Overcast Conditions Best for B&W?

<p>I believe overcast/hazy/wet days often bring out the best in B&W film, whereas before when I shot color, the bright suny days were for getting out and shooting, now it's the reverse - I hope for lousy weather! Should I move to London?</p>

<p>Scotland or Ireland. Take colour film too. :)</p>

<p> </p>

<p>I don`t think so. <em>In a first sight</em> I think on three issues: too much lower contrast scenarios, washed white skies and longer exposure times.</p>

<p>The first can be (sometimes) solved increasing film density in the developing tank but it makes the second issue more problematic. The third can be ignored if e.g. there is no wind moving the leaves, your subject keeps really static or if you use faster films.</p>

<p>I prefer full light days, shooting in a shadowed area. But overcast days have that special charm. I like them, too.</p>

<p>Anyway, there is always fun under any condition; maybe not "best" or "worst", just more or less difficult.</p>

<p> </p>

<p>The speed and development time given for b+w films is based on the assumption they will be shot under 'normal' light, and in this context normal means pretty flat light - in fact a normal British day! A soon as clear shadows start to be evident then I downrate the film and cut the development time. For a really bright day I downrate by 1 1/3 stops and cut development by 45 percent. This gives me a neg with manageable contrast for printing.</p>

<p>I think that is such a misconception. Great black and white photographs need contrast even more than colour does. You can certainly do B&W photography when it's overcast, but it's going to be a relatively flat picture unless you specifically look for and find situations in which there is contrast (something with artificial light on it, brighter windows, some very black and very white in the same picture, etc.). Overcast is suitable for some styles, like tombstones, etc. Bright overcast can work well sometimes, but I wouldn't say overcast is best for B&W photography. </p>

<p>There's only so much you can do with contrast-enhancing techniques (darkroom or digital).</p>

<p>Sure, if you want your photos to have all the same light.</p>

<p>It really depend on what you are shooting. I highly recommend this book: Edge of Darkness - The art, craft, and power of the high-definition monochrome photograph, by Barry Thornton.<br>

I would immediately disgaree with your statement in that subtle colors are often best in overcast conditions. B&W is capable of a wide range of situations, and how you interpret the tonality of a situation combined with composition and proper exposure will determine the potential quality of your image. There have been many, many wonderful b&w photographs taken in high-contrast, bright sunny conditions, and many wonderful photos taken in situations ranging from night photography to flat, dull, cloudy skies. It all depends on the subject and the ability of the photogrtapher.</p>

<p>I don't disagree with any of the responses. I see great B&W photos under bright sunny conditions, but this kind of topic eventually turns into a question of personal taste.</p>

<p>I just choose a black & white film that gives me what I want under the existing light- whether overcast or sunny. Sunny days I use either Fuji Acros 100 (at E.I. 80) or Plus-X. Overcast it's Tri-X, although if it's a bright overcast I may still stick with Plus-X.</p>

<p>Agree with everyone's comments. It really depends on the shot, what kind of image you are trying to create (mood, etc.) and finally personal taste. I have personally gotten some good B&W shots in bright sunlight either by taking creative advantage of the harsh shadows produced by the sunlight or by slapping on a red filter and darkening the sky for a dramatic effect. Conversely, I have gotten disappointing shots during overcast conditions because of the dull and lifeless sky. So again, it really depends!</p>

 

<p>Kodak's old description of "cloudy bright" is nice for b&w shooting. What you have to be careful about when shooting portraits in that light is dark eye sockets.</p>

<p>High noon sunshine might be one of the more difficult lighting conditions but cloudy conditions can be flat and lifeless. Now a bright overcast is another animal all together. A giant softbox waiting for photos to happen.</p>

<p>Photographers like David Bailey ,who took the new 35mm cameras out of the studio,made their reputations on shooting under "British overcast" . Those slate-grey skies made for a remarkable pearly light,which fills shadows and made printing easy. Add a little contrast in printing, and voila!<br>

Who loves ya , baby?</p>

<p>If you prefer that look but don't have the right conditions - bright overcast sky - you can come close by avoiding underexposure and excessive development. Try a film like Tri-X or HP5+ at EI 200, with appropriately less development to avoid excessive contrast. If it's a sunny day, look for some open shade.</p>

<p>It can depend a lot on the subject and how you want to control texture in the lightest and darkest zones. Some sunny shots have so much contrast range that the limited contrast range of the B&W film or (even more limited) digital sensor will make it important to decide on which tonal range you wish to capture with what you may consider as sufficient texture (e.g., textured highlights versus blown out highlights, same for dark shades or blacks, textured or not. Remembeer that you will have to sacrifice detail in some parts of the image, but that can be limited by exposure-development methods and it (lack of texture) can be useful in an artistic sense in some cases), whereas in some overcast situations you will have much less contrast range than the digital sensor or film (5 or 6 stops) is capable of registering. In the latter case, choice of subject matter (reflectivities) can be important, as is the manner of exposing and develping to improve contrast, or other post exposure techniques.</p>

<p>Understanding these differences allows the photographer to optimise his b&w or colour images. All lighting conditions can allow powereful B&W photographs to be made under the right conditions of subject matter, composition, exposure and post exposure.</p>

<p>"<em>I believe overcast/hazy/wet days often bring out the best in B&W film..."</em></p>

<p>I disagree. Modern B&W film is capable of recording a huge range of subject brightness range (SBR), more than you can find in nature. If you know how to use it, B&W film can make stunning images in full midday sun (I have a number of beautiful captures measured in excess of 12 stops of SBR). It can also make stunning images in a driving rain (I've got a beautiful capture that measured less than one full stop of SBR).</p>

<p>The film isn't the limitation. The limitation is your ability to see. There are excellent images all around us no matter what the lighting or the conditions. We need only learn to see them, to be able to capture them.</p>

<p>"The camera is a device that teaches us how to see without a camera" -- Dorothea Lange<br>

<em><br /></em></p>

<p>Just increase your development times to expand contrast when shooting on grey days.</p>

<p>This is cheating in a way, as it is a digital simulation, but the point I want to make is that filtration can make quite a bit of difference in a very dull overcast scene. Here is the unfiltered or straight B&W digital conversion from a color file:</p><div></div>

<p>Here is the filtered digital conversion, which may illustrate the importance of filtration in B&W film shots (I modified each of the three digital color channels a bit, although I can not say what color filters would be required in this case and in front of the film camera lens).</p><div></div>

<p>And the colour original for an additional reference to this dismal overcast scene:</p>

<p>And the colour original as an additional reference to the first image and this dismal overcast scene:</p><div></div>

<p>Herbert List, for example almost always shot in the blazing sun of Italy and Greece. Several decades ago. He got great tones and all out of his negs. So there certainly is no general rule that B&W film cannot produce great results in direct sunlight.<br>

As many of the posts here suggest: it's all in the exposure and correct development of the film - and in rare cases in the additional wise use of a filter (as Arthur demonstrated).<br>

There is no non-photogenic wheather. Period! (Just don't expect what you cannot get.)</p>