Advice on making monochrome the subject

peterst6906

For this current round of LPS, I need some advice or words of wisdom.

I normally work in color, typically preferring bold colors over subdued ones. So, as far as color being a subject, I have several ideas for this round. Not just images in color, but a few where color would be clearly the theme of the photo.

However, I've always wanted to produce quality monochrome images that are typical of good fine art photos.

However, one thing I have always recognised is that I find it difficult to see a final black and white image when I shoot and I find it difficult to process to obtain a full range of tones where the tones themselves hold meaning.

So for this round, I want to shoot for the monochrome theme, but need some words of wisdom from those who regularly work in this area.

As I see it, it would be easy to produce an image and then just convert it to B&W for example, but I don't think that cuts it as far as the competition goes. What I think is really called for is an image that really couldn't look as good or hold the same meaning if it was left in color.

So any words of advice from the great community here?

Regards,

Peter

Travis

Hmmmm, thats a fairly loaded question Peter and suspect that there are more opinions on this topic than there are methods for actually making the capture.

I tend to look for monochramatic images where color is neither predominate nor adds to to the scene. In some instances, color actually subtracts from the potential image. A good example of this can be witnessed in landscape photography. If there is a rich blue sky and saturated foliage, then the image screams "color!"; however, there are those instances where the colors are soft, almost washed out, but there is potential for a dynamite grayscale image. I have to admit that I have very seldom setout with the intention of shooting color OR grayscale but instead made the decision based on the tones that I was presented.

This is not to say that a colorful scene will not produce an incredible grayscale image. The opposite is true but I generally prefer color so it is what I look to first when shooting. With monochrome, I look more for luminosity transitions and contrast between elements than differences in the color pallette.

Hopefully that made some sense. Everyone approaches this topic differently so it will be interesting to see what others have to say.

Greensquared

peterst6906 wrote:

For this current round of LPS, I need some advice or words of wisdom.

I normally work in color, typically preferring bold colors over subdued ones. So, as far as color being a subject, I have several ideas for this round. Not just images in color, but a few where color would be clearly the theme of the photo.

However, I've always wanted to produce quality monochrome images that are typical of good fine art photos.

However, one thing I have always recognised is that I find it difficult to see a final black and white image when I shoot and I find it difficult to process to obtain a full range of tones where the tones themselves hold meaning.

So for this round, I want to shoot for the monochrome theme, but need some words of wisdom from those who regularly work in this area.

As I see it, it would be easy to produce an image and then just convert it to B&W for example, but I don't think that cuts it as far as the competition goes. What I think is really called for is an image that really couldn't look as good or hold the same meaning if it was left in color.

So any words of advice from the great community here?

Regards,

Peter

Monochrome doesn't have to be shades of gray, it is defined as varying shades of any one color. I am hoping to stretch myself in this one as well.

Emily

Travis

Greensquared wrote:

Monochrome doesn't have to be shades of gray, it is defined as varying shades of any one color. I am hoping to stretch myself in this one as well.

Emily

Good point Emily! I tend to think in terms of gray.

peterst6906

Greensquared wrote:

Monochrome doesn't have to be shades of gray, it is defined as varying shades of any one color. I am hoping to stretch myself in this one as well.

Emily

I totally agree, which is why I tried to avoid the B&W reference, except as an example.

I'm open to other monochrome possibilities as well.

Regards,

Peter

peterst6906

Greensquared wrote:

Monochrome doesn't have to be shades of gray, it is defined as varying shades of any one color. I am hoping to stretch myself in this one as well.

Emily

I totally agree. B&W is most common, but not the only monochrome possibility.

I'm open to other monochrome ideas as well.

Regards,

Peter

peterst6906

Travis wrote:

...and suspect that there are more opinions on this topic than there are methods for actually making the capture.

I hope so

I tend to look for monochramatic images where color is neither predominate nor adds to to the scene. In some instances, color actually subtracts from the potential image. A good example of this can be witnessed in landscape photography. If there is a rich blue sky and saturated foliage, then the image screams "color!"; however, there are those instances where the colors are soft, almost washed out, but there is potential for a dynamite grayscale image.

Great example. The rolling hills type shot where the haze changes the tones as you move into the distance is a perfect example of the type of image that works better in monotone than color.

Unfortunately living in Holland, there isn't a hill in sight until you hit Germany of Eastern France......:D:D:D

With monochrome, I look more for luminosity transitions and contrast between elements than differences in the color pallette.

This is the bit I have normally found difficult, but will concentrate on in this round.

Hopefully that made some sense. Everyone approaches this topic differently so it will be interesting to see what others have to say.

Yep, perfect sense, thanks.

Regards,

Peter

HoofClix

Down here in SC we tend to find that a basic sledgehammer works in many situations...

jdryan3

Greensquared wrote:

Monochrome doesn't have to be shades of gray, it is defined as varying shades of any one color. I am hoping to stretch myself in this one as well.

Emily

Which is why I have started working with duo- & tri-tones. But even 'black' is relative depending upon the final medium the image is printed - matte, glossy, warm fine art rag, and on & on.

RE: the OP's question

As I see it, it would be easy to produce an image and then just convert it to B&W for example, but I don't think that cuts it as far as the competition goes. What I think is really called for is an image that really couldn't look as good or hold the same meaning if it was left in color.

I prefer images that have a little more contrast between the tones in he image. Of course once you get into it and start studying Ansel Adams Zone System ...

peterst6906

jdryan3 wrote:

I prefer images that have a little more contrast between the tones in he image. Of course once you get into it and start studying Ansel Adams Zone System ...

Funny you should mention it. I have all his books and I've just finished going over pages 173-184 of Basic Techniques. So I think I'll spend the rest of the night reading more.

Regards,

Peter

LiquidAir

My approach to B&W is similar to Travis. I shoot in color. I convert to black and white for a few reasons:

1. When I want to evoke or reference a particular style of photography, like this:


2. When the color in the image is fighting with the message I want to convey. In this shot, I felt the red brick was too warm a color for the cold damp of the space:


3. When I need to add some contrast in post. Here the the sky and the grass were very close to the same brighness in the original. In color the image looked flat to me, so I pushed the blues bright and the greens dark as I did the conversion to B&W:



All that said, monochromatic to me means single color rather than black and white. This is more the kind of image I think of for the theme:

Justiceiro

I have seen a few shots that were not monochromatic, but looked as if they were. That's an interesting possibility.

Nikolai

There was an old challenge #61 called Black and White in Color. Check it out.