How to AR: Black and White
Photographing Pokémon in black and white might not be the most obvious choice, but it can really help create atmospheric and impressive images. Some Pokemon lend themselves really well to black and white tones and certain themes, so let’s take a look!
For tips on apps you might want to use for editing on your phone, check out our article here.
Ghost/Dark Pokemon
Regarding a fairly obvious choice, Spirit and Dark Type Pokémon are an easy recommendation for monochrome photos. Seeing haunted spooky creatures is reminiscent of the old black and white horror movies and can create truly eerie images.
For this photo of Drifblim, a Pokémon meant to carry humans and Pokémon away in the wind, I didn’t just use black and white photos, I superimposed two photos to create a spooky final image. In color there is bright graffiti at this point, the switch to black and white has hidden a lot of it and added a lot more darkness overall. It also meant that the light didn’t feel like the bright sunshine was pouring in through the arches on the left, but felt more like a mist creeping in.
Froslass is said to be a missing woman who got lost on an icy mountain and is now returning to civilization to haunt humans. It was quite a dreary day when I did this, the leaves were mostly brown and a bit damp looking, the switch to black and white not only suited the mood of Froslass better but made the location feel more menacing and a little bit Blair Witch!
dark skies
Cloudy and stormy skies are ideal candidates for monochrome photos. It can add a much more dramatic feel and really add to the fear factor of an image. For Zekrom, black and white looks so much more imposing instead of slightly monotonous clouds, it just doesn’t have the same impact in color.
The clouds feel more detailed and really work with a simple background and pose for high drama.
bokehmon
Combining two techniques, bokehmon, and creating a black and white photo can have another really dramatic effect. We have a full article on how to create the bokehmon technique, which basically mimics shallow depth of field in photos.
I edited this photo of Xerneas in both black and white and color so you can see the different moods they create. The black and white photo feels more menacing, while the color image seems almost proud. They work in different ways, with the bokehmon technique increasing the focus on Xerneas in different ways.
Cryogonal might not be the most obvious choice for a black and white photo, but the distinct pattern lends itself to it, and with a burst of light behind it, the black and white almost feels like a blizzard. The lights in focus and in color would show that they are simply a trail of Christmas lights, instead I can hide that in black and white so it appears to be moving.
Monochrome Pokemon
Pokémon that are already mostly black and white also lend themselves very well to this type of color editing. If a Pokemon is already monochromatic, black and white serve to emphasize its appearance and draw focus to it. I used a shiny Ninetales as an example, but Pokemon like Xurkitree, Blitzle, Unown, Mega Houndoom, Zekrom, Reshiram, even Pokemon that are mostly white with a touch of color like Nihilego really lend themselves to black and white images.
I also used the Tiny Pokémon technique for this photo, which made Nine-Tails only a few inches tall.
Simple backgrounds
Black and white is often more effective with a fairly simple background. Too much detail can get a little lost or look too busy, but it can really enhance a strikingly simple look. Chandelier Amidst the Flames is a good example, while it works in color too, in black and white it becomes a really dramatic ghost image. Too much detail can appear noisy in black and white, a plain background will keep the Pokemon the center of attention and create the atmosphere you’re creating.
