Nigella In Contrast

Day 33: As a species, humans tend to think of their visual capabilities as being pretty sophisticated. After all, we can differentiate something in the neighborhood of ten million colors. However, that very function often obscures the finer details of an object by overwhelming the eye and brain. Perhaps that explains why black-and-white photography has maintained its appeal despite the camera's ability to capture "true to life" hues. In a black-and-white image, features which would otherwise have been lost under a barrage of color stand out in greater relief. The maroon markings on the dried, brownish pods of Nigella are barely worth a passing glance in color, but in black-and-white, they become a primary point of interest. Don't ignore your camera's black-and-white mode!