Harmony in Grey: Monochrome Photography with Silvia Grimpe

Black and white photographer Silvia Grimpe strikes a sense of serenity in her urban and landscape imagery. Here, she reveals the secrets to exposure, composition and subject matter, while using her trusted X Series kit sans colour

There is an undeniably timeless quality to monochrome photography that harks back to the very foundations of image making. Scenes are stripped of all distracting hues, leaving little but a story to tell through pleasing tonal interplay.

In Silvia Grimpe’s artworks, which depict peripherally urban snapshots and isolated snippets of landscape, things become simpler still. She combines a black and white palette with long exposure to create dreamlike frames, where smooth gradients set the scene for stark outlines of manmade and natural structures alike.

“My passion for photography started in 2010 when I bought my first SLR,” she begins. “The photography bug bit me and hasn’t let go to this day. I’ve been creating with FUJIFILM X Series for the past six years.”

Working under the professional moniker of Silly Photography, Silvia’s style has developed over time, refining down into something both distinctive and personal. Now an international award winner, she looks back to her initial fascination with a world in monochrome.

“Photography gives me the opportunity to present the world from my perspective. The photos I create reflect my own view of moments, which will always be unique to anyone,” she notes. “I love putting myself in the right place at the right time to find the perfect moment in style. It’s nice, to me, to do that with long exposures.

“Monochrome came naturally,” Silvia continues. “Other artists’ black and white photos were the only thing I’d ever hang on my walls at home.”

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Finding Monochrome Photography Subjects

Black and white photography can be applied to virtually any genre. Inevitably, some subjects will fit the aesthetic better than others, but Silvia shares advice which can easily be shifted from her own preference for landscape photography into street and documentary, portraiture, architectural work and beyond.

“I like images to be as calm, harmonious and minimalistic as possible. By removing unwanted details in the frame, I can draw the viewer to the details I believe are truly important,” the photographer explains. “That begins with choosing subject matter. My best advice is to avoid any scene with distractions.

“When you’ve found a contained scene that interests you, it’s time to think about composition. To me, negative space creates balance. I almost always include large, empty sections in my images. The clear lines of the main subject become more intense, which has a great contrasting effect on the overall image. The juxtaposition between what’s there and what isn’t is very important to me.

“Long exposures help in creating that negative space,” Silvia continues. “With longer shutter speeds, detail in scene elements like water and the sky become blurred and smooth.”

Many image makers crop final frames long after they’re made, but Silvia values correct composition so highly that she utilises the wealth of in-camera options available in her FUJIFILM X-T5.

“When I’m at a location and know how I want to frame the scene, I’ll choose an aspect ratio straight away – usually 3:2, 16:9 or 1:1. I feel the precision is important at the time of taking the picture, rather than fixing it later.”

How to Expose Black and White Photos

Composition isn’t the only step in the image-making process for which Silvia relies on the performance of her creative tools. Monochrome exposure is at once forgiving and challenging – less obvious when over- or underexposed compared to a colourful frame, but difficult to perfect in-camera.

“I always expose according to the histogram rather than the image preview. It’s important that no part of the image is far outside of a normal exposure range,” Silvia reveals. “On the X-T5, I can view a live sRGB histogram on the LCD screen, which is very helpful.”

To view a histogram in shooting mode on an X Series camera, press MENU OK, navigate to the SCREEN SETTING menu, scroll to DISP. CUSTOM SETTING, then ensure HISTOGRAM is selected. Alternatively, in shooting mode, press DISP BACK twice. A histogram and broader capture settings appear on the LCD.

It’s essential to correctly set exposure settings before releasing the shutter during long exposures. With shutter speed set to T (Time) mode, the camera’s LCD will appear black during exposure – another setting which Silvia has come to admire about the X Series.

“In T mode, you can use the rear command dial to choose between shutter speeds from seconds to minutes. That’s very useful depending on how much you’d like to blur any moving elements, and an exposure countdown appears on-screen, so you know exactly when it’s okay to touch the camera again.”

Monochrome Film Simulations and Editing

For those who prefer to minimise post-production time, X Series cameras offer a range of monochrome Film Simulations, as well as adjustments to contrast, individual highlights and shadows, dynamic range and more. There’s also the added benefit of visualising your scene exactly as intended, extending Silvia’s preference for in-camera cropping.

The MONOCHROME Film Simulation produces a colourless replication of the standard PROVIA Film Simulation and offers more of a blank canvas for personalised adjustments. The ACROS Film Simulation adds grain, sharpness and a rich gradation of tones. Both work with the addition of yellow, red and green filters, emulating physical lens filters and altering the darkness of particular hues when seen in black and white.

However, Film Simulations are applied to JPEG files only, so for RAW image development – as is Silvia’s preference – post-production is a must.

“I have a few preferred plug-ins to convert images to monochrome. They provide bold looks with less time in front of a screen, so they’re well worth exploring, but I’ll always make additional adjustments,” she says.

 

With particular emphasis on working from a simplified standpoint and the timeless drama of black and white, Silvia encourages any photographer to find what appeals to them. Far beyond how a picture is executed, the most important first step is being there.

“My photos radiate calm,” she concludes, “but everyone’s perspective is important. What’s nicest is the privilege of creating a piece of frozen time.”