We live in a world of color. Capturing nature in black and white requires an understanding of basic color theory and how colors will appear in a black and white photograph.
Winter is a great time to do black and white photography because the ice and snow offer vivid patterns, textures, and tonal contrast that are well-suited to black and white photography.
Class discussions will explore:
- Application of basic color theory
- How complementary, analogous, and triadic color can be applied in black-and-white photography
- Composition and creating contrast
This class for intermediate photographers will emphasize the use of color theory, combined with composition, and contrast to create effective black and white images.
This program meets in person at the Arboretum.
Instructors: Will Clay and Ken Thompson, photographers
Age: 16 and older
Course number: P340
Instructors
Will Clay, photographer
Formerly a professor of botany, Willard Clay has been a full-time photographer since 1982. Specializing in large format photography, he has been the primary photographer for nine coffee table books and has been published in myriad calendars, magazines, books, and advertisements. Teaching credits include teaching at The Morton Arboretum since 2005 as well as The Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont since 1985 and classes and seminars at many venues in the country.
Ken Thompson, photographer
Ken Thompson became serious about photography after retiring from a job managing a chemicals business. He is most interested in “the world within,” that part of the world that we often ignore or walk right on by—water drops, insects, dragonflies, butterflies, and small plants. Thompson is best known for close-ups of water in its many forms, especially dew drops and ice formations. He has been teaching photography at The Morton Arboretum since 2006 and taught for several years at the Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont in Tennessee.
What to Know
This program meets indoors on Wednesdays and outdoors on Saturdays.
This program is intended for intermediate and advanced photographers who are comfortable using the manual controls of their DSLR cameras.
For indoor sessions, materials for taking notes will be useful.
For outdoor sessions, please dress for exploring in the winter weather and wear comfortable walking shoes or boots appropriate for outdoor exploring in winter. Bring your camera equipment, water, and a snack.
Program Schedule
This program meets the following 1/5 times.
Wednesday, February 19, 2025, 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
Saturday, February 22, 2025, 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.
Wednesday, February 26, 2025, 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
Saturday, March 1, 2025, 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.
Wednesday, March 5, 2025, 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
Thornhill Education Center (Parking Lot 21), West Side
