drama

Most days my photography style leans heavily toward color.

But some days a photo will grab me in a way that feels dramatic.  When color is just too much noise and only distracts from what the photo has to say.

Images like these push me out of my comfort zone of softness and color and instead call for the drama that only black and white seems to bring.  

Slices of light and dark, a halo, raw emotion, beauty etched in darkness.

Join me in expressing the darker side today.  Perhaps you love the drama and excel at such processing,  or perhaps you, like i, need a little push into the unknown.  Try your hand at a dramatic sepia or cinematic black and white and share your results with us here.  

Comments

[Audra Van Vliet]

Everyone loves a good black and white. I use black and white for a portrait where it can really bring out emotion where color can't or if my picture has a really busy background. Here are a couple of my favorite. Normally I don't post pics of myself, but I love this one of my son and I. I also loved the looks I was getting from other parents when they read my shirt. Those three words on their own are probably pretty non-offensive, but on a shirt, in large letters, all together, and in your face -- eh, maybe a bit much for some folks.

http://lastpictureshowphotography.blogspot.com/2010/08/break-that-pony.html


The last one on this post is my favorite of the set.

http://lastpictureshowphotography.blogspot.com/2010/09/mia-five-ways.html

[Karen]

Like you, I am more a colour person. Yesterday I wanted my 365 picture to mirror the weather which was overcast and showery.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/karamello62/5013732893/

[Marcie]

I just love your image. Stunning backlighting. Here is one of mine - not b&w or sepia...but with rather dramatic light:
http://marciescudderphotography.com/index.php?showimage=1304

[Jenny Modesitt]

I usually prefer b/w images that are less dramatic but, sometimes they just call for it.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/8888946@N08/4842505204/

[cigi]

I love experimenting with black and white. A couple of favorites:
http://instamaticgratification.wordpress.com/2010/01/30/30365/
http://instamaticgratification.wordpress.com/2010/01/29/29365/

[sarah]

these images seemed to require black and white - http://www.flickr.com/photos/shorelinesphotography/4937225512/ and http://www.flickr.com/photos/shorelinesphotography/4873699861/

[Lillian]

"Images like these push me out of my comfort zone of softness and color" - I always feel the same way, too! Something about b&w always just makes me feel like I need a little extra push to make things b&w, but I always love the results:)

My recent favorites:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/lillianclaire/4981389756/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/lillianclaire/4981389756/

[misty]

Grey rainy days always make me see in black and white.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/dontforgetthehorse/4687604135/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/dontforgetthehorse/4978234662/

[Jennifer]

Most of my work is color, but the past couple of months I've found myself longing for the effect black and white/sepia gives to a photo. I normally would have left this in color, but her cheshire cat smile just popped in sepia:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/cardboardsea/4908749129/

[Jennifée]

I'm not much for the dramatic in my everyday photography, and I really like the old-fashioned feeling you can get from black and white shots - like this umbrella, which I snapped with my phone in the store just now, and which just begged to be in black and white with a polaroid frame:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/85057042@N00/5017511380/

As for dramatic black and white, this is an old favourite of mine - I just love how the medium format film can give a dramatic feel to an ordinary object beyond what I can achieve in digital processing:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/85057042@N00/4144177608/

[Amanda]

Shiny, happy and colourful... I'm not. . . I've always been drawn to the dark.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/thedivinemissm/4595653470/

[beth]

the dark side is what this shoot was all about....well, that and totally taking me out of my box and making realize how i love a challenge !!!!


http://moredoors.blogspot.com/2010/09/walk-on-dark-side-with-me.html

[Jennifer]

The emotion that b&w conveys is astounding...something that colour can't always do...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/23134155@N07/5017599324/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/23134155@N07/4926605340/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/23134155@N07/4389358335/

[Vanessa]

thank you for the continued inspiration, kristin! i had lots of fun with this today:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/vanessa_r/5016844199/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/vanessa_r/5016856461/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/vanessa_r/5016882873/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/vanessa_r/5016842065/

[michel]

wow, this shot is very dramatic, what a face on her. I love it. you continue to inspire.
I have a weak spot in my photographic repertoire for dramatic. I don't do it well. I like cute, clean, light and airy.
although this photo has those qualities for me, I did see the drama in the shadows. its a work in progress.
http://www.wishfulthinkingblog.com/wishful-thinking/2010/9/20/fork-square.html

[kelly]

i just found your blog, spent 2 hours looking at all the pictures. i would be interested to know the specs of the pictures you post.... straight out of the camera? f/stop? iso? shutter speed? or post processing? thanks!

[elk]

thanks i think i will...

http://redorgrayblackandwhite.blogspot.com/2010/09/m-r-r-i-g-e.html

[Rachel]

There is just something about b/w that seems to portray the emotion of an image. I love color too, but I agree that some images are just meant to be stripped of color.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/capturingthemomentphotography/4932931915/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/capturingthemomentphotography/4901319383/in/photostream/

[Gail]

I love B&W and don't use it enough...I could spend hours converting photos to B&W just to see how it has completely changed the feel of the photo. When the composition and the emotion of the photo is the most important thing...black and white often is my preference. Here I think B&W gives the photo an ageless look...
http://www.flickr.com/photos/22733432@N08/5017764746/

[xanthe]

i rarely go b/w, i'm a colour addict. it's good to try it sometimes, thanks for the reminder kristin.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/xantheberkeley/5017762562/

p.s you have created gorgeous drama!

[spread your wings]

i just got back from Boston where i went on a ghost tour hoping to catch the darker side - ghost orbs. sadly i didn't catch any.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/autumnsun/5016142719/

[jamie {74}]

stunning shots in your journal post. wow! i'm a b+w junkie, i think because i'm an emotion junkie and b+w brings out all the emotion. don't get me wrong, i love color too, but b+w is my addiction. here's my b+w to share...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jamieklimes/4789202890/in/set-72157623994551814/

[Angella]

I love this one that I took of a couple taking a self-portrait in Central Park:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ourcrazylife/4881507974/in/set-72157624655218466/

[bridge]

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ridethewavesoflife/4753583073/in/set-72157624698188887/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ridethewavesoflife/4753583073/in/set-72157624698188887/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ridethewavesoflife/4753583073/in/set-72157624698188887/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ridethewavesoflife/4753583073/in/set-72157624698188887/

The moonlit lake we camped on needed to be a stark black and white. These shots came immediatley into my head.

[Jessica]

I usually prefer color, but there was a night last month when the moon looked so beautiful, and I tried my best to photograph it: http://www.flickr.com/photos/goaliej54/4930737333/in/set-72157624285048210/

Another full moon tonight; hoping to get more shots. :)

[Bettina]

wow, lots of activity on this post!!!

B/W is fun, trying it more and more :) someone told me a good b/w photo has to have WHITE WHITE and BLACK BLACK, is that true?

My daughter:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bettina2/4884089075/in/set-72157624698489737/
An Angel:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bettina2/4884641584/in/set-72157624698489737/
An Orchid:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bettina2/4884039039/in/set-72157624698489737/
Coit Tower:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bettina2/4712955743/in/set-72157624698489737/

[Wayfaring Wanderer]

I hardly ever do B&W, but while I was editing a previous photo session recently, I decided to alter one of the images because I thought it would look better in B&W.

Doing so, is definitely something I need to try more often :D I'm just a sucker for color!

~WW
http://www.wayfaringwanderer.com/2010/09/james-allen-newborn-session-boone.html

[Jamie Solorio]

Here are acouple of images of my daughters face and feet.

http://jamie-solorio.blogspot.com/2010/08/face-and-feet.html

[Marni~]

So true. I have hardly used much black and white lately. Here is one that I took recently at my best friends wedding.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/haymarni/5012548320/

[mosey]

Portraits, especially self, always seem to lean to the b/w for me. This one mirrored my mood the day I took it.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/a-la-mosey/4952805050/

[Trude]

Wow, I just love that shot of yours! Gorgeous way to highlight her wispy cute hair. :)

I usually stick to a more "true to life" style of processing, but some photos just scream to be more dramatic, don't they? Its like I have no choice. :) This one is an all-time favorite that I keep meaning to get a big print of:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/trudem/4640391885/

[WorthIt!]

Wonderful shot - you've reminded me that I need to push boundaries more often and get out of my comfort zone. Both very good things indeed!

Here's a shot that seemed to call out for sepia.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/52055227@N07/5017511885/

[Kathy]

I love a good B&W. Especially when it adds so much to an image!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mrssoup/5015691017/

[leslie]

lovely shot of your girl :)
and, aw, okaaaaay, twist my arm:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/lesophiephoto/5002485261/

[Stephanie]

I love B&W. I learned all about photography by shooting and B&W and developing the prints myself. Since switching to a dslr, I've neglected my first love and have to make a conscious effort to shoot in B&W. Thanks for reminding me it's worth that effort!!

Typically when shooting something like the ocean, I would lean towards color, but in this case, I used film because I wanted to show the drama inherent in nature: http://www.flickr.com/photos/stephaniecourt/4813531308/

Here's the full B&W Flickr set, just in case you're interested! :) http://www.flickr.com/photos/stephaniecourt/sets/72157624894103027/with/4816356997/

[Lori]

Nothing I like more than fog for drama.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/sanderwood/4486981520/in/set-72157621102264951/

[Stephanie Grace]

I love the simplicity of a good black and white photo...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/sgracephoto/4973416856/in/photostream/

[Diane]

I love your image!

Here's one that I took of autumn leaves a week or so ago that I feel is quite dramatic:

http://www.dianeschuller.com/blog/2010/09/17/autumn-in-black-and-white/

Enjoy.

[wendy jane]

And today with the constant rain and dark clouds feels like a perfect day for some "drama"!

http://awebert.wordpress.com/2010/09/23/dramatic/

[Sephora]

Hullo!

This is wonderful! I think I can say I give black & white and color pictures the same love... though I have a special little something for b&w. I have to watch myself when I edit pictures sometimes... Here is one of a photoshoot I did for my co-worker. My very first paid "session". It's her favorite as well.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/24282706@N03/4991668995/

[Tina]

i love seeing your 'out of the box' photos. :)

as i was playing around i remembered your post and thought i'd share too:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mageejenks/5018076729/

[claudia]

Beautiful! loved this so much, decided to give it a try with a shot, thanks for the inspiration Kristin! http://www.flickr.com/photos/laurohunt/5018680620/

[Tina]

I felt no choice with this one..........it asked to be b&w.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/74687897@N00/5015388825
Thanks for the subject. ♥Shutter Sisters ♥ is my first internet visit each day.

[Jacqui]

Black & white is my comfort zone, colour scares me !! Here's a recent favourite... http://www.flickr.com/photos/-jacqui-/4901077028/
( wish I had time to do a new one specially but editing a wedding, mostly in mono !, & haven't really got the time to spare, must get back to work ! )

[Kimberly]

I'm a fan of color but I liked this one with high contrast B/W best.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/junebugphotography/5010159965/in/set-72157624979051116/

[Becky Sue]

Thank you for sending me on a journey for the dramatic. Right now the colors are dramatic here in Western Massachusetts. I took a hike up into the orchard behind my house which is also a nature preserve. The colors and landscape were dramatic and breathtaking. I'm such a color addict I really shy away from b&w. Here is one image that I captured today in black and white and color... both are pretty dramatic.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/rslaflam/5018482815/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/rslaflam/5019054294/

[Sherralee]

I am drawn more and more to the drama and intensity of monochrome and black and white. The photos often ask for what they want to be.

http://flic.kr/p/8xHbqG

[Kelly]

We burned all the foliage we chopped down this weekend. Ally waited not-so-patiently to roast marshmallows, and I caught this:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/kellysoji/5013550088/

[Lillian]

Oops - linked to one wrong! Here's the other:)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/lillianclaire/4981385306/

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