Monthly Program – March 2013 – Will Clay & Chris Aquino ~ How to see in B&W

On Monday, March 11, 2013 100 MAPS Members enjoyed an educational evening with Nature Photographers Will Clay and Chris Aquino who presented “What it means to “see” in black and white”.  This art of seeing begins with asking why black and white images should be a choice in the first place, and then progressing through different methods of converting a color image to black and white.  Will and Chris demonstrated the importance of color separation and tonality in an image, the benefit of using layer masks, and the possibilities of creating different black and white interpretations from a single color image. Members gained a comprehensive understanding of the various ways in which people can use and create black and white images to reflect their artistic visions.

As an example, here are three images which show a color original and two alternative B&W renditions.  Will & Chris pointed out there is no “right way” to make a B&W print, it is all interpretation by the photographer.