Trying Black & White 2
 

Hi,
I've been a follower of Black and White photography for many years, but never been very good at it, generally because I didn't have a darkroom and was using film

I've followed this forum for several weeks, and there are some very good B&W capable photographers on here and I'd like to ask you to provide feedback (Positive or Negative) to images I post here.

I'm interested in what you think could make the image better (not the content or composition, that's another problem to be fixed :-) ), but more the conversion itself.

I'll add this header to each image I submit.
Please feel free to provide constructive critiscism.

Thanks in Advance

Phil

Here's the second image...


[IMG]http://www.photoradar.com/files/imagecache/original_large/photos/users/pburness/burness-1-5.jpg[/IMG]

Hi Phil,

Personally I would like to see more detail in the shadows. Generally when I do black and white shots, I will open the RAW file in photoshop and create multiple exposures, which I then combine them in one PSD file and blend the various layers together. I suppose its similar to using HDR software.

Regards,

Aaron

Hi Phil

Conversion-wise, how did you do this one?

I often think there is a fine line between having too much or too little contrast in black and white shots. In fact, I often complain that many are lacking in contrast and, of course, it varies with each shot but this one has too much for my taste.
I'd like to see a little more texture, especially given the location of the light which would cast long shadows over the fruit of the skin and really highlight it nicely.

Hi Guys,
Thanks for the feedback again.

The photo was taken on a sunny afternoon with light coming in from a window to the back of the shot's left hand side. The fruit was where my daughter had left it on a small wooden 'butchers' table.

All modifications done in Lightroom.

After cropping the image and converting to B&W I darkened the background to hide the windowsill and lower wall. I lightened the front right hand side slightly to bring out the blocks in the table and bring some texture back to the pear and apple.

I then added some noise reduction and sharpening.

If I get time tonight I'll try the photoshop method (with +1 / -1 stop) and add it to this thread.


Phil

[IMG]http://www.photoradar.com/files/imagecache/original_large/photos/users/pburness/fruitstudy2.jpg[/IMG]

Here is the same image, modified by using a 0 +/- 1 stop photomerge in CS5.
I upped the contrast a bit with levels after converting to B&W as it looked a little flat before that.

As can be seen there is a more distinct line between the table and the back wall, and the top of the pear looks like it has a little less texture (I like the way the hilight on the stalk in the first image stops the eye from being drawn fully to the Banana's).

Is this a better conversion technically?

Phil

I prefer the newer one. There is more detail and more texture and you're not shouted at so much by the contrast.

How are you converting?

Hi Chris,
I like the texture on the fruit of the second image better, but I find the horizontal line between table and wall distracting.

The second image was done in Photoshop.
I imported the original and added an exposure layer with -1 stop exposure compensation and saved it.
I then opened the original image again and added an exposure layer with +1 stop exposure compensation and saved it.
I then merged all three images using merge as HDR and then flattened the image.
Finally I added a levels adjustment and brought the blacks and midtones up slightly to increase the contrast a touch.

Phil

Hi Phil, I actually like the top shot myself as it has just about the right amount of contrast. It was Ansel Adams who invented the zone system so that he could work out the various shades between pure black and pure white. As b/w photography is more to do with the way light plays with shadows and hilights than just pretty pictures, it is this understanding of light that enables us to interpret the mood for the image. Of course the usual science of composition is as important, but because an image is stripped bare of its inherent colour getting the midtones as well as the blacks and whites right is more important to the success of the image. Here's an article about Adams' zone system along with a guide to the shades that I found extremely helpful when processing my b/w stuff. It might be helpful to you too.

[url]http://www.normankoren.com/zonesystem.html[/url]

Keith

Keith,
Thanks for the feedback. I can remember practicing the Zone system many years ago with an old Zenith SLR :), but AA was also a master in the darkroom and what he took on film is not necessarily fully represented on paper without the odd bit of dodging and burning...

it would be good to read up on it again though. Thanks for the link.

Phil

Hi Phil,
I like the background of the1st image and the fruit detail of the 2nd ;) but that could be the trick on eye effect.