Sunday, May 05, 2013

Grayscale

Black-and-white images are composed of shades of gray, varying from the weakest intensity, black, to the strongest intensity, white.

When we look at a black-and-white photograph, we see its tones in grayscale.

These are not two-color images of only black and white. Rather, grayscale images have many shades of gray between black and white.

Obviously, the world we see with our eyes is filled with colors of all hues and shades. However, we often find a black and white photo to be more emotional, evoking feelings and provoking memories.

Sometimes a black and white photo seems to reveal more detail and texture of a subject or scene, as if seeing the complete range of colors would distract us.

From white white to black black


Grayscale tones range from bright white to deep black. A better photograph encompasses as many of these brightness values as possible.

A digital camera allows a photographer to select the monochrome mode to capture a scene translated into black and white.

Of course, every shot is a color (RGB) image. The black and white image generated by the camera is a simulation of how black and white would appear.

RGB color is a model in which red, green, and blue light are added together to reproduce a full spectrum of colors. The image processor in a camera has been programmed arbitrarily to see colors as the product engineers see them. To record a monochrome image, the RGB colors are converted to grayscale.

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