Beauty In Sepia Tone

Many a times we take a photograph of some beautiful object or place, but the colour simply would not add to the overall beauty. It can be either the lighting that the environment offers, shadows, or it can be distractions caused by different objects or colours !!!

A simple technique is to convert the picture to a Sepia (or Black & White) one. The result can be impressive. Not only the lighting problem can be solved, but also, it can add a feeling of mystique and antiquity to the picture.

Here are 2 such examples.



This is a distant view of Schonbrunn Palace from the heights of Gloriette. Though it is framed well, sunlight has created a shadow of the frames themselves. Being in colour the shadows become even more pronounced.






This was converted into a  sepia-toned one, and the result is quite pleasant. Though the shadows still remain, they are no more pronounced. And the colour now adds a sense of antiquity to the overall scenery.



Here is one more. This picture was taken in the gardens of Belvedere Palace. The statue being white, it has got a blue-caste from the sky, which adds to the overall beauty. However, the greenery, the people and other objects in the background simply add un-welcome distractions. The eyes automatically move from the statue to the background, which is not offering much compared to the statue.



Converting the picture into a sepia-toned one, has added a mystique look to the statue, and the backgrounds no more distract. The eyes simply stay on the statue, the main object of attraction.

So, whenever you have a good picture, but it suffers from lighting and colorful effects, try converting it to Black & White or Shephia coloured one. And the result can be quite pleasant, most of the time.

Note: Many graphics software are available for such conversions. I used Kodak Easy Share a freely downloadable one from Kodak.

!!! Always keep a copy of the original colour photograph. !!!

[Snaps Taken: October 2010]