THE PHOTOGRAPHIC EYE

EXERCISE
Monotone
Assignment: Do a series of
photographs with a very limited
range of values: black on black, white
on white, or gray on gray.
This assignment is similar to the
"eggs" assignment, with two important
differences: 1) variations in value
caused by shadows, highlights, etc.
should be avoided as much as possible,
and 2) any tone is acceptable (not
just white). In addition, you are not
required to photograph your subject
against a background. You may
prefer to crop in so the subject fills
the frame. The only rule is that the
overall tone of the photograph
should be white, black or one shade
of gray.
Goal: A contrasty print, with a full
value range (from black, through
various grays, to white) is generally
desirable. However, limiting value to
only one tone (black, gray or white)
can sometimes be very effective. Find
a subject that lends itself to this treatment
and make it work.
Tips: Proper exposure is vital,
especially if the main tone is black or
white. Meter off your hand or a gray
card. Remember to bracket your
shots, just to be on the safe side.
Possible subjects include a black
cat on a black chair, an arrangement
of plain white paper, a white chair on
a white porch, a black car on a blacktop
road, a pear on a wooden table
top (both of which would show up as
gray), a straw hat on a beach, etc.
For white on white, you may want
to overexpose a bit, which will lighten
any gray or black areas. For black on
black, you may want to underexpose
(to darken gray areas), but be sure
214 The Photographic Eye
Student photograph by Helario Reyna.
Student photograph by Jack Backus.
your subject doesn't just disappear.
With gray on gray, you may want a
normal exposure, or one that is
slightly light or dark, depending on
what kind of gray is dominant and
what else is in the photograph.
Experiment.