Photography in B&W

[explorer]

ok, let me start this thread as i haven't seen a B&W or sephia thread.

on their way to boracay/caticlan after disembarking the ferry boat...

shot in color but converted to B&W during PP and added some noise filter
http://www.pbase.com/explorer/image/46409150.jpg

[gstafleu]

I may have posted this somewhere else (can't remember), but since you mention sepia...
http://publish.uwo.ca/~gerard/photos/TreesDuotone.jpg

[Geoff Chandler]

explorer - great idea and great shot
Gerard - I like your sepia!
So - here's one from 2004 on the C-740UZ
Converted to B&W for this thread

Like the idea - & hope this thread takes off.

[TheObiJuan]

The top of Enchanted Rock, in Texas.
http://www.styleandspeed.com/theobijuan/pics/IMG_5504_BW_small.jpg

[Fiorano]

Nice shots. Explorer, the b&w works well on your picture.
This one is taken at a circuit.

[Mika]

Here is image of very old barn. (softened and turned to light sepia)

http://img211.imageshack.us/img211/9301/seplato6op.jpg

-Mika

[Geoff Chandler]

I like this thread - I am away on holiday for a few days from Sat onwards - I will bear B&W in mind. I haven't shot Digital B&W - but I have converted a few that I thought might look good. Hopefully I shall take a few while I am away.
Here's a recent one just converted - Orig 8mp on A-200

[Geoff Chandler]

My Son reckons this is not Sepia enough : -

[Geoff Chandler]

Maybe this is better?? - a touch more colour and a bit of gausian blur
I'm new to this making B&W Pics - so comments are very welcome.

[TheObiJuan]

geoff, up the contrast, so the haze will be removed.

[explorer]

the manila north harbor :D

c750uz in color converted to B&W and added noise filter
http://www.pbase.com/explorer/image/46410070.jpg

[Geoff Chandler]

the manila north harbor :D
c750uz in color converted to B&W and added noise filter

Great moody shot!! Thanks.

[meillana]

the manila north harbor :D

c750uz in color converted to B&W and added noise filter


well done.

[Warin]

Geoff,

I prefer the first one. Hand toning sepia is something of an art, but relatively easy. The sharpness of the first shot is awesome. I have found that toning does very little to the overall sharpness of the print, so I do not find the softness of the second print appealing. The first photo looks like a very lightly toned print, something I find can be very subtle and effective. Good job on the first one... mebbe rework the second to get the same tone with an equivalent sharpness to the first one.

[canuckpuck]

HOpe you guys like this. Any thoughts are welcome and very much appreciated :)

This is one i took at a hot spring in Xi'An China and shows dragon head water spouts that go into a pond.

[Geoff Chandler]

Geoff,

I prefer the first one. Hand toning sepia is something of an art, but relatively easy. The sharpness of the first shot is awesome. I have found that toning does very little to the overall sharpness of the print, so I do not find the softness of the second print appealing. The first photo looks like a very lightly toned print, something I find can be very subtle and effective. Good job on the first one... mebbe rework the second to get the same tone with an equivalent sharpness to the first one.
Thanks for that - I tend to agree with your POV - it was my Son who steered me off at the tangent. I actually blurred the second one - something I don't usually mess with.
Thanks for the reassuring comments

[SamPhilly]

I'll join the fun!

Learning Photoshop. I don't think it's too bad for my first try in removing the backround and adding a hue/saturation layer.
http://the-shelleys.com/TC_Flat.jpg

[Warin]

I much prefer film to digital for black and white, but here is a conversion of one of my colour pics.

http://members.shaw.ca/jwgreene31/train.jpg

[explorer]

thanks to those who made some comments on my earlier posts...here's another one, captured in color but converted to B&W.

the coast guards patroling the caticlan/boracay seashores...
http://www.pbase.com/explorer/image/46409151.jpg

[Wombat]

This is the best I can come up with at the moment. Spent some time searching my archives to find a shot with sufficient contrast to merit black and white.

regards
Wombat

[gstafleu]

BW flowers, an interesting idea. The following flower was already white, so that helped:
http://photos21.flickr.com/27881463_301991f861_o.jpg

BTW, tip for converting to black and white. First, convert your image to LAB color. Then split the channels to L, A and B. Take the L channel. This tends to give better results than just desaturating.

[Warin]

Explorer,

Just curious... why do you add the noise filter?

One of the things I like the most about 120 film, and 4x5 sheet film is that it is tack sharp with no visible grain in a standard size print. Adding noise is, to me, sort of like trying to replicate the grain effect of 400 iso 35mm film like Ilford HP5.

Not being critical, just curious.

[gstafleu]

Blinding water and dark trees:
http://photos21.flickr.com/27882986_0266165486_o.jpg

[explorer]

Explorer,

Just curious... why do you add the noise filter?

One of the things I like the most about 120 film, and 4x5 sheet film is that it is tack sharp with no visible grain in a standard size print. Adding noise is, to me, sort of like trying to replicate the grain effect of 400 iso 35mm film like Ilford HP5.

Not being critical, just curious.

i actually like the noise filter effect...sort of an old film style. of course i may not use the noise filter in some cases where it is not necessary according to my 'taste'. best example of this is the manila north harbor i posted earlier. a clean B&W photo is just too bland for me...with the noise filter, the mode of the scene has changed so much which other people here also noticed.

[meillana]

my fav photo of one of my fav girls .... my daughter!

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y281/meillana/P1000621_r.jpg

[explorer]

probably the only one in the wolrd...a foot bridge over a swimming pool that never was because the supposed to be rest house is located over the top of the mountain...

http://www.pbase.com/explorer/image/46627445.jpg

[Joker]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v348/r3ckless/vwjpg.jpg

[meillana]

originally in color.... cropped 100% added 2% gaussian blur for similar effect
an 80-year old couple holding hands as they danced on stage to celebrate the husband's 80th birthday.....

please click on the thumbnail for larger image

http://photobucket.com/albums/y281/meillana/th_P1070308_r.jpg (http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y281/meillana/P1070308_r.jpg)