Gallery: seeing animals in black and white
I asked the Zebra, are you black with white stripes? Or white with black stripes? And the zebra asked me, Are you good with bad habits? Or are you bad with good habits? Are you noisy with quiet times? Or are you quiet with noisy times? Are you happy with some sad days? Or are you sad with some happy days? Are you neat with some sloppy ways? Or are you sloppy with some neat ways? And on and on and on and on and on and on he went. I’ll never ask a zebra about stripes…again.
Shel Silverstein
You can’t get much more black and white than a zebra! But actually many animals look good in monochrome. I’ve had a go at editing some of my favourite wildlife shots – mammals, reptiles and birds – with my favourite Silver Efex Pro software. Let me know which versions you prefer, colour or black and white?
Posted for Cee’s Black & White challenge this week.
The mammals
Elephant in the Okavango Delta, Botswana
Lion in Chobe NP, Botswana
Meerkat at a UK wildlife sanctuary
Camels in the Thar Desert, Rajasthan
Langur on a wall of our hotel in Narlai, Rajasthan
Seals in the Farne Islands, off England’s north east coast
The reptiles
Lizard on the lawn of the same hotel in Narlai
Land Iguana on North Seymour, Galápagos Islands
Iguana on a jetty in Bonaire
The birds
Magnificent Frigate chick on Genovesa, one of the Galápagos Islands
Bulbuls at Souimanga Lodge, our hotel in Senegal
Black Kite in the grounds of our hotel in Kovalam, Kerala
Egrets on the beach at Kovalam in Kerala, India
As this will be my last post before the holiday weekend I want to wish all my blogging friends a wonderful Christmas and a happy, healthy and peaceful New Year.
And in case you haven’t already seen this on Sandy’s blog, here’s a short Christmas message from your three Friendly Friday Challenge hosts:
44 Comments
giacomoasinello
There is something very classy about black and white. Maybe it’s the images it conjures up of Audrey Hepburn or Humphrey Bogart. Maybe it reminds me of a time before digital photography when I used to load my old Praktika MTL3 with rolls of Ilford HP5 35 mm film, which I loved for its graininess. Whatever it is, I have always had a soft spot for B/W. But the colour shots are great too. Variety is the spice of life, as they say.
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you for that considered comment. Maybe it’s the case that those of us who find the B&W versions appealing, at least in some cases, are the ones who have shot monochrome in the past? My first photographic efforts were B&W film, although I swapped to 35mm slide film after a while. It was years later before I started to feel tempted to try B&W again!
wetanddustyroads
Great photo’s Sarah! I like the colour pictures … but every now and then a B&W photo “pops up” as a favourite, like the Meerkat!
Sarah Wilkie
Thanks, and that’s interesting – not one that others have picked out as a B&W favourite but it is one that I thought was a successful edit 🙂
SJ Butler
Great images, I love them all!
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you 😊
Anne Sandler
Awesome post Sarah! Excellent images and very cleverly presented in color and black and white. It’s difficult to choose which I like better because I like them both. Happy New Year to you.
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you so much Anne, and a Happy New Year to you too!
amoralegria
Gorgeous wildlife photos! I like how you used the side by side photo feature – that was a great idea!
Sarah Wilkie
Thanks so much Katy, I’m glad you liked these 😀 I do love using that feature, where appropriate – it makes comparison so easy!
Tina Schell
These are beautiful Sarah. Your compositions are really wonderful. In all cases I prefer the color with two exceptions, always the elephants and also of course the zebras. I really liked having the comparisons – very interesting/\.
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you Tina 🙂 I find it fascinating how some people prefer colour and some monochrome. I hope it means that each is equally valid, albeit different!
Alli Templeton
Fascinating to see the differences between the feel of the mono and colour versions of each, but amazing pictures both ways. I’d love a calendar of these images! Merry Christmas, Sarah, and all the very best for 2022. 🙂
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you Alli, that’s a lovely compliment! Merry Christmas to you and your family, and a Happy New Year!
peNdantry
An excellent post – superb use of the ‘Image Compare’ block. On the whole I prefer the colour pictures. Like Rose, I was most struck by the lion, whose expression in B&W somehow seems more sad than his colour counterpart.
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you. It’s strange how the single change from colour to monochrome seems to also change his expression!
SandyL
You have a stunning selection here. Overall, my preference is for B&W as it brings out the details. But the Black Kite and Iguana are wonderful in color.
Merry Christmas Sarah!
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you Sandy 🙂 It’s interesting that some people, like Mari below, much prefer colour, whatever the subject, while others like you lean towards B&W. The rest of us keep changing our minds depending on the subject!
And Merry Christmas to you too!
Anonymous
Back in the 80s I took a photography course where we developed and printed our own film. B&W of course. I had color film and I printed some of that. When I did that, I lost contrast because the B&W does not print red very well (that’s why darkroom lights for B&W are red). So I had to increase the contrast to account for the lack of red. And I really don’t like b&w in general.
Your photos are terrific and I like the slidey thing. I felt in some cases that there wasn’t enough contrast between the background and the animal – so I liked the birds and the reptiles (except the land iguana) better than the elephant and the seals.
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you for your visit and comment 🙂 I do agree about the land iguana and to some extent the seals but I confess a fondness for the elephant shot in both version. Maybe that’s because I love elephants! The ‘slidey thing’ is the WordPress ‘image compare’ block, which is perfect for this sort of post 🙂
Rose
The image I found most fascinating was the lion, somehow the change from color to black and white seemed to accent his expressive face. The Bulbuls looked as if they did not want to be bothered. Loved the quote.
Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy, Healthy 2022!
Sarah Wilkie
Thanks Rose, and yes, I think the additional texture on the B&W lion shot does add some impact to his expression! Somehow bulbuls always look a bit grumpy 😆 Merry Christmas and all the very best for 2022!
thehungrytravellers.blog
Fantastic photos whichever way you view them!
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you – bet you’re getting some great wildlife shots over there!
Leela Gopinath
My preference is for color pictures…except in the case of zebra and that frigate chick where color doesn’t matter….!!
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you Leela, and in some cases I agree with you, and actually I prefer the colour version of the frigate chick! As I said to Mari below, there are only a handful here which I feel really look better in the edited version – the elephant, the lizard, the langur. Otherwise it’s mainly about seeing them differently, not better or worse, as far as I’m concerned 😀
Alison
Great editing Sarah and I like your analogy of black on white or white on black
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you Alison – but I take no credit for that quote, apart from finding it!
the eternal traveller
Happy Christmas!
Sarah Wilkie
Thanks – Happy Christmas to you too 🎄🎅
maristravels
Colour for me in every case. Maybe in the Zebra photo it doesn’t make that much difference but for the wild animals, and definitely for the birds, I think colour wins hands down. They are all lovely images but are not improved by negating the colour.
Sarah Wilkie
HI Mari – yes, I know you’re not a fan of B&W 😉 In some cases I agree with you, in others I enjoy the monochrome effect, but there are only a handful here which I feel actually look better in the edited version – the elephant, the lizard, the langur. Otherwise it’s mainly about seeing them differently, not better or worse, as far as I’m concerned 🙂
bushboy
Slider perfection Sarah 🙂
Sarah Wilkie
I do love that block, as you can see 😆
bushboy
I do as well 😀
Easymalc
Another great post Sarah and a Merry Christmas from me too. Have a super weekend and hopefully a better 2022 🙂
Sarah Wilkie
Thanks Malcolm, and the same to you and yours 🎅🎄
Manja Maksimovič
Merry Christmas, Sarah! I love the zebras and the quote very much. 🙂
Sarah Wilkie
Thanks Manja, happy you liked them 😀
Emille
This zebra is an excellent for a black and white! A merry Christmas to you:)
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you Emille, and merry Christmas to you to 🎄🎅
Cee Neuner
Oh Sarah, your zebra close up is fantastic. I kept scrolling through to view your entry and kept saying “WOW”. Excellent post. 😀
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you so much Cee, I’m glad you liked this 😊
Heyjude
Like flowers I think animals are better in colour though B&W can bring out textures. Have a good weekend Sarah, and thanks for the wonderful zebra quote, that made me smile 😊