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DPChallenge Forums >> Photography Discussion >> Black and White Toning
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 02/24/2006 03:22:29 PM · #1
Anyone who knows me understands that I love black and white images. I have also spent a lot of time learning how to make the conversions from digital color to black and white. There are a lot of considerations to be made when making the conversion to get the most out of the image.

When a black and white image is toned for effect, there are some additional considerations to be made. Re-introducing a color(s) to the image creates a new compositional element that will affect the viewer's perception of the image. There are several things to consider when doing this:

1. Focal points

Adding color may change the points of interest within the image. It may 'weight' the image to some area other than your subject. This is most often the case when selective desaturations are done, but it can happen in a standard toning procedure as well.

2. Mood

A pure black and white (or grayscaled) image will often create a cold feel. Adding color(s) back to the image can change this significantly. If you have a black and white winter scene, adding a blue tone to the photo can significantly increase the feeling of cold that the viewer may have. On the other hand, adding a red, brown, or yellow (sepia) tone may create a feeling of warmth in the same image. Warming a winter scene can create a bit of a compositional conflict within the image.

As with any type of post processing, there should be a reason for the process. Painters (with the possible exception of modern artists) don't choose colors randomly. Each color they use in a painting has a specific purpose. In our photography, the toning of a black and white should not really be random. It should have some purpose as well :)


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