A single image, frozen in time, can evoke a thousand emotions. As the days go by, my love for black-and-white images keeps growing. After seeing “Perfect Days” and “He All That,” I felt even more drawn to them. In “He All That,” the lead uses an old monochrome camera, and the pictures were really nice.
The camera used in Perfect Days was the Olympus Mju I. The ones used He’s All That and Encounter (kdrama), assuming it to be Nikon FM2N. I am not sure tho! This attraction is getting stronger, make me to write about it. I’m eager to know more. It might be a long journey, but it’s a strong one.
Photography’s journey began in a colorless world. The art of capturing images in shades of black, white, and gray holds a timeless charm. The first permanent photographs, captured in the 1820s by Joseph Nicéphore Niépce, were monochromatic. The origins can be traced back to the work of Louis Daguerre in 1839. His invention, the daguerreotype process, revolutionized the world.
Few decades later, in 1888, George Eastman introduced celluloid film rolls and the original Kodak box camera. The photographs no longer had to be on coated plates. The images could also be caught on a long, flexible strip of film (a long black strip, you’ll remember?) inserted into a simple portable camera. These early films were monochromatic, sensitive only to light. It laid the foundation for the monochrome photography throughout the 20th century.
Science Behind Monochrome
Unlike color photography, which captures the entire spectrum of light wavelengths, monochrome photography focuses solely on the intensity of light. The core principle relies on the photochemical reaction between light and light-sensitive chemicals.
The image is formed through a lens (a convex lens) onto a light-sensitive film. Early cameras used flim consisting of a thin plastic base coated with silver halide crystals, typically silver bromide (AgBr). When light strikes these crystals, it excites electrons within them. These excited electrons can react with nearby silver ions, causing them to be reduced to metallic silver.
The more light that hits a specific area of the film, the more silver halide crystals get bombarded with light, resulting in more metallic silver being formed during development. This creates a negative image, where areas with high light exposure (bright areas in the scene) appear darker on the film, and vice versa.
After development, the film is subjected to a stop bath to halt the development process. A fixing solution is used to remove the unexposed silver halide crystals. Leaves only the developed negative image. Finally, the film is washed and dried, resulting in a fully processed negative that can be used to create positive prints.
I know it is hard to understand through videos; let me attach a video. Check this out.
Cool isn’t?
Monochrome in the Digital Age
The arrival of digital cameras hasn’t diminished the beauty of monochrome photography. Regular cameras use a color filter to capture red, green, and blue light. Monochrome cameras skip this filter, capturing all light for potentially sharper, low-light images. Many modern cameras offer dedicated black and white modes or film simulations, allowing photographers to take a shot of a scene without the distraction of color.
Additionally, digital editing apps provides even greater creative freedom. Yet, the core principle remains unchanged – to capture the soul in shades of gray.
Brands and Awards
Monochrome photography dominated until the 1930s, when color film, such as Kodachrome, began to emerge. Yet, this one? Still amazing and mesmerizing!
Nikon F, Canon F-1, Pentax K1000, Olympus, etc. capture some of the most iconic images in history. If there is any photographer’s reading this, do let me know if there is anything I missed out on. Leica, can be added?
Kodak, Fuji, Agfa, and Ilford manufactured the monochrome films.
These vintage ones are absolutely stunning!
Photographers
While browsing all these things, I came across a few legends. Artists like Ansel Adams, Sebastião Salgado, Ram Rahman have left an indelible mark on the art form. There are awards for the best mnochrome pictures. The World Press Photo Awards, ICP Infinity Awards, Sony World Photography Awards, Monochrome Awards, and PX3 Prix de la Photographie Paris are some of them. Check out their gallery for the beautiful pictures.
I can’t insert their pictures; everything has copyright. (My bad!). Here, some of mine!
In a world bombarded with color, black & white photography offers a refreshing escape. It distills a moment to its essence, forcing us to appreciate the raw emotion in the interplay of light and shadow. Whether captured on film or digitally, it has the ability to strip away our attention. Black & white photos touch our hearts in a special way, don’t they? Even with fancy new cameras, black-and-white pictures never go out of style. They remind us that artistry can be created with just the simplest elements, a lasting tribute to the enduring power of this timeless art form.
Cheers!
Happy Weekend!
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