The Meaning of Monochrome

[billtils]

I'm quite happy with what "Monochrome" means in photography - namely an image in a single hue (or single tonal family) - but the rules for the Monochrome Mini Competition say entries have to be "MONOCHROME/B&W image". I'm not sure about the intent of the "/"; is it shorthand for these should be B&W monochromes or short for they can be in any monochrome hue, not just B&W?

[Manfred M]

I'm quite happy with what "Monochrome" means in photography - namely an image in a single hue (or single tonal family) - but the rules for the Monochrome Mini Competition say entries have to be "MONOCHROME/B&W image". I'm not sure about the intent of the "/"; is it shorthand for these should be B&W monochromes or short for they can be in any monochrome hue, not just B&W?

Bill - Without getting to pendantic here, monochrome is the more "technically correct' term for the whole genre, but if you asked many people who were not quite into photography like a lot of the members here, I'm fairly certain they would not necessarily understand the term. B&W, on the other hand, I suspect is pretty clear to everyone.

So,adding B&W might seem a bit redundant, but it helps clarify to a broader audience.

[billtils]

monochrome is the more "technically correct' term for the whole genre,

Yes, I understand that Manfred, but my query was really to seek clarification on what was meant by the wording in the Mini Competition, since the use of the two terms separated by a slash is confusing (or is to me )

[bje07]

Bill, for your information I posts here FIAP (Fédération Internationale de l'Art Photographique) definition used in International contests.

FIAP Definition of the Black and White Photography (monochrome)

FIAP Definition of the Black and White Photography (monochrome) This definition supersedes the Document 223 and the INFO 1991/12.A black and white work fitting from the very dark grey (black) to the very clear grey (white) is a monochrome work with the various shades of grey. A black and white work toned entirely in a single color will remain a monochrome work able to stand in the black and white category; such a work can be reproduced in black and white in the catalogue of a salon under FIAP Patronage. On the other hand a black and white work modified by a partial toning or by the addition of one color becomes a color work (polychrome) to stand in the color category; such a work requires color reproduction in the catalogue of a salon under FIAP Patronage.

[Manfred M]

Yes, I understand that Manfred, but my query was really to seek clarification on what was meant by the wording in the Mini Competition, since the use of the two terms separated by a slash is confusing (or is to me )

The slash suggests that both traditional B&W (pure black to pure white and any gray-scale values in between) as well as toned (i.e. images that range from black to some other shade that is not pure white) are acceptable.

[billtils]

Thanks Manfred

[billtils]

So this would be a monochrome ...

[Donald]

Do you think it's such an image, Bill?

[xpatUSA]

So this would be a monochrome ...

Hmmm . . .



. . . the GIMP thinks not:



Color layer from HSV (hue) extracted and show with hue histogram (log Y-axis).

There would appear to be several hues in the image, hence multi-chrome.

[billtils]

Personally - no I don't; but if the definition is a single hue, then since technically black and white are not colours (they have no visible spectrum wavelength, one absorbs everything and the other reflects everything) so as long as there is nothing in there that is not considered to lie outside the "green" range of the visible light spectrum, then this is a monochrome.

However, I wonder if the conclusions would be the same if the uploaded image had only been of one floral head - there is 'black' in there ...

[Tronhard]

Having done a straw pole of all of the authoritative dictionaries I could think of (e.g. Websters, Oxford etc.), to me:

"Black and White" is either black or white, but not grey

"Monochrome" is an image that allows for tonal variation. Thus an image that is shades of grey, ranging from black to white but with a tonal range in between, would be monochrome. I note that the term is not limited to a greyscale, it could be true for a colour such as green, red etc. The point being that B&W allows only the existence or not of a full light spectrum (as we view it), whereas monochrome allows an image of tones throughout one 'colour' (incl. grey).

Interestingly, it brings up the question as to whether the image of the flower above is a monochrome image, because it includes a range of greens, plus black. If one was to take the definition above to its logical conclusion, the whole image should be shades of green. So the question arises is the black a shade of green so lacking in luminance that it is black or is the black a separate element? For my own sanity I would go for the former interpretation that the black is a green with no luminance!

[xpatUSA]

Personally - no I don't; but if the definition is a single hue, then since technically black and white are not colours (they have no visible spectrum wavelength, one absorbs everything and the other reflects everything) so as long as there is nothing in there that is not considered to lie outside the "green" range of the visible light spectrum, then this is a monochrome.

