Like the shot at Glenfinnan, the monochrome image conveys the drama of the changing weather in the Highlands and this is how I saw this shot when I took it.Īutumn in the Highlands is wonderful with colour in the foliage contrasting with the bleak mountains. Using the GFX50S and GF32-64mm f4 lens I took this shot as the rain clouds started to gather over the mountain tops. The tarmac road had come to an end and this gravel road led into the mountains. I love using roads and paths as compositional aids and this image was taken north of Fort William. The subtle colours of the dawn is the primary factor and while the tone and textures in the mono version work really well, the colour version is my preference for this image. My choice for these two images is the colour version. The 180 second long exposure blurred the surface water of the loch and the clouds above. I then just waited for the colours in the sky above the far mountains to change. I set up the X-T2 and the XF10-24mm f4 lens on a tripod and set it low in the water using a pair of rocks in the shallows as foreground interest. The second pair of images are from a dawn shot at Loch Tay. The black and white image conveys all the drama that is associated with the weather in Scottish Highlands. The colour shot is OK but fails to convey the drama that I was seeing from the viewpoint. The image was taken on a Fujifilm GFX50S and a GF32-64mm F4 lens fitted with a Lee 0.9 ND Soft Grad filter. ![]() I waited an hour and my patience was rewarded with the sunlight breaking through the clouds over the loch. However I could see breaks in the cloud cover so I climbed to the top of the hill and waited for the weather to change. This shot was taken in the late afternoon and the weather had turned to rain as I arrived. The first pair of images are from the Glenfinnan viewpoint overlooking Loch Shiel. The scenes are shot in colour and converted to black and white and I will explain which I prefer and why. So let’s have a look at a few examples from the Highlands of Scotland, a place that I love to visit as often as I can. The same goes with the composition, if it is boring in colour – well you get my drift! If the lighting is flat and boring in colour it will be boring in black and white, the colours converting to several shades of grey rather than a rich display of attractive tones. The composition and lighting of an image should stand up in either colour or black and white. There is some misconception that converting a poor colour image to monochrome will suddenly make it much better make it more ‘arty’. ![]() Whether you shoot a landscape in colour or black and white the composition has to be good. I sometimes switch the JPEG setting to ACROS (R) so I can see the black and white image in the viewfinder but I find I am never satisfied with the shot straight out of the camera, much preferring to work on the final image in Photoshop using NIK Silver EFEX Pro2 software. I look for strong, contrasty light with shapes and textures. I shoot the images in RAW and JPEG and tend to shoot in colour but ‘see’ the image in monochrome in my mind. When I set up my tripod I assess each scene and decide which I will use. I shoot both colour and black and white landscape images. I actually find the digital darkroom much more enjoyable and better for my health. I treat my computer like a digital darkroom, using dodging, burning and toning techniques I learned 20 to 30 year ago. Many of the techniques I learned with film and film processing have transferred to the digital era. I used to spend hours working on black and white prints, perfecting the images I took. I have been taking landscape images for over 30 years and had my own darkroom when I shot film. By removing the colour you can see these other elements more clearly and this can make the image stronger. So why use monochrome when the world around us is in colour?Ĭolour in an image can be very dominant and can overpower the other elements such as tonal contrast, texture, shape, form and the quality of the light. While black and white works across many photographic genres, it lends itself extremely well to landscapes. Black and white or colour? Now this is a question I see again and again across social media and to be honest there is no ‘black and white’ answer (excuse the obvious pun), it really depends on the image and what the photographer is trying to convey.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |