Member Share    February 2012 Meeting

The February Membershare topic:    " Tone on Tone"

In the last newsletter I called this month’s topic “White on White”; but because this is rather limiting and does not completely reflect my intentions, I am broadening the topic to “Tone on Tone”. Tone and value are related terms in art; both refer to degrees of light and dark, or shadow. The idea of balancing and composing areas with varying degrees of brightness is critical in any two-dimensional work in order to create contrast (for example Chiaroscuro), the illusion of depth, and the perception of form.

Capturing textures is one example where tone heIps to add life and interest. In addition, the juxtaposition of light and dark areas contributes to the mood of an image, ranging from somber shades, mystery and sadness (low-key) to joy and airiness (high-key). In addition to bringing out form and texture and set mood in a photograph, the element of tone (light/shadows) can be used to draw attention to an area, and even to distort or modify a shape. The photographer can make many choices, including using different lighting to capture harsh or soft and delicate shadows. It is also worthwhile to remember that tone on tone does not equal black and white photography; it simply means finding the balance of lightness and darkness within a hue that portrays the mood, composition and vision the photographer intended. Tone can be an intangible element in photography yet very expressive, and I hope this month’s member share presentation will consist of many expressive photographs.

The member share topic for the March will be “Using Flash”.