In my photography journey, I mostly create black and white photographs. My editing approach for these photographs is as follows:
- Take the initial photograph in color at the highest pixel density
- Do a rough crop
- Convert to black and white using an auto setting
- Play with intensity, neutrals, tone, and grain
- Do a meticulous crop with focus on the corners
The part of the process I enjoy the most is the initial conversion to black and white. It’s this step where I get my strongest creative hit, and it’s here I know whether or not I have “a keeper.”
And why is that?
I think it’s because this is where I remove most of the extraneous data (color), and where I start to see patterns. It’s also the step where I am moving towards simplicity and the step where I am giving my work my voice.
This is the feeling I want to achieve in editing my writing. This is the step I am looking for. I am not there yet, but I am getting close.