by Gary Fong
Photographer: Mike Christ
Click on images for high-resolution versions
Converting color digital images to B&W is growing in popularity. There’s a little more to it than simply adjusting Photoshop to grey scale…actually a lot more.
B&W photos allow the viewer to appreciate the composition of the subject without being influenced by the distracting colors in the scene. Some photos are enhanced by the absence of color…while others thrive on the color fidelity.
Mike Christ is just starting to experiment with Color to B&W conversions. I’m sure he’s learning about density, white point, and black point balance. Or if he isn’t, it’s a good thing to learn. In simple terms, photographic density refers to how dark a certain area is.
Now for the Nit Picking
Mike’s arch photo certainly doesn’t thrive on color fidelity, nor does it have a high intellectual value. The exposure latitude from deep shadow to highlight is very extreme. The trick is to hold the density value in both the shadow and highlight. In B&W, one wants to see the detail at both extremes, but also have the middle tones look distinguishable.
Even with the best of images, it’s hard to cater to both sides of the monochrome spectrum. There should be detail in the arch bricks, rather than lost to the shadow side of the scale. Likewise, there should be detail in the cloudy sky, rather than losing it to blown out whites. The balance is the contrast between the two. Blacks should be black and white should white…but everything in between should not look muddy.
The best solution is to shoot it correctly the first time. If Mike had an opportunity to reshoot…use a reflector to light up the arch bricks and “Red” (25A) filter to enhance the detail in the clouds. A “Red” filter will accentuate the clouds, adding detail to the white. As it is…the sky is going to be a problem….it will tend to blow out the whites.
In a time long long ago (10 years at least), to produce B&W photos, one would shoot B&W film and process in a wet lab. Today, converting color digital files to B&W is faster easier, and drier. But understanding the basics of density in the shadows and highlights is still the same. Think of it as the Goldilocks factor….not too dark and not too light…make it just right.
