Blue monochromes

Years ago I spent endless hours in the darkoom. One of the things I enjoyed was toning black and white prints using various toners like sepia and selenium. Today in Photoshop, we work with 16.7 million colors, and without being subjected to toxic vapors from various chemicals, we can tone photographs in any shade imaginable.

All of our digital cameras shoot color (unless a camera is converted to infrared), so to tone an image it first has to be converted to black and white. The best way to do that so you can manipulate the highlights and shadows with maximum control is to use the pulldown menu command: Image > adjustments > black and white. In the dialog box, you can lighten or darken areas of the image as defined by its original color. Ansel Adams would have given anything to have this kind of control.

Once that is done, the image is still in RGB mode. (If you convert to black and white using Image > mode > grayscale, all color is discarded.) This means you can now choose Image > adjustments > color balance and introduce any color you want.

The only monochromatic color tones that looks good to me -- and this is very subjective -- is blue and sepia, but I prefer blue or a combination of blue and cyan.

Try experimenting with this technique and see what you come up with. I find the types of photographs that work well are those with enough contrast to really pop. Remember when you convert images from color to black and white, you lose contrast. You have to regain the lost contrast to make the black and white images -- and the toned versions as well -- look good.

Contrast can be recovered in the dialog box that opens with the command, Image > adjustments > black and white. You can also add contrast using Image > adjustments > levels (or curves).

Once you like the black and white image, introduce color with the color balance dialog box. This can then be tweaked using Image > adjustments > hue/saturation. Also experiment with desaturating the color as I did in the photo at right. §

UPCOMING PHOTO WORKSHOPS

Frog & Reptile Workshop

This is a macro workshop to photograph beautiful, colorful, and intriguing frogs and exotic reptiles. Learn how to use flash with closeup work, how to use extension tubes, and how to take perfect exposures. Held indoors in a hotel conference room in Kansas City, Kansas.

January 22 - 23, 2022

Winter Wildlife Workshop

Stunning pictures of North American animals including wolves, red foxes, arctic foxes, mountain lions, Canada lynx, plus snow leopards. The animals will be in their winter coats and very beautiful. This is based in Kalispell, Montana.

February 1 - 5, 2022

Carnival in Venice workshop

Photograph outrageous costumes in a medieval environment! Incredible colors, design, and creativity in one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Learn how to use off-camera flash, photograph models in sumptuous interiors, produce great images at night, and all the while enjoying Italian cuisine. This is a workshop not to be missed!

February 12 - 18, 2023