The elements of contrast, texture, shadow, shape, and tone can create compelling and dramatic photos even without the use of color. If you have discovered the monochrome art of Ansel Adams and Alfred Stieglitz, you are probably wondering what they did to capture such deceptively simple and amazing images. Minimalist black and white photography is a form of art many have attempted. Mastering the techniques required to make the art great is attained by only a few.
If this is something that interests you, learning to ignore color is one of the first things you need to do. You can try a couple of simple things that might help. There are monochrome viewing filters you can purchase and attach to your camera. You might also pick up some cheap sunglasses, that have dark grey lenses, from a big box or dollar store. Monochrome is an appropriate photographic technique for nearly any subject, including still lifes, people, cityscapes, and landscapes.
A lot of instructors put primary emphasis on composition. Composition is important, for sure, no matter how many colors are involved. Compositions that work in color however may not work in monochrome. You must learn the elements of composition that make monochrome so distinctive.
Tone is an important part of the foundation of good monochrome photo taking. It is similar to contrast, but not exactly the same thing. If you are photographing a street scene full of vibrant colors for instance, those colors may just end up being uninteresting shades of gray in a monochrome photograph. You can adjust the tone using colored filters or change the lighting. By changing the lighting, you will create instant highlights and shadows.
You must be aware of shadows. Shadows are powerful tools in your arsenal when you are creating minimalist art. The stronger your shadows the higher the possibility you have of taking a good picture. It is just a fact that people are drawn to shadows. Not all shadows are black and empty of shape. You should consider how shadow, and what's contained in the shadows, will affect the observer.
Shape may be part of shadows, but it is also about contrast. Shapes can be the defining element in your photos. When you think about it, shape is the way the human brain defines what it knows about its surroundings. We recognize objects in part by the way they are shaped. When you are working in monochrome, it's necessary to look for shapes, and the way they work with tone and contrast.
Texture is partly a product of shadow and light. If you eliminate texture as a way of creating a stark effect, the outcome will be something more along the lines of abstraction than if you included the texture. Texture can be created with the use of a low level light source that creates highlights and shadows revealing your subject's texture.
The decision to strip your work of color can be scary. Color can hide a lot of technical mistakes. Monochrome doesn't give the artist that cover.
If this is something that interests you, learning to ignore color is one of the first things you need to do. You can try a couple of simple things that might help. There are monochrome viewing filters you can purchase and attach to your camera. You might also pick up some cheap sunglasses, that have dark grey lenses, from a big box or dollar store. Monochrome is an appropriate photographic technique for nearly any subject, including still lifes, people, cityscapes, and landscapes.
A lot of instructors put primary emphasis on composition. Composition is important, for sure, no matter how many colors are involved. Compositions that work in color however may not work in monochrome. You must learn the elements of composition that make monochrome so distinctive.
Tone is an important part of the foundation of good monochrome photo taking. It is similar to contrast, but not exactly the same thing. If you are photographing a street scene full of vibrant colors for instance, those colors may just end up being uninteresting shades of gray in a monochrome photograph. You can adjust the tone using colored filters or change the lighting. By changing the lighting, you will create instant highlights and shadows.
You must be aware of shadows. Shadows are powerful tools in your arsenal when you are creating minimalist art. The stronger your shadows the higher the possibility you have of taking a good picture. It is just a fact that people are drawn to shadows. Not all shadows are black and empty of shape. You should consider how shadow, and what's contained in the shadows, will affect the observer.
Shape may be part of shadows, but it is also about contrast. Shapes can be the defining element in your photos. When you think about it, shape is the way the human brain defines what it knows about its surroundings. We recognize objects in part by the way they are shaped. When you are working in monochrome, it's necessary to look for shapes, and the way they work with tone and contrast.
Texture is partly a product of shadow and light. If you eliminate texture as a way of creating a stark effect, the outcome will be something more along the lines of abstraction than if you included the texture. Texture can be created with the use of a low level light source that creates highlights and shadows revealing your subject's texture.
The decision to strip your work of color can be scary. Color can hide a lot of technical mistakes. Monochrome doesn't give the artist that cover.
About the Author:
See the exhibitions of the very talented minimalist black and white photography expert online. To get instant access to the website, here is the link http://www.kieranwalshgallery.com/about.
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