Early Wake Up Call 2.5 MONO

[ShaneS]

At the urging of Mike and Binnur and their suggestion that the images captured in my Early Wake Up Call 2 thread would look good in black and white I took up the challenge

I didn't care for the first image in black and white but this is how the second (no sky shot) turned out:



I took Colin Southern's advice to heart here and was really bossy with the pixels...what do you think? Too much?

I think that the foreground rocks in the front left look a little flat and overdone but I was having a hard time deciding where to leave some of the sliders so I will leave it here for your sage advice and opinions.

Here is the color version for comparison purposes:

[Marie Hass]

Shane, I love the color version.

the coloration provides depth to the picture, that, imho, the first image does not have.

'Rie

[Mike Buckley]

It's just my own personal problem, but I'm having trouble liking this image in either version because I like the image displayed in your thread, Early Wake Up Call 2, so darn much.

Having said that, I will mention that I don't like the monochrome version in this thread as much as the color version because it lacks the feel of three dimensions so evident in the color version.

[Stagecoach]

Hi Shane,

Getting up at 4:30 am in the morning, travelling to the location with the aim of capturing colour and light and then turning it into B&W is something I can not grasp. For me this has totally ruined what was a great image.

I would add smilies but for some reason they are not working for me (Big Smile)

Grahame

[Mike Buckley]

Getting up at 4:30 am in the morning, travelling to the location with the aim of capturing colour and light

I think you hit the proverbial nail directly centered on its head. If you aim to capture color, why make a monochrome image? However, if you aim to capture texture, shape, lines, form and the early morning light that renders them as at no other time of day, go ahead and make the monochrome image.

[Stagecoach]

I think you hit the proverbial nail directly centered on its head. If you aim to capture color, why make a monochrome image? However, if you aim to capture texture, shape, lines, form and the early morning light that renders them as at no other time of day, go ahead an make the monochrome image.

Mike, attempting to analyse further why I do not consider why this B&W conversion has worked for me;

a) In the colour version an aspect of shape is provided by the difference in colours between sea, sand, weed and rock area elements, this is not evident in the B&W version.

b) I do not consider the texture of the rocks which take up a large area of the scene has been improved in the B&W.

c) From my own experience of shooting these rocky watery areas there seems little difference between the affect of early morning light and cloudy day light unless you have the addition of the early morning colour.

d) The B&W has lost the three dimensional aspect I suspect due to the loss of colour.

Grahame

[Mike Buckley]

I understand your concerns, Grahame. However, I do believe that a lot of what you feel is missing in the monochrome version has to do with how it's post-processed, as the post-processing of the color version is far superior to my eyes.

[ShaneS]

Wow! I did not expect a conversion debate on this thread but it's all good and very informative

Marie, I was worried that when I pushed the pixels that I had lost some depth so your comment is very relevant. Both Mike and Grahame mentioned this also so I'm getting the point

Grahame, smiley or not your point is well taken! By the way my vantage point was quite a bit higher on this one so no wet knees or butt on this scene and it probably would have been better had I been lower but as has already been discussed in the other thread a fantastic sky was not provided by Mother Nature so I needed to adjust.

Mike, point also well taken that side light brings out the texture in a scene.

I may play around with the sliders in Silver Efex Pro a little more to confirm that it is the scene rather that the conversion that has cause the lack of depth. Some good PP practice if nothing else.

Thanks to everyone!

[bnnrcn]

Hi Shane, I told you trying things is good, as you see we have gained some useful info from the above comments I haven't read any books about B&W yet because I'm still reading about landscapes and I have also started reading ' Science and Magic' to learn about 'light' more. But I can see that , the photography has so many aspects that it is impossible to digest everything in a short time. It takes time but it is also fun

[Shadowman]

Shane,

I think the black and white version stops the eyes from moving, it's too much in your face the bleakness of the scene just hits you at once. The color version, with it's traces of color allows the eyes or encourages the eyes to move across the scene. Perhaps if you used a gradation of grays across the mono version it would be less stark and immediate.