The Pro Photo Business Forum

Black and White – The Tone Zone, Part 1
by: Bryan Lindsey
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Ever see a really cool black and white shot? What makes it cool? First, it’s a bit of a novelty since we are inundated with color photos taken from our cameras, our phones, in magazines, on billboards, etc. We are used to seeing the world in color, so black-and-white causes us to pause and take notice.

There’s more to it than that, though. A sharp black and white image usually has excellent contrast between the light and dark areas of the photo. Or, if the artist is going for a more moody look, the contrast can be dull, giving the image a soft, dreamy appearance. In either case, the contrast is not necessarily between colors, but between tones. Tones refer to the “lightness” or “darkness” of a an image or pieces of an image regardless of color. You can think of each pixel of your image as having a color value (a mix of red, green, and blue) and a tonal value (on a scale from 0 to 255 with zero = pure black, 255 = pure white). It’s these tonal values that make all the difference when you go to convert a color image to black-and-white. Next time you see a great B&W shot that you like, take notice of the tones – the “lights” and “darks” of the image. When viewing your own color images, notice, not just the colors, but the tones. I’ll bet you find a couple potential B&W gems yourself.

Bryan Lindsey: Houston Wedding Photographer

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Bryan Lindsey
BCL Photography
Houston Wedding and Portrait Photographer