High contrast portrait photography in toned black and white

High contrast portraiture is fun but can be tricky, especially if the tonal range is massive, like in this photo, where it goes from nearly 0 to 255 (i.e. from pure white to pure black). The trick is to capture the entire dynamic range, without blowing highlights or completely wiping the black tones in the key areas of a photograph. In this case the model was backlit by a strong sunlight, which really pushed my camera to its limits. Exposing such photos can be a task, because if you expose for the model face, the rest will most likely be blown out to pure white, especially the window. Another thing is that she is wearing a black suit and has black hair, and since the model is the subject, you will need details in those. This was shot handheld without a flash or reflector, though the white walls of the room reflected some light back onto the model. I really wanted to see how much I can get away with in photoshop in terms of recovering data, and how wide is the true dynamic range of my camera. Photo was shot in the famous Nakagin Capsule Tower in Shimbashi, Tokyo.

My Youtube channel with free photoshop tutorials
Photography workshops in Tokyo - click for more details.
Hire a photographer in Tokyo
Buy original Chinese and Japanese calligraphy art

Model: Maya Murofushi