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Just as monotone images can be used to a photographer’s advantage, so to can coloured ones. Instead of de-emphasizing certain aspects of an image, colour can be employed as a visual stimulus by directing attention to a certain part or parts of a composition. In that respect, colour can be utilized as an aid in composition by creating a focal point to which the viewer’s eyes are directed. Colour is an important consideration in evoking emotions and commercial photographers make good use of that in advertisements. Subtle use of colour can also be effective. When we are presented with a colourful image it can often be confrontational because our eyes are not as selective in seeking out those things we wish to see by eliminating others - as when looking at an actual scene. Instead, images for display get our undivided visual attention, so care needs to be taken if we want our photos to convey that certain something. Colour is an important thing in our everyday lives and can be a useful tool for our creative ideas. On the other hand, use of monotone can be beneficial by reducing an image to its tonal values. That can eliminate the visual distraction often caused by colour which does not always help a composition or its intended meaning. Colours create their own emphasis which is often misplaced. Black and white photography can be effective in creating contrasting images which emphasize light and shade and all the subtle tones in between. Although colour photography has given us a more realistic looking medium to work with, it is not always as challenging or as successful. All my darkroom work was black and white and I still enjoy dabbling with it now digitally. A combination of colour and black and white is a good way of de-emphasizing part of an image by removing colour where emphasis is not required. Without colour to assign importance to elements in a shot, tonal values become the means of expression. It's often worth converting to black and white to explore the possibilities and maybe achieve better results.