An interesting point which introduces the highly unusual concept of a range of wavelengths as being monochromatic!

Others might incline more toward believing Wiki's definition of 'monochromatic':

"Monochromatic colors are all the colors (tints, tones, and shades) of a single hue."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monochromatic_color

And your posted image has plenty of different hues in it, indeed. So, from my POV, your image remains polychromatic, sorry!

Perhaps the Wiki is wrong - but I see no comment on it to the contrary.

However, I wonder if the conclusions would be the same if the uploaded image had only been of one floral head - there is 'black' in there ...

Black and white lie on a neutral line in most color models, e.g. the RGB cube, Munsell's 3D representation. According to your logic, that whole line cannot exist since black and white are simply end-points of the said line. Therefore, a grayscale image can not exist because it has "no visible spectrum wavelength" (just kidding).

I thought your post #7 was perhaps tongue-in-cheek but now I'm not so sure . .

[billtils]

I thought your post #7 was perhaps tongue-in-cheek but now I'm not so sure . .

Yes it was Ted!. But for a reason, namely that the term "monochrome" crops up all over the place in photography - including CIC's competition (which is where this personal journey started) - but not with any consistency of meaning, especially in regard to blacks and whites, Typically a B&W image will be judged by how well the range from blacks(that retain detail) to whites (ditto) and a good range of inbetweens. The answer to my question at post 7 is probably that it all depends on (as the saying goes" where you are coming from: an artist, a physicist ...

[Mike Buckley]

Typically a B&W image will be judged by how well the range from blacks(that retain detail) to whites (ditto) and a good range of inbetweens.

While I agree that those are the criteria that will be typically used, there is another school of B&W photography that believes neither the darkest nor the brightest tones are needed and that when eliminating them a very effective mood is presented to the viewer.

[xpatUSA]

Yes it was [tongue-in-cheek], Ted!. But for a reason, namely that the term "monochrome" crops up all over the place in photography - including CIC's competition (which is where this personal journey started) - but not with any consistency of meaning, especially in regard to blacks and whites, Typically a B&W image will be judged by how well the range from blacks(that retain detail) to whites (ditto) and a good range of in-betweens. The answer to my question at post 7 is probably that it all depends on (as the saying goes" where you are coming from: an artist, a physicist ...

Now I understand, Bill!

I'll add "monochrome" to my list of SPV* words like "resolution", "dynamic range", "image quality", "exposure", "gamut", etc.

I might also add "B&W" itself, or it's cousin "B/W" or, worse, "B+W" to my list - because I think of those as resulting from:

1) Convert an image to grey-scale (or just shoot your cheap old Monochrom).
2) Process such that every pixel under 119/255 become 0/255 and every one equal or over becomes 255/255.
3) Result:- Trev's pure Black and White image with no Greys allowed.

* Standard Photographic Vague

[Donald]

Now I understand, Bill! I'll add "monochrome" to my list of words like "resolution", "dynamic range", "image quality", "exposure", "gamut", etc.

I suggest that's a good idea. Add it to a list, forget about it and then get on with making good images

[xpatUSA]

Personally - no I don't; but if the definition is a single hue, then since technically black and white are not colours (they have no visible spectrum wavelength, one absorbs everything and the other reflects everything) so as long as there is nothing in there that is not considered to lie outside the "green" range of the visible light spectrum, then this is a monochrome.

I'm going to recant part of my Post #12. I said "An interesting point which introduces the highly unusual concept of a range of wavelengths as being monochromatic!"

I recant that whole statement because any natural color is indeed made of a "range of wavelengths" (spectrum) or even a "collection of wavelengths". If that range is seen as a particular "green" (hue) by the eye, then that green hue is fixed in color terms even though there are many combinations of wavelength that result in that particular hue.

Duh, sorry Bill T.

[billtils]

This one is a monochrome and I may even enter it in the CIC mono mini comp





It is a shot of Glamaig in the Isle of Skye, taken in early January. It is not posted as part of the thread on long lens landscapes, but to save EXIF examiners the trouble of looking it up, it was taken at 52mm.

[billtils]

I suggest that's a good idea. Add it to a list, forget about it and then get on with making good images

Couldn't agree more Donald - with the slight qualification that anyone entering an image in a mono or B&W competition better be sure that they understand how the rules define it.

[Black Pearl]

I would wager that 99.99% of members who are likely to enter an image into the Mini Comp will understand what is required without needing to pick imaginary holes in the title.