Monochrome vs. Color
Monochrome vs. Color
By Peter Thoeny, one of our Digital Photo Academy instructors in San Francisco.
Ask, is color needed? Look at shapes and patterns.
Ask, how much contrast do I need for monochrome images?
Example: Color photo that is monochrome, people dispose of usable rocket fuel by burning it, additives in the fuel produce the one color; at rocket camp in Black Rock Desert, Nevada
Example: Color version, Canon 50mm f0.95 “Dream Lens; downtown Sunnyvale, California
Example: Monochrome version, both are nice, this one highlights the shapes more, Canon 50mm f0.95 “Dream Lens”; downtown Sunnyvale, California
Example: Color version; at Boardwalk, Santa Cruz, California
Example: Monochrome version; at Boardwalk, Santa Cruz, California; color version looks better
Example: Color and monochrome version;, at Mary Ave footbridge, Cupertino, California
Example: Color and monochrome version; at wooden footbridge, Felton, California
Example: Color and monochrome versions, monochrome works better to highlight texture and shapes; on a rainy day at small village Fanas, Swiss Alps
Example: Color and monochrome versions; both versions work well; Tschuggenkapelle at mountain pass Flüela, Swiss Alps
Example: Monochrome at Stanford University, monochrome is a good fit for this high contrast scene with negative space
Example: On monochrome photos, it’s often beneficial to enhance the contrast, not with the contrast slider, but with the curves. Create an S-curve by highlighting the highlights, and darkening the shadows; Mikkyo Zen meditation class at Hakone Gardens, Saratoga, California
Example: Daytime photo that looks like night time: Add strong vignetting, and raise the contrast with S-curve; Hakone Gardens, Saratoga, California
Example: Color with highly reduced saturation, only magenta, and some faint green left; in Schiers, Swiss Alps
Example: Almost monochrome, cold tones from light originating from outside, warm tones from light inside, only one item is red; at Sargans Castle, Switzerland
CC BY-NC-SA 4.0, © Peter Thoeny, Quality HDR Photography, http://bit.ly/qualityHDR
