Shooting For Black And White

Is this a compelling image and subject?
Do I have light?
Is the quality of light good?
How will I compose this image?
What focal length will I be using?
What is the best depth of field for this image?
Do I need any filters to bring out the best in this image
Important When Shooting For Black And White
What is the contrast of the subject relative to the scene?
Where is the tonality contrast?
Where are the differences in luminosity (brightness)?
Are there “micro-scenes” within the composition that might act as supporting players?
Will the sky and clouds look better in black and white?
How can I maximize the contrast of the entire image as a whole?
Does my background need to be sharp and in focus, or is it better to be soft?
Have I composed in such a way that my subject is supported by the background, not diminished by it?

Basic Black-And-White Processing
Let’s talk about what happened in Lightroom. As much as I “think” and “see” in black and white, there’s no doubt that a lot of what goes into a successful black-and white-landscape happens in post-processing. This is no different today with digital than it was back in the days when we shot film and spent hours dodging and burning our favorite prints.

In Lightroom, for this image, it was pretty simple: A quick touch of the tone-curve to extend my tonal range all the way left and right, maximizing the blacks and the whites, and then an adjustment brush on the clouds with a mix of Contrast, Blacks down, Whites up and adding some Clarity. Sometimes a (very) little Dehaze filter can do the job as well. It varies from image to image; what I’m after is to accentuate what is there, and make it as punchy, contrasty and dramatic as possible.

Next, a different brush for the mountain and snow, further pushing the Blacks, Whites and Highlights in that area of the image to the limit. Mixing in a bit of Clarity helps out here. It really works well in those midtones. The idea is to have one of those areas of “micro contrasty scenes” within the photo.