![\"Groyne](\"https:\/\/fujifilm-x.b-cdn.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/X-STORY-SILVIA-GRIMPE-MONOCHROME-8.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nPhoto 2023 \u00a9 Silvia Grimpe | FUJIFILM X-T2 and FUJINON XF10-24mmF4 R OIS, 120 secs at F20, ISO 200<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\u201cMy passion for photography started in 2010 when I bought my first SLR,\u201d she begins. \u201cThe photography bug bit me and hasn\u2019t let go to this day. I\u2019ve been creating with FUJIFILM X Series<\/a> for the past six years.\u201d<\/p>\n Working under the professional moniker of Silly Photography<\/a>, Silvia\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n \u201cPhotography 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,\u201d she notes. \u201cI love putting myself in the right place at the right time to find the perfect moment in style. It\u2019s nice, to me, to do that with long exposures.<\/p>\n \u201cMonochrome came naturally,\u201d Silvia continues. \u201cOther artists\u2019 black and white photos were the only thing I\u2019d ever hang on my walls at home.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n \u201cI 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,\u201d the photographer explains. \u201cThat begins with choosing subject matter. My best advice is to avoid any scene with distractions.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen you\u2019ve found a contained scene that interests you, it\u2019s 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\u2019s there and what isn\u2019t is very important to me.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Photo 2023 \u00a9 Silvia Grimpe | FUJIFILM X-T2 and FUJINON XC50-230mmF4.5-6.7 OIS II, 240 secs at F14, ISO 200<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u201cLong exposures help in creating that negative space,\u201d Silvia continues. \u201cWith longer shutter speeds, detail in scene elements like water and the sky become blurred and smooth.\u201d<\/p>\n Many image makers crop final frames long after they\u2019re made, but Silvia values correct composition so highly that she utilises the wealth of in-camera options available in her FUJIFILM X-T5<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen I\u2019m at a location and know how I want to frame the scene, I\u2019ll choose an aspect ratio straight away \u2013 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.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Photo 2023 \u00a9 Silvia Grimpe | FUJIFILM X-T5 and FUJINON XF18-55mmF2.8-4 R LM OIS, 120 secs at F20, ISO 125<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Composition isn\u2019t 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 \u2013 less obvious when over- or underexposed compared to a colourful frame, but difficult to perfect in-camera.<\/p>\n \u201cI always expose according to the histogram rather than the image preview. It\u2019s important that no part of the image is far outside of a normal exposure range,\u201d Silvia reveals. \u201cOn the X-T5, I can view a live sRGB histogram on the LCD screen, which is very helpful.\u201d<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n It\u2019s essential to correctly set exposure settings before releasing the shutter during long exposures. With shutter speed set to T (Time) mode, the camera\u2019s LCD will appear black during exposure \u2013 another setting which Silvia has come to admire about the X Series.<\/p>\n \u201cIn T mode, you can use the rear command dial to choose between shutter speeds from seconds to minutes. That\u2019s very useful depending on how much you\u2019d like to blur any moving elements, and an exposure countdown appears on-screen, so you know exactly when it\u2019s okay to touch the camera again.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p>\n\n
<\/li>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\nFinding Monochrome Photography Subjects<\/h2>\n
<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\nHow to Expose Black and White Photos<\/h2>\n