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Create atmosphere in mono

Techniques

24 October 2007 09:34

The simplicity and abstract nature of black & white makes it excellent for creating moody, atmospheric images. With the absence of colour, we’re removed from the everyday world – presenting a useful creative opportunity.

In general, images containing lots of shadows often seem darker and moodier than more tonally balanced images. Conversely, lighter tones give shots a fresher, happier mood. Look for subjects that lend themselves to either of these treatments, and then slightly underexpose your shot for a more brooding image, or slightly overexpose for a lighter, more high-key image. To control the range of tones in your digital mono images, try overexposing by +1/2 to +1 stop for lighter images, and underexposing by a similar amount for darker ones. Exaggeration of tones is an effective creative tool.

As with traditional black & white photography, which relied on using a chemical darkroom, you can also adjust your images digitally to suit the effect you’re after. Using the Curves and Levels adjustments available in Photoshop you can make an image lighter or darker to suit its mood.

Dramatic skies and mist are another perfect way to inject mood into a black & white image. The pure tones of mono allow you to concentrate all your attention on making the most of these conditions. Maximise the effect using an ND grad to darken the sky as you take the shot, but don’t forget that you can also use the dodging and burning techniques in either a traditional darkroom or on the computer.

The stronger the ND grad filter you use, the darker the sky will be. Use a 1-stop (or 0.3) ND grad if you only want to add subtle detail; use a 2-stop (or 0.6) ND grad if you want to step up the drama; use a 3-stop (0.9) ND grad for maximum impact. The choice is yours!