As part of the exploration of my theme, I have considered black and white vs. colour images.
Setting my camera to the black and white setting, I was able to view the images on the back of the camera to ensure that the images were successful. I shoot in RAW on the first card (to maintain all the details and colour in the images) and in JPEG on the second card to check the effect and keep as a reference shot to use when editing the RAW file later. I will not be using the JPEG files for the project as I want to ensure the best possible outcome by editing the RAW file.
I always aim to shoot at 64 or 100 ISO. Higher ISO values introduce more grain/noise to an image and this is really obvious in black and white images. I could add in this grain in post-processing should I wish.
Black and white images appear to be more timeless than colour images. The light and shadows are accentuated by a lack of colour. This will add to the narrative of some of my project images. Others, especially those involving make-up, will need to be produced in colour to maximise their impact.
The black and white processing of images helps to distance the subject from reality. We see the world in colour. Images in black and white cause us to pause and study an image more closely. We can read the image without the distraction of colour. The resultant images have a surreal feel, which is a quality I am looking to exploit in this project.
The images below show the different edits of images. In each case, the image is improved by the monochrome treatment. The colour images have more distractions taking the viewer’s eye around the image away from the narrative intended.
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