Taking a beautiful photo without color can be challenging. One has to pay close attention to minute details that can make the photo interesting and unique while lacking color's vibrant presence.
The first tip I have for taking good black and white photos is to pay attention to angles. This is important for any type of photography, but can make a huge difference in black and white photography. Look for lines in the photo that can draw one's eye with them into the photo. One such picture is below on the far left. It was taken at the Jefferson Memorial in Washington D.C. and is interesting to look at because the line of marble columns draws one's eyes into the photo. The next two photos to the right are made unique because of the odd angle of the camera. Do not be afraid to tilt your camera all sorts of weird angles to see which suits the photo the best.
My second black and white photography tip is to not be afraid to get a blurry picture. I love street photography at night, but unfortunately, my camera is not very good at getting clear pictures in low light. I am learning to embrace that weakness and figure out how to work with it effectively. I have learned to allow myself to take blurry photos, and some of them have turned out quite nicely. The two photos below are a couple of my favorites. If you do it right, your blurry photos can look artsy and asthetically pleasing.
In black and white photography, look for lights to have in your picture. Whether it is traffic lights, city lights, hanging lights, or sunlight, it can really make a black and white photo pop. If you are going for a silhouette like the one shown below, having sunlight behind your subject is very key.
When taking black and white photos of people, aim to get an either iconic laughing/grinning photo or a really serious one. You can go for the artsy look with a serious subject and a cool angle (such as the bottom right picture) or you can go for a nostalgic feel by capturing laughter and smiles in black and white. Something important to remember is that without color, black and white photography needs to focus clearly on its subject. It is easy for one's eye to wander and not feel captivated by a black and white photo if there is not a clear main focus. Therefore, the rest of the background fairly uniform and unexciting when photographing people in black and white.
The last and most fun black and white photography tip I have is to take pictures of random things in black and white. I am always on the lookout for subjects that do not seem quaint at first sight but may look good in black and white. Things such as street signs, traffic lights, clocks, and even knight armor (pictured at the top of this article) can make very cute pictures if photographed properly.
My camera has a black and white setting, but if yours does not, you can always edit it to be black and white later on. Now that I've told you my tips, go get your camera out and have some fun with black and white photography.