B&W Pics
Nov 11, 2011 10:14:19 #
Hi everyone :D
I love taking B&W pictures, but read somewhere that it is better to shoot all your pictures in color then edit to B&W later. What do you guys think about this?
I love taking B&W pictures, but read somewhere that it is better to shoot all your pictures in color then edit to B&W later. What do you guys think about this?
Nov 11, 2011 10:21:47 #
I agree. There are about 4000 ways to convert a color to a black and white. Each one yielding different results. Some subtle and some some stark. Each photo will yield different results with different techniques based on the light and color values of the photograph. So no techniques yields the same exact result every time.
Because of this, if you are really into B&W photography, it is often more pleasing to experiment with those