Photography
Related: About this forumStevenmarc
(4,483 posts)You fell out of love with it, LOL.
I can always count on you for a fine example of B&W.
alfredo
(60,075 posts)handmade34
(22,757 posts)allows for greater attention to what's important...
alfredo
(60,075 posts)Speck Tater
(10,618 posts)I'm inspired to try B&W myself, perhaps as a way to help me learn to see light and shadow. I've noticed that my color pictures when turned to B&W just turn into a solid, uniform gray mass with little or no form defined by light and shadow. I'm beginning to think that relying on color to define form is a mistake. (Just another of my beginner "insights"
alfredo
(60,075 posts)Channel Mixer for converting to Black and White. Read up on it.
I have a conversion tool that allows me to emulate colored filters.
Try to recognize what images would work as black and white. Portraits are a good starting point. Flowers will teach you about using the different color settings in the channel mixer. Play with the settings.
Speck Tater
(10,618 posts)Stevenmarc
(4,483 posts)Also this one that suggests pushing your color before you convert to B&W
http://www.sevenbyfive.net/blog/monochrome-through-color/
Speck Tater
(10,618 posts)I've bookmarked those to read tomorrow.
I don't have Photoshop. I've used Paintshop Pro for about 15 years now, since it was a $35 shareware. I did do some experimenting this evening with channel separation and then using each channel as a layer with different layer mixing techniques. I've been getting some interesting results.
alfredo
(60,075 posts)Adsos Letter
(19,459 posts)I've been trying my hand at B&W with the help of Nik's Silver Efex Pro2. It seems like a great post-processing program for B&W, but I still struggle with composition, contrast, interesting subject, etc. The best post-processing doesn't make up for deficiencies in those areas.
I especially like the first shot.
alfredo
(60,075 posts)I'd like to try Silver Efex, but money, and the thought of relearning software act as a barrier.
Adsos Letter
(19,459 posts)I've always heard good things about the results that can be gotten from it.
alfredo
(60,075 posts)WinstonSmith4740
(3,056 posts)Ansel Adams would be proud.
alfredo
(60,075 posts)calikid
(584 posts)edit to say: I'm going to check my Zone System Manual to see if my memory serves me (it usually doesn't).
I love b&w too, I had a darkroom at home when I was in high school, shot 2 1/4 for years and then..... my wife bought me a 5x7 for a b-day present, OH MY GOD!
Back to the thread, beautiful shots, I especially like the first one.
alfredo
(60,075 posts)Is where I learned my black and white chops. Dust was a real problem because we were in the sub Sahara.
Marie Marie
(9,999 posts)They just add a type of mood to the picture that I find exquisite. B & W Photos are my favorite art form. (Love pic 3#)
alfredo
(60,075 posts)black and white film just for a bit. All I need is a good day.
bluedigger
(17,087 posts)It's weird to see a cat photo without LOLZ.
The doorway gives me a headache. It's too askew.
1620rock
(2,218 posts)alfredo
(60,075 posts)"A Touch of Evil." pay attention, not just the shade and light, notice how he composes each shot. His interior shots are incredible. I know it is a more recent movie, but it is a masterpiece.
Adsos Letter
(19,459 posts)and realized that it is a very modern door, door casing, and lock set, installed in a very old door. Interesting. I'm trying to figure out if B&W makes that more, or less, noticable.
alfredo
(60,075 posts)Well, I went out to shoot some B&W film today. As it turns out, the lens was not compatible and a whole roll of film destroyed. I will try again using the sucky kit lens.
Adsos Letter
(19,459 posts)I remember when you were talking about buying a new camera as an upgrade from your G-10, but I've been out of the loop for a while.
alfredo
(60,075 posts)an issue with the focus ring and aperture clatter. They will repair or replace.
alfredo
(60,075 posts)That will give me reason to buy a newer body. <grin> Oly EP-2 or EP-3.
Speck Tater
(10,618 posts)The HDR program Photomatix has several monochrome presets, and you can play with all the sliders to alter the look of the result. You need at least three bracketed exposures which the program combines in different ways depending on the slider settings. The program is available to free trial, which watermarks SOME of the resulting photos, but not all of them.
alfredo
(60,075 posts)several color filters, or I just use the channel mixer. For HDR I use G'MIC.