Tone
Quality of color with reference to the degree of absorption or reflection of
light; a tint or shade;value.
or
A particular style or manner, as of writing or speech; mood
light; a tint or shade;value.
or
A particular style or manner, as of writing or speech; mood
This photo, which I like to playfully call "Cream and Sugar" has a much less serious tone, being carefree and light.
The spiky, dead flowers and cold, desolate background provide a serious and almost ominous tone.
This Pulitzer Prize winning image by Craig F. Walker shows a veteran counting the stitches from where he tried to slit his own wrists with a kitchen knife. This creates a mood of overwhelming sadness, and a tone of sobering solemnity.
You can tell a lot about the creator of an image or a literary work by the way they address the audience. Ray Bradbury, one of the most widely acclaimed science fiction writers in the US, expresses an extremely profound view in such a relatable fashion that the audience can't help but agree.
Bradbury's fun spirit is captured in this photo of him.
Image courtesy of http://www.sampsoniaway.org
The full speech, given to Caltech's Class of 2000, is quite long, but one can tell by reading a few select quotes that Bradbury is an expert at creating a tone.
"Now, right after graduation today, make a list of the people who don't believe in you. And you have a few, don't you? I had plenty of people who told me not to do what I was going to do. You make a list this afternoon, of the people who don't believe in you, and you call them tonight, and tell them to go to hell!
And then you gather around you the people who do believe in you - your parents and a few friends, if you're lucky. We don't have many friends in this world; but the few that do believe in you - and then you move on into the future. I try to do that."
And then you gather around you the people who do believe in you - your parents and a few friends, if you're lucky. We don't have many friends in this world; but the few that do believe in you - and then you move on into the future. I try to do that."