Pixiq

The world is filled with color in all its hue and shades, from the brilliant azure of a tropical sea to the rich red of a garden rose, yet we accept black and white as quite natural, as a fair and reasonable representation of what we have photographed. And even further, a black-and-white print can be more evocative and dramatic than a color print. It can reveal the detail, design and texture of a subject in a more powerful way, as if color is a distraction from what really stands before our lenses.

“Seeing” in black and white comes naturally to some photographers; for others the translation of light and color to black and white—or more properly, grayscale values—can be more difficult. Fortunately, seeing how a scene might translate to black and white is a skill that can be acquired with practice. Digital cameras with Monochrome recording mode (or a variation) make it possible to see this transformation on the LCD monitor, either after the image is made or, if the camera is capable, as the image is being composed using Live View.

Think of grayscale values as tones within the spectrum between pure white and black, each one a mixture that yields a shade of gray. When you first look at a black-and-white print, you might not see these individual shades, since they form a continuous tone image. But over time, as you learn to discern those shades of gray, along with pure black and white areas, you will understand how they contribute to the verisimilitude of the photographic image.

Graytones in a well-exposed image of a standard subject can be seen from bright white to deep black. Making exposures that encompass as many of these brightness values as possible allows a wide range of expression, including the option to enhance the image using software tools in the computer after you have recorded it.

The Panchromatic Illusion

Keep in mind that every digital image you take is an RGB (color) image and that the standard black-and-white version generated by the camera emulates how black-and-white panchromatic film would portray those colors. When panchromatic film renders a full-color scene to black and white, a red rose appears fairly dark, blue sky is fairly light and green grass is a deep midtone. These graytones vary according to the brightness of the light striking the object and to the object’s color.

This panchromatic response can be manipulated in digital because every image you expose is originally composed of RGB channels that allow changes in how each is converted to grayscale. This alters much of what you might have learned about black-and-white photography with film, because film emulsion has a pre-determined response to color that cannot be changed after an exposure is made, while the digital response for converting color into grayscale values can, to a great extent, be controlled.

Recording in digital also makes moot traditional methods of manipulating contrast and the grayscale rendition of certain colors with black-and-white film. For example, when photographing with film, you would change how a specific color records as a graytone by using a color filter on the lens. This would block and pass certain colors, depending upon the color of the filter; like colors would pass (and create more density in the negative and thus print lighter) and opposite colors would be blocked (and thus create less exposure density and print darker). Using color filters with a digital camera would affect the character of your image, but there is no need to do so because all you need to do is program the processor to imitate the effect you desire.

Monochrome Digital Filters

The translation of color to grayscale, which we’ll call a conversion, raises interesting options in black-and-white digital work. Grayscale conversion is commonly performed in the computer using a number of tools available in image-processing programs.

However, most cameras provide menu options for controlling certain aspects of image processing. One such option found in many of today’s D-SLRs is a Monochrome recording mode that often allows adjustments that emulate the effects of using color contrast filters with black-and-white film as described on the opposite page.

The following images illustrate how digital filters imitate the use of color contrast filters on the lens:

Study the Light

One of the best and most enjoyable (and inexpensive) ways to become a better photographer is to study light. You will notice that the value or brightness of light reflected from various subjects within the scene is rarely the same. In fact, images would be very boring and quite flat if that were the case. The direction and intensity of light and the way they interact in the scene create shadow, forms and dimensions. Study the light as it illuminates a scene. Move around and place yourself in relation to the light source so it strikes the scene from various viewing angles. Expose the same image at various times during the day. Learn how to use the light to enhance contrast, to reveal texture and to highlight certain important parts of the scene in front of you.

Take the time to look at how light falls, how it defines form and how the interplay of light and shadow create volume, scale and space. Consider how to make light an ally to your expression. Once you have made a habit of looking at light, the process of using your camera to fully capture what you see will unfold. You will begin to understand how the camera “sees,” and how it might see differently than you. This will yield exposures that bring the optimum potential out of every subject and scene.

The study of light rewards the effort in many ways. For instance, while you might assume that low-contrast scenes should be flat when compared to photographs made in bright light, you may discover they can often have a dramatic low-key effect. Paying attention to light can open your eyes to the picture possibilities that occur throughout the day. Every moment becomes unique; light is always particular to the time of day, weather and environment. The idea is not to put light in a box and categorize it so that you respond automatically to whatever that box is labeled. There are no set rules on interpretation. There are, however, guidelines on how to record information, because making the best exposure possible will afford you the most creative freedom later in processing and printing.

Contrast

Contrast is the difference in brightness between the lightest and darkest areas of a scene. Technically, it is a major consideration when making exposures, giving you creative options to experiment with tonal relationships. However, if it becomes excessive through poor exposure or processing technique, the result will be a harsh, unattractive image where details in the brightest or darkest areas are lost. Conversely, too little contrast can make an image appear flat and lifeless, dulling the sense of presence and liveliness in a scene.

In short, contrast is what gives images richness and separation of tone. But it can also cause problems that get in the way of making a pleasing photo. 

All images (c) George Schaub