Photos

mesutilgim (36928) 2008-10-31 12:07

Hi dear Karen !
What did I say yesterday !! Don't be demotivated (as 24 viewers yet and no points) just go straight ahead and try every technique.
Here the result is amazing. The pictorial geometry and graphical effect perfect ! Very nice framing as well.
TFS and have a wonderfull weekend
Best regards
MESUT ILGIM

     feather (49868) 2008-10-31 14:18

I'm not the one to advise on B&W. I prefer colour, so rarely experiment with B&W. I do know there are various ways to convert, and it is said that channel mixer is the best way so you can adjust the tones better. I also know that a good B&W needs a pure white, a pure black and at least 9 tones of grey. Nelu has opened a thread to ask for the colour version and he will try and convert it as a WS. I tell you this as you may not see the thread. Looking at a WS would be a good way to learn. I'll check back and see if I can learn from it too. :D
Kath

     Nelu_Goia (2732) 2008-10-31 22:38

Hi Karen,
Black and white...tough one!
There are many problems with the original color version:
1.The sky is pretty much blown out; way to bright and there is hardly some useful information there.I measured something 3 points away from gray instead of something blue.
2.The foreground is way to dark, so the photo is made up of two half's: one too dark and one too light.
3.There is strong noise and artifacts in the sky area.
4.The subject is...I don`t know actually what the subject is.Anyways,not every photo is suitable for B&W treatment. To learn that I recommend buying some old photography books,because in the old times there was no Photoshop and the photographers were artists...
5.Like any photo on this site,the size is ridiculous to try a workshop with great results.
Now,because these are "my enemies", I had to find something interesting in the photo.
The following is my approach:
1.I thought about creating a big contrast between the leaves in the foreground and the concrete staircase.
2.Another interesting element could be the texture of the wall on the right.
3.I considered worthy to explore the contrast between the green tree on the left and the big tree in the background with the yellow leaves.

Having my targets set,I started the conversion.
There are many ways to do it in Photoshop and they are all better than the default conversion.
I consider the following ones to be the best:Channel Mixer,Apply Image,Calculations and processing in Camera Raw.
For this example I used the Channel Mixer and the Camera Raw manual conversion. I had to use both of them because the starting point was extremely poor.Usually I don`t have to use two methods.
Channel Mixer is more flexible,Camera Raw can be faster for some people,but for me is the same, I`m OK with either of them.
Here are the steps:
1.This one is essential:you must open the photo (even if it`s jpeg) in Camera Raw. To do this, in Photoshop you have to go to Edit->Preferences->File Handling->and check
"Prefer Adobe Camera Raw for JPEG files".

2.Once in Camera Raw,the second step is also very important. When you see the "Open Image" button on the right lower side,don`t click on it but press and keep pressed the Shift key and click on that button which now will show "Open Object".
This way you will open the photo in Photoshop as a Smart Object and you`ll see why you need that.

3.You are in Photoshop now.Go to the following menu item:"Layer->Smart Objects->New Smart Object via copy. Be sure that you choose "via copy"!

4.Double click the newly created layer and it will open in Camera Raw.

5.Select the fourth menu under the histogram (HSL/Grayscale) and put a check mark in "Convert to grayscale".

6.Play with those sliders until you get something you like.I usually make the blue`s darker and the greens and yellows lighter.When done,click OK.

snunney (34998) 2008-11-01 3:13

Hello Karen,
An interesting and unusual composition that has a certain melancholy about it, accentuated by the black and white treatment. I like the low point of view and the way the eyes are directed up the steps and through the gap in the wall. There is a lack of contrast but my opinion is that it adds to the mood here.

Nelu's ideas are well worth considering and following, certainly as regards how you convert to black and white. However, I feel that his final version is just 'too much' and may not be what your are aiming for. Nevertheless, all a matter of personal taste. Keep on experimenting, that's where the fun lies.

Cretense (56326) 2008-11-01 8:10

Hi Karen!

Beautiful b&w conversion with beautiful contrasts that enhance the geometrical and graphic feeling of this photo! Great framing and composition! Congratulations!

Hercules

Flavia (10202) 2008-11-13 17:34

Hi Karen,

I like the mood in this one. Its a sad mood. B&w was a good idea, but you should had allowed more contrast on the bg instead of pushing the light tones down. The beauty of a B&w in general is the contrast between white areas and bleck ones. I see someone did a WS for you with this ideia. Nice.

Regards,

Flavia