Row of impala drinking from a river
CFFC,  Colour,  Photographic techniques

Monochrome in colour: creating an impact

November 1, 2020 / 27 Comments

In photography the word ‘monochrome’ is usually used to describe black and white images. But although all black and white photos are monochrome photos, not all monochrome photos have to be black and white. Monochrome comes from the Greek monochromos meaning ‘having one colour’. But why shouldn’t that one colour be green, beige, or orange? Or for that matter, grey, red or blue?

Using shades of just one colour can create striking pictures that really capture the mood of a place. Such images can be restful on the eye or can really pack a punch, depending on the colour involved. Care needs to be taken, however, to ensure that the composition is sufficiently interesting; we are aiming for monochrome, not monotony!

I have long enjoyed taking such photos; they often prove to be my favourite and most memorable images. So when I saw that this week’s challenge from Cee in her ‘Fun Foto Challenge’ was to share photos with ‘90% all one colour’, I just had to have a go! Here’s a selection of my favourite shots that fit that theme, taken on my travels around the world.

[Click on the images to see them larger and captioned]

27 Comments

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