Weekly # 254 Monochrome Discussion

A place for discussion. In the time honoured tradition I wont look in here again after the first entry has been posted.

Thanks Ken.

So we are looking for monochrome subjects rather than looking for using the camera to produce a monochrome image. Interesting idea!

Am I right in thinking the subject monochrome but the background is "normal" ie a grey statue in a green field with different coloured trees etc? Or is the whole frame to be one colour eg a red rose on a red background?

Stan, I think your second example (red rose on red background) is what is called for.

In your statue example, including other colours in the background would make it a normal everyday shot, rather than a monochrome one. You could get closer to the statue so that it filled the frame, though!

Just to clarify, monochrome = one colour

So "Child locked in coalhouse with out a light" colours ranging from black to dark black would be in with a shout but yes I thought the red rose on red was what was looked for

I'm not clear either. Monochrome to me means black and white photography and a one colour image (or shades thereof). So a colour photo of a zebra is two colours?

Black and white aren't technically colours! You could say that they are the extreme ends of the 'grey' spectrum

Depends what you mean by technically. You could say that when we are just dealing with the electromagnetic spectrum then white is a colour and black is the absence of colour but when we are dealing with combinations of pigments then black is a colour and white is the absence of colour. Logically a colour plus another colour = a colour. So both white and black can be colours.

1. Black is the absence of colour

Explanation:
When there is no light, everything is black. Test this out by going into a photographic dark room. There are no photons of light. In other words, there are no photons of colours.

2. White is the blending of all colours and is a colour.

Explanation:
Light appears colourless or white. Sunlight is white light that is composed of all the colors of the spectrum. A rainbow is proof. You can't see the colours of sunlight except when atmospheric conditions bend the light rays and create a rainbow. You can also use a prism to demonstrate this.

Its from this that we then get colours, where red is the dominant it is red we see etc etc

Came in useful that art degree lol


so If I understand this properly its a monotone image thats required? (a single colour/tone in varying shades)

Oh! I've got a headache now

let's not get over complicated - we all know what black and white is - so that's one example of monochrome. One colour. Sepia is another example of monochrome, as are all the various toning effects.

However, Ken was quite specific in his brief in that he asked for a monochrome subject, but shot in colour. In other words, really a monochrome subject, not one made in the darkroom or Photoshop.

A zebra is a monochrome subject. So would be perhaps a red ruby resting on something, even resting on a violet cushion.

Anyway, that's how I've read it, so I'll be proceeding on that basis for now!

I originally read it as a main subject that would appear the same in black and white or colour, such as the examples given of a zebra and concrete. However if the zebra is in a field then the clarification of 'one colour' would dismiss it. Arctic zebra would be good.

In all my visits to places above the Arctic Circle I never once came across a Zebra

Nor a penguin!