Gallery: seeing flowers in black and white
There are always flowers for those who want to see them
Henri Matisse
But how do we see them? In all their glorious colours, of course. However photography allows us to see them differently, as it does most things.
I’ve had several exchanges of comments with blogger friends about the merits or otherwise of editing flower shots in monochrome. Some, like me, find the textures and shapes attractive, while others bemoan the loss of colour.
This is also a fun subject to play around with, experimenting with contrast, focus etc. I tend to veer between a very delicate soft effect, as in my feature photo, and the more extreme ‘light on dark’ contrasts of many of the images below. Which do you prefer (if any)? Or would you rather I left well alone and stuck to colour?!
Sharing for Leanne’s Monochrome Madness
Bougainvillea in the grounds of the Royal Palace, Luang Prabang, Laos
In Bandipur, Nepal
Waterlily at the Temple of Literature, Hanoi, Vietnam
Fallen frangipani flower, Wat Phou, Laos
Hibiscus, Cayena Beach Villas, Colombia
Magnolia Stellata in a neighbour’s garden, Ealing
Hibiscus, Villa de Leyva, Colombia
Apple blossom, Lammas Enclosure, Ealing
Tulip in Holland Park, London
Freesia in our garden, Ealing
Magnolia in an Ealing garden
Bougainvillea in the garden of our hotel in Luang Prabang, Laos
39 Comments
SoyBend
I thought these were great subjects for black and white, Sarah. It shows off their lines and shapes. I especially liked the hibiscus and frangipani. Gorgeous!
Sarah Wilkie
Thanks Siobhan – I think sometimes the colours of flowers are so lovely they almost blind us to those other aspects of their beauty!
Sue
A great selection showing that monochrome can succeed in creating successful images of flowers
Sarah Wilkie
Thanks, I know you enjoy monochrome too 😀
Sue
I certainly do!
Alison
Striking Sarah and it makes you look more at the actual flower rather than the colour. I suppose you could always make the background black or white.
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you Alison, that’s how I feel about these edits 🙂 They would never replace colour flower shots for me but are an interesting counterpoint to them and can look just as beautiful in a different way.
grandmisadventures
Beautiful pictures! Because we love flowers for their colors, it is so interesting and striking to see them in black and white
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you 🙂 As you say, we love flowers for their colours, but strip those away and you are reminded that there is more to their beauty – form and texture as well as colour!
Anabel @ The Glasgow Gallivanter
I think I would prefer colour, but mostly I do like these. The one I’m not so keen on is Bandipur – seems to me a bit undefined in the centre.
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you Anabel, I think you’re right – the detail is a bit washed out in that one.
restlessjo
My favourite was the waterlily, and I thought the apple blossom and tulip were quite effective, but by and large, hon, I suspect I’d prefer the originals. But you enjoy experimenting and I’m happy that you do.
Sarah Wilkie
Thanks for taking the time to come back to this Jo 😘
restlessjo
You’re welcome. You know very well that I’m no photographer, so probably not equipped to judge- I just know what I like.
Jobs all done for the day. My time is my own now. Any weekend plans?
Sarah Wilkie
Yes, going to the football tomorrow (Newcastle playing at Fulham), but a quiet Sunday after that. What about you? Are you both fully recovered now?
restlessjo
Mick isn’t, really. We’ve had a very social week and are scheduled to be walking tomorrow, but he might have to look for an easy option 🤔🩷
Sarah Wilkie
I hope he’s back to normal soon and that you both manage to enjoy the walk 🙂
Rose
You do such a wonderful job with black and white. The details pop, yet the images seem like something from a soft dream. My favorite is the Fallen frangipani flower, Wat Phou, Laos. The petals look so soft, nestled next to the ground.
Sarah Wilkie
Thanks so much Rose 😊 That shot from Wat Phou was a staged one! I was taking a rest in the shade while Chris climbed further and started photographing the fallen flowers. When I mentioned to our guide that I wished one had fallen a little further off, on the rocks, he clambered over to place it for me!
thehungrytravellers.blog
I’m with Jo on the one, Sarah, though probably not quite as close to the fence as she was. This is what I’d say…I’d put black and white photos of flowers in the same place as non-alcoholic beer …😀
Sarah Wilkie
Sounds like you’re nowhere near the fence Phil! I hardly dare to mention that I’ve been known to drink non-alcoholic beer 😁 Unfortunately I’m on medication that limits my intake of the real thing to just a couple, and since I hate coke and get bored with water, Peroni 0% and similar have proved something of a god-send! If you were to have said decaffeinated coffee however, I would have agreed whole-heartedly!
thehungrytravellers.blog
Yep, decaf is on that same shelf! As it happens, I too detest all Cola drinks….you and I must be in a very small minority on that one.
wetanddustyroads
I think you know I love color, but I’ve commented on your blog before that the way you portray your flowers in B&W is sometimes prettier than the flower in full colour. In this post, I love the waterlily in Vietnam – it may be because of the detail of the flower that stands out so beautifully. But in the end … it’s colour for me 🙂.
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you for the thoughtful response Corna, I’m glad you liked that waterlily 🙂
restlessjo
I’m a bit on the fence with this one, Sarah. Black and white flowers can be stunning, if you get them just right, but they can also be very nondescript, in which case, what is the point messing with nature? A few of these I love.
Sarah Wilkie
Fence-sitting is fine in this case I reckon Jo 😆 But I’m curious which few you love?
restlessjo
Will have to come back to you on that, Sarah. Laptop is off and I’m watching tennis 🤔🩷
Sarah Wilkie
No worries – and certainly no hurry 😘
bushboy
Flowers are so difficult to define in B&W. You have done a great job Sarah 🙂
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you Brian 🙂
Anne Sandler
Georgius Sarah. It’s not easy to do whites without blowing it out. Well done.
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you Anne 🙂 You’re right about whites, I think that’s one reason I find it easier to work with editing a colour shot rather than shooting directly in B&W, as there’s often more detail to work with.
Teresa
Beautifully done in b&w. But you know me, I always love colour in my life. ✌️👍❤️
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you Teresa 🙂 These are all beautiful colours and I wouldn’t want to be without that, but I enjoy the way the B&W edits bring out different aspects.
margaret21
These definitely work in B/W – but would be great in colour too.
Sarah Wilkie
Thanks Margaret 🙂 You’re right, most of these look fine in colour too. I don’t think you can use B&W editing to turn a mediocre colour photo into a good monochrome one, it’s got to be a reasonable shot to start with. But many photos look better in one format rather than another.
Monkey's Tale
I think I typically prefer colour in flower pictures but you make a strong point with these pictures. I especially like the Hibiscus in Cayena Beach Villas. Maggie
Sarah Wilkie
Thanks for your input Maggie 🙂 Interestingly, you’ve picked out my least favourite among these shots – in fact, I nearly left it out as I wasn’t 100% happy with it! I think it’s because it doesn’t fit with what I identified as my preferred styles – either high contrast or delicate soft focus.
Monkey's Tale
So funny!! I went back and looked and it’s still my favourite. 😊