EX46 Blacker than black

November 17, 2019 Len Metcalf

I contend that there is nothing more beautiful than a good solid black in many photographs.

Unfortunately, some of us are told at camera clubs and in photographic competitions that are blacks have filled in, and that there are no details in the shadows. I believe this isn’t accurate advice or feedback.

One of my favourite things to do with a class is to visit the print room at a gallery. The one at the NSW Art Gallery is amazing. You have to book a time and order specific prints to view in advance.

When you really sit down with many famous photographic prints and examine them, they are full of gorgeous and luscious blacks.

The secret is actually very simple. They are well composed areas of black. The blacks are considered with intent, just like our whites were in the last exercise.

Compose your blacks, compose your whites. Don’t be afraid of white paper or of the blacks.

This week I ask you to extend your blacks, so rather than sticking with the usual pepper dots of blacks in your photograph, go wild, and add lots. Intentionally compose the blacks and make them interesting. See how big and strong you can make your blacks and still create a resolved photograph.

Compose your blacks.

Post three photographs that clearly have lots of black in them, that you create this week, where you have designed the black areas to be meaningful compositional elements.

What do you think the judges meant when they told someone there was no detail in the blacks? I would love to hear your thoughts and will spill mine at the end of the week.

This tree is photographed in full sun against a cave. Definitely no detail in the background of this photograph.

This photograph has a rich deep black at the bottom that adds lots of mood and depth to the image.

Silhouettes don’t need any details either. Most of the trees in this photograph do have details in the shadows, but the tree on the very left of frame mostly doesn’t. It is a fine line of balance to get this just right. I do it by gut feeling when I am capturing the photograph with exposure compensation. This is one of the joys of electronic viewfinder cameras or using the display on the back in live view.

Only part of the bird is pure black, most of the paper is showing through too. A very delicate balance of blacks and whites.

Getting the exposure right for the clouds in the background was more important than worrying about the blacks in the tree. Here I let them fall where ever they may, giving way to a rich deep black in the branches.

Of course I encourage you to do these exercises in colour. My monochrome obsessions are not yours. lol.