Definition Page - Tone

Dictionary definition - The overall lightness or darkness of an area of an image.

• Shade
• Darkness
• Lightness
• Greyscale

This photo shows a setting that would, presumably, contain many colours. It has been set to black and white and so only the shades/tones of the different colours are visible. It shows the tone in many things and how the tone of colours can be the same while the colours are completely different.

This photograph also shows what should contain many contrasting colours as looking the same as they share the same tone. It shows how tone is used in real life, photographers, unlike the eye, are able to pick out the tone and remove the colours. People do not usually look at things, especially things of contrasting colours, by their tone.

This photograph is not only black and white, it shows the use of duotone, an alternative to black and white photography which adds one colour to the picture, replacing the ordinary black or white. This duotone shows the tone of this photo well, but can also be used to make photographs look perhaps, a little antique.

This picture is another good example of tone. The tone of some parts of the bridge, the people, the sea and the sky are very similar, though the colours are surely very contrasting when not removed.

My definition - The lightness, darkness or shade of a colour.