Most of my photos are monochrome (black and white) so it is not that big a deal to only post monochrome on Sundays. Still, I made the rule because Sundays are a day for stories.
Color paints pictures but monochrome tells the story.
It is a simple philosophy. I feel that monochrome makes for a more dramatic scene. One can get lost in the “prettiness” of colors and not see what lies below the surface. Monochrome pulls you right into the subject exposing all the beauty of light, shadow, lines and imperfections. Yes, there are times when a photo is meant to show the imperfections that are a part of the beauty.
There is another reason for my use of monochrome. that is more pragmatic. Florida landscapes are a passion of mine. While Florida is pretty green much of the year, during the dry (and cool) winter months the grass turns brown as it goes dormant. It is still Florida, just less green. I know that might sound like a contradiction to my imperfection comment earlier, but it is not, really. When I have shown people a color photo of Florida in winter they immediately comment on the lack of green. In monochrome there are no greens, just the beauty that is always a part of the Florida landscape.
Even during the wet season (it rains almost daily during the summer months) there are always some browns mixed in with the greens. Palm fronds die and hang in the tree for a bit before wind, rain and time make them fall. The dead brown fronds are a distraction. One does not notice them so much in monochrome.
One could call it a bias, I suppose. My desire is to show the beauty of Florida so I am hiding its imperfections. There may be some truth to that.
Enough philosophy. On to the dramatic effects of monochrome and the stories the lack of color tell.
Here are two photos I took just seconds apart of a rain cloud moving into the Gulf of Mexico in Venice, Florida, my home. In the color photo you can see the rain but it is not so distinct. The blues blend together and the spots of blue sky (a feature of Florida weather that I’ll discuss more at another time) are a distraction.
I could adjust the colors and contrast of this photo to make the rain stand out, but that’s not my style. As it is the rain just seems to fade into the background, it is just part of the clouds.
In the monochrome photo there is more of a contrast. The dark clouds and rain stand out. It seems more moody, a bit more dramatic. I can feel the approaching rain. It seems real, scary even.
One can make color photos more dramatic. Contrast and saturation levels can be adjusted to make certain aspects stand out. I have no qualms about making some minor adjustments and will sometimes make some major changes to the saturation levels. You can see this in my “postcards”. I will always point out those changes in my description.
Many of the spectacular sunset photos you see have had major adjustments made. Nothing wrong with that. It is art, after all. I just prefer to show the world as it is, even if I do try to cover up some of the imperfections now and then. There’s enough beauty there for me. Such changes also remove details, the kind of details that monochrome highlights.
Most people will comment on the bright colors of a flower, the green of the grass or blue of the water. These are all valid observations, but I hope to provide a more intimate experience. I want you to look beyond the bright colors to see the lines and shapes of the petals, the interaction of the light and shadows.
In this photo of a tiger lily in the rain you can see the water drops, the variations of shading in the petals and their irregular edges. Those details become lost with color. There is nothing wrong with having pretty flowers hanging on your wall, I just want to show you what lies beyond the colors.
I took this photo while on vacation in the mountains of North Carolina. It had been raining all day. No chance to stop and take photographs as the rain was too heavy. It finally slowed to a drizzle as we stopped for lunch. It was not a shot of a waterfall along a trail I had hoped for, but it was a photo waiting to be taken. I snatched it and went inside to keep dry.
Here’s another comparison. This is a pond alongside our local library. Both photos were taken on the same day just seconds apart. I think the difference in mood is evident.
I really love the monochrome version. It captures the difference in light from shadow to sun, an effect I find particularly pleasing. It’s as if the pond is in the spotlight as it should be. The grass in the foreground is in darkness as is the audience, you and me.
