What is “tone,” and how does it apply to black and white photography? The tonal range of a photo refers to the varying degrees of grayness. If you strip away all the color from a photo, what remains is its tone. In other words, a subject that is white or light in color has less tone than a subject that is black or completely dark. Tonal range refers to the amount of shadows, midtones, and highlights in an image. Photos with extreme differences in shadows and highlights have more contrast and add a dramatic effect, whereas even tones throughout an image create an overall balanced feel.

Example of a dramatic image with extreme differences in tonal range (notice the darks vs. lights):

Example of a balanced image with even tonal range (notice the amount of gray in the image):