different ways. An exercise in finding or learning to see compositions that others Miss. It has been working for me. All you need is a Phone or Camera and something to take pictures of. Been there when you get to about 25 shots, ( It becomes harder). Accept that most results will be naff. Its the three or four that you look at twice that mark progress. Enjoyed this vid. Thanks :)

[@KeithCooper]

Thanks - I'm still fairly new to doing the YT videos. There are lots of ways of taking more pics - whatever works!

[@TonyLawlorBWM]

Hi Keith. Fabulous stuff. As well as giving people useful information to improve our photography you give us an insight into the thought process of photography. At least the thought process of artful photography and how important it is to make your own choice to produce the image as we see it in our minds. I also re-watched your video this evening on choosing different types of paper for different types of images. Again, in that one you left the watcher thinking. Thinking about the possibilities rather than being told which is "right" and which is "wrong". There is no right or wrong in art. There are just different paths to follow to get the result that we want. Thank you.

[@KeithCooper]

Thanks very much - that's so much what I wanted to achieve. I'm always hoping to help people just trust their own judgement a bit more.

[@weddingbells100]

Great video Keith, very interesting and very informative many thanks.

[@KeithCooper]

Thanks - glad it was of interest.

[@petere6036]

Hello Keith, Like your video much. Your thoughts and explanations match my own procedure. It‘s like to expose and develop an b+w picture as in former times in the darkroom. Thanks for your work!

[@KeithCooper]

Thanks - glad it's of interest.

[@mikejohnston9113]

Hi Keith, I enjoy your videos. Good advice. Thanks

[@KeithCooper]

Thanks!

[@liveinaweorg]

Terrific advice. Some digital cameras allow you to set the viewfinder to show the scene as monochrome. I use that sometimes on my Olympus EM1 MkII.

[@KeithCooper]

Thanks. Yes, the B&W mode can sometimes help in visualisation - if saving RAW files, then the full colour data is recorded as well, giving the ability to fine/tune or adjust the B&W look afterwards

[@gordw6402]

Thank you for another great video about B&W photography and printing. Noticed the 2 photos on your screen and the Cathedral print are all guiding to the left. Coincidence?

[@KeithCooper]

Thanks Coincidence I suspect. The prints were taken from a pile of recent test prints. The cathedral one is from the same spot that FH Evans took his photo in 1905 Could be connected to my eyesight I suppose - I quite possibly do have a distinct 'handedness' since I sometimes temporarily flip prints left/right during editing to spot problems, and rarely do I think it looks 'better' to me.

[@messylaura]

Hi Keith, have you ever experimented with a matt paper with sections of gloss for a print? if so what would the best way be to adapt a paper, use a matt with a gloss additive or use a gloss with a matting agent?

[@KeithCooper]

Not something I've ever done. If you're using matt paper then brushing on a light varnish is as good a way as any ;-) There is no obvious way I can thing of doing it 'in printer'

[@Martingj56]

Hello Keith, I have little experience with printing in both colour and B&W so thank you for what you do. I ran into the following while printing digitalized bw negatives. They looked very nice with correct tones, but after a few month hanging in my hallway the blacks turn red. The prints were made on a Canon ip7250 with Canon ink and Canon paper. I’d like to know the reason why this happens as it keeps me away from printing again. Do you have an idea about what is the cause is? Thanks, Martin

[@KeithCooper]

It's most likely the basic dye inks - I don't know that particular printer though. It's been years since I've seen fading this bad - are you sure they are genuine Canon inks?

[@Martingj56]

@@KeithCooper Thanks for the fast reaction. I checked and it appeared that the pgbk is not genuine.

[@agnieszkakj8867]

Dear Keith, I printed the test pictures, that's what I got: colours unvivid, helpdesk a bit saturation. But generally how I would describe my prints: blue outcast- that's why I decribed yesterday as mouldy.. Any advice would be appreciated. I printed my first b&w today that's why I'm more precised in describing.

[@KeithCooper]

How are you printing? Do you have paper profiles for the paper you are using? Does the Epson Print Layout software work with this printer? Can't help more since I don't know that model printer, or what computer, and I've never used C1 to print. B&W is rarely good if colour prints are poor

[@agnieszkakj8867]

@@KeithCooper I print from C1. But 5 minutes ago downloaded and printed from The EPL. Just the same but even worse because of the fact that I don't know how to get rid of the white passe partout? Checked scale to fit,can't check expansion). Looks better when "printer manages colour" than icc. Anyway thank you for your time. Guess it's time to leave this year. Have a wonderful NYEvening.

[@rishisharma4921]

Hi sir i appreciate your teaching I really just little confusion about canon IX 6770 is it able to print on art paper

[@KeithCooper]

Thanks - but I've never ever seen that printer. Looking at the specs (it's an overseas model number) it seems it would certainly print on art papers, but as to whether there are any ICC profiles suitable, or even usable, I couldn't say

[@jefrilay]

Hi Keith, How r u? Have a question but it is canon printer again, is agitating ink means the machine use or reducing the ink for the process? or what? please explain.... Thanks a lot Keith

[@KeithCooper]

Agitating ink is done with pigment inks to prevent them settling out at all - it's just shaking...

[@jefrilay]

@@KeithCooper Thanks Keith, you are the best

[@avallejo]

This is a first for me. I just started using the Epson 8550. First day was just joy… Then yesterday I was comparing BW printing modes, printed on Canson Photo Rag using Epson AWB mode, came out fine. Then printed using the Canson profile for this printer/paper combo…only printed half the image…tried again…the printer head moved like always…layer no ink on the paper…back to AWB mode…printed normal! Tried your custom profile…same problem!First day I used the Canson profile and it printed normal… MacOS Ventura…printer with updated firmware…really puzzled!

[@KeithCooper]

what software are you printing with? Have you tried Epson Print Layout?

[@avallejo]

@@KeithCooper Yes, both in Lightroom and EPL...weird...and it's intermittent, tested again and worked fine...go figure...but it's always a concern now...

[@KeithCooper]

I've not come across this at all - but I never had a Mac with Ventura to test things with when I had the 8550 here

[@spodekmarcin8676]

Dear Keith. Is There any other way to contact You? I do love your ideas and video advices but I would preffer talk to You in person. Any idea how I coudl do this ?

[@KeithCooper]

Northlight Images - the web site I've run for 20 years ;-) This youtube stuff is still very new to me (2 yrs) - my written articles generally take precedence over the videos

[@thomashilmersen711]

It would be great to print pure black and white, but at least my prints on the Canon printer always end up having a green tint - unless I tint it a bit yellow in Lightroom.

[@KeithCooper]

It depends on the printer and the printer driver settings - you don't say what it is?

[@thomashilmersen711]

@@KeithCooper I put the printer on black and white mode. It even has two grey inks. I use the Canon semigloss paper.

[@KeithCooper]

What printer though?

[@neilpiper9889]

just get a darkroom

[@KeithCooper]

My darkroom was converted into somewhere useful just over 20 years ago... ;-)

[@neilpiper9889]

@@KeithCooper my windowless bathroom can be quickly turned into a bathroom. I get up to 20x16 prints from my Pentax 67 Tri x negs by reversing the enlarger head. They look great. I get my 5x4 negs scanned and printed by The Darkroom in nearby Cheltenham.

[@KeithCooper]

Yes - did that in the 80's. Spare room to a proper dark room in the 90's All good stuff at the time - film just has no part in my photography since I took it up professionally. Film can be a great hobby if you want to try something different - Not a chance I'd be allowed to use the bathroom these days - things have changed since I lived in the house on my own... ;-)