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Mike Young's picture

Some recent mono work.

I always feel that it needs to be more contrasted in B&W, what are your thoughts?

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5 Comments

Nice! Compelling images. Good job

I don’t know if it NEEDS to be more contrasty, but just desaturating a color photo isn’t sufficient to produce a striking B&W image. That always results in a bland, lifeless scene.

To me, the subject determines the final processing. When I’m working on my concert photos, I want them to look like the arena sports photographers of the Speed Graphic days, with tons of contrast and high-ISO grain. For landscapes, I go for a wider tonal range with only a hint of grain. Even though I have presets for these and more, they are only starting points for the rest of the processing.

I like the composition in the second image here.

Thanks Phillip, the second image was taken a few days later and with more thought on the shot and processing. It is also the first time I have stood in a stream with a tripod. The first shot did not turn out as anticipated no matter what I did with it. I am still a way off creating my own presets but they are on my list. As per the song, the more I find out (about photography) the less I know.

You’re on the downhill side of the Dunning-Kruger curve. It takes awhile to turn upward again. 😉

Lokking at the model, I don't think it was more confidence than competence but rather enough confidence to experiment and lay it out for criticism. At the same time discovering that what I thought I knew is the tip of the iceberg. I find I learn more through humility than I ever would thinking I know more than I actually do.