APPEAL OF MONOCHROME
Every colour has a variation. But the depths of black and white and the grey in between are unfathomable.
WHEN I BEGAN to see the world through the lens of my camera, I was struck by the possibilities of patterns and shades. The art and architecture of structures I once took for granted began to tell a story as my lens focused on them. My photographs narrate that story and they are predominantly in black and white, the primordial colours of being, beginning, believing and belonging. What attracts me is not the rainbow with all its colours but the cloud with its monastic purity of monochrome. What is it about black and white photographs at a time when we are surrounded by an abundance of colours? Here are seven rules to go by if you are also passionate about capturing moments in a monochrome frame.
Let the frame choose you
Finding the right frame is as difficult as finding a hypnotically eclectic person unexpectedly. The odds are one in a million. It’s the same when taking a photo. You need to be curious and daring. You should be meditative. You are about to document time in memory which may be visible, yet hidden in the manic rhythm of everyday life. People come and go but that frame stays with you.
Being razor sharp is key
Life is dynamic. It is fluid, everevolving and passing us by every second. The ideal photographic moment may pass right sin front of you and instantly disappear. You need to be instinctive, sharp and agile to capture that moment.
Composition is king
Composition has to be done that very second and therefore consciousness matters. It’s almost like a chance meeting with a lover. Suddenly all the elements fall in place. There will be movement, joy, chaos, mystery and sensuality. And a perfect picture.
Eye matters more than technique
Technical rudiments are overrated. You can attend the photography school and learn them. Yet there are no schools for teaching creativity, sensitivity to beauty, emotion and joy. You need an eye which sees poetry in the predictable, a sonnet in the simple, and magic in the mundane.
Keep it original
I’m against superimposed, photoshopped, filtered and saturated images—they all equivalents of visual botox. Cropping for me is like a nip and tuck. It has to be done with malicious care otherwise it never works. And I hate using a flash.
Post processing makes a difference
Editing and production is the key however, I’m not a big believer of too much gimmick. Editing matters, it’s like a well edited piece, you take the verbose out and you clean the image and you set the tone right and may be you crop a bit, not too much. The right paper matters as well.
Use German Hahnemühle, fine art, archival paper and matt finish. The author’s many travels and encounters have created an alternative world—‘Parulscape’ where the familiar and the fantastical become one. Follow her on Instagram @Parulscape and www.parulscape.com