Experimenting with Black & White

[kentlass]

I really love Black & White photographs so I have been playing around trying to find out what types of images look good in mono. I am still finding it very difficult to evaluate what works so I would be enormously grateful for any feedback.

Any hints and tips on what else I could try?

Thanks!

[alfbranch]

My thoughts starting from the bottom working up.

A great conversion that is subtle with a good tonal range with enough contrast. This a very nice shot.

The middle shot: The sky is good and the middle ground is Ok but could do with maybe some dodging on teh highlights and the foreground really needs some dodging on the highlights

The top shot really needs a contrast injection using curves or levels and then maybe some doging and burining.

What methods are you using and have you watched any of teh video tutorials on teh sight or with a magazine.

[MattUK]

First and third shots are excellent, and don't need any work.

Middle shot is lacking punch, but that could be because it's not the most exciting scene in the world. Great work

[kentlass]

Thank you Matt and Alf

I see what you are saying about the middle image and that is one of the things I am struggling with, finding images that lend themselves to a black and white conversion.

I didn't do anything to the highlights as it is a wild flower meadow and it is covered in white daisies and other flowers and I was scared of going to far if I tried to fiddle
It doesn't help that you cannot enlarge the image, I have yet to get an image clickable, not from want of trying


I shall keep on practising!

[alfbranch]

I looked at the flower shot in your gallerie and the flowers loot a little grey to me. Also it would helped to get some of the flowers in the foreground really close. BTW just save new versions of your shots and go wild you wild but pay attention to works and what doesnt.

I hope you dont mind but I spent a couple of minutes on the first image with a curves adjustment and dodging and burning. So here it is.


Not my shot by alfred.branch, on Flickr

[kentlass]

Ahh, thank you for going to all that trouble Alf. That is very kind of you! I have such a lot to learn

Now a really naive, but hopefully not too dumb, question. Would printing the photos in anyway alter the look of them? I think I want to say tone of them but I am not to sure why that word is popping into my head

I haven't got a printer yet but I could take them down to Boots to see how they look. I am wondering if a printed photo would look much different to the image on my laptop?

[alfbranch]

No problem with that its just how I saw it looking.

Zooming in to look at details like is that bit white or that bit black on not gray help. As does looking at histograms.

Printing can be very different depending on yor PC

[MattUK]

Your editing has blown highlights, Alf. Why?

[karenoliver]

You could always download a trial of silver efex pro 2. I think it produces some great black and white shots.

Karen

[kentlass]

Thanks Karen