Pro Photo Tips by Cole Thompson
Fall Colors in Black and White?
When people ask “Cole, are you excited about the upcoming fall colors?” My response is well…yes and no. Let me explain why.
I’m a 100% black and white photographer and so color is simply “noise” to me. But fall colors do offer something that excites me: contrast. For my work, contrast is everything.
What one photographer might see as bright yellows, I see as wonderful contrast against the dark pines.
How do you visualize those contrasts? How do you translate these colors into shade of grey?
Well, here’s a few things that I do:
1) Visualize it.
The best way to visualize black and white is to look at the image in black and white. I put my camera into “monochrome mode” and RAW mode.
By using both modes together, I can see the image in b&w on the back of the camera but the image is recorded in color. This gives you the best of both worlds.
2) Control it.
I don’t have to accept the contrasts that the camera records, in post processing I can manipulate those colors to provide different contrasts. I do this with the b&w conversion tool in PhotoShop.
This tool allows me to change the way the colors are translated into different shades of grey. Here’s an example:
Using these color sliders, I can change the look and contrast of an image, sometimes drastically so!
And here’s my final tip and the most important one of all:
3) Create through your Vision.
You are a unique individual, and no one else has ever had the same mix of life experiences as you. This means that you see uniquely and you should trust how you see and photograph what you love.
Set aside how you’ve been taught to see, forget the rules and the advice you’ve been given, forget the preferences of your camera club judge, forget how your favorite photographer sees…and see for yourself. Trust your unique Vision!
Do I love fall photography? Yes, but the truth is that I love all seasons, locations and conditions, because they all provide wonderful opportunities to create something that I love.
