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
