Wildlife photographers Sue Flood OBE and Ian Dawson have utilized deliberate monochrome conversions in their upcoming debut book Midnight Sun to strip away distracting hues from texture-heavy scenes, according to recent exhibition previews. Showcasing work at the Royal Geographical Society gallery in London, the collection highlights how artistic choices regarding color versus black-and-white photography can fundamentally alter the narrative of polar landscapes.
Color Versus Monochrome in Polar Photography
According to exhibition details, color is applied selectively throughout Midnight Sun. While subjects like a leaping polar bear mid-frame against cold blue water and portraits of crabeater seals appear in full color, scenes focusing on raw form and weather—such as an Adélie penguin walking across ice or a blizzard scouring Captain Scott’s hut at Cape Evans—are rendered entirely in black-and-white. Flood and Dawson demonstrate that monochrome conversion serves as a creative tool for high-contrast textures rather than a fallback option for unfavorable lighting conditions.
Pro Tip: Evaluate your landscape and wildlife images for hue dependency. If stripping away color enhances the texture, contrast, and atmospheric grit of the scene, a monochrome conversion may outperform a flat color palette.
Access and Patience in Remote Expeditions
The images featured in the book are the result of years of return visits, local relationships, and prolonged patience rather than brief encounters from passing cruises, according to project notes. The collection includes grounded documentation such as a hunter with a rifle in Kinngait, a trio of crabeater seals on a single ice floe, and a bear guard performing operational duties. Photographers planning polar trips are advised by these project outcomes that gallery-scale prints typically emerge from deep, repeated field experience rather than initial excursions.
Exhibition and Publication Details
Midnight Sun runs at the Royal Geographical Society gallery in London from October 06 to October 30, open weekdays from 10:00 to 17:00, with free admission and no booking required, drawing from 132 images in the publication. A launch event on October 06 hosted by Sir Michael Palin in the Ondaatje Theatre features Flood and Dawson discussing their methodology. Tickets for the talk start at £15 (about $20 / AU$29), with collector’s editions of the book including signed prints priced up to £295 ($393 / AU$563).
Frequently Asked Questions
When and where is the Midnight Sun exhibition taking place?
The exhibition runs from October 06 to October 30 at the Royal Geographical Society gallery in London, open on weekdays from 10:00 to 17:00.
Is admission to the gallery exhibition free?
Yes, viewing the exhibition is free with no booking required.
Who authored Midnight Sun?
The book is authored by Sue Flood OBE and Ian Dawson.
What is included in the collector’s edition of the book?
The collector’s edition, priced at £295 ($393 / AU$563), includes signed prints alongside the book.
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