As I often find myself on the darker side of life, I also capture images that evoke a darker, more somber mood. Today I’d like to share a few examples of dark-mood photography, as well as a few links to some of my previous posts about capturing mood in photography.
Here are a few things to consider when trying to express a dark mood in images:
- subject and story – some subjects/stories evoke a dark(er) mood, some don’t; so, start with the subject of your story and with the (visual) story, and consider the mood they would evoke
- title – the title usually hints at the subject/story and even at the mood evoked in that visual story; so, choose accordingly
- using black-and-white, even more, chiaroscuro (think “film noir” images, low-key lighting) usually helps enhance the darker, more dramatic elements in an image and, hence, its story
- certain light patterns also help enhance a dark mood; for example, backlighting and split lighting. Backlighting creates silhouettes, hence, mystery. Split lighting (90-degree side lighting) enhances texture and, depending on the subject and story, a dramatic element and a darker mood.
Let’s look at a few examples:
Most of my work, writing and photography, captures stories that usually evoke more of a somber mood, maybe not necessarily dark, but not often a happy-go-lucky feeling, either. I believe that that’s, in part, because, as mentioned at the beginning of this post, I’ve always found myself on the darker side of life; hence, that’s what I’m usually drawn to, and that’s where I often find the subjects and stories I get to cover.
Also, I believe that the mood evoked in a story not only enhances the story, itself, but also inspires our work, in general, and has a role in defining our creative voice.
That said, I do hope that this finds you all in a relaxed mood, safe and well.
And as always, thank you for stopping by.
Alina Oswald 