Not Only B&W
Unlike what most photographers believe, monotone or monochrome images do not only equal to black and white pictures. In fact, the term ‘monotone’ means the use of either a single colour throughout the frame or different shades of the same colour. For instance, the lush greens of a tea plantation, a blue coloured frame of water droplets, a close-up photograph of a red coloured apple with a hint of yellow… these can all be termed monotone photographs.
A slight intrusion of a deeper or lighter shade of the same colour can bring stunning tonality to a mundane picture. Photograph/Nitin R
Visualise in One Tone
You can choose to make pictures in a single colour tone if you are able to visualise the frame in such a manner. While including a range of colours might be a natural choice for many, the use of a single colour tone or B&W also eliminates distractions in the frame and can help draw attention to the subject and other minute details in the scene. Besides this, shapes, patterns and textures become more prominent in a monochromatic setting, which in turn, lets the viewer’s eye move along the lines in the photograph.
High Contrast With Black and White
Black and white images tend to look the best when shot in high contrast. This brings out the graphical quality of the subject. Architectural structures or objects with harsh shadows work well with B&W. Add a little bit of grain to create wonders!
Monochrome works best when the subject is completely isolated from other colours. Hints of another colour can break the monotony though. Photograph/Riddhi Parekh
Change Your White Balance
The easiest way one can change the tone of your picture is to alter the White Balance. While Auto WB gives neutral results in a warm orange colour tone. These tones can look great when shooting portraits or even flowers in diffused light. It is fun to experiment with the wrong WB setting!
Strong contrasting shadows light and shadowplay are the basis of great black and white imagery. Photograph/Vishak Vardhan
Use Colourful Gelatin Papers
You can simply place gelatin papers in front of the lens to create monochromes. Another technique you could try is to use a gel on the flash. For compact cameras, you can place red or orange gelatin paper in front of the lens, or even paste it onto the flash while photographing nature or raindrops. The resulting tones can make the image look surreal. If you have difficulty in focusing, you can switch to manual focus.
This article originally appeared in the March 2014 issue of Better Photography.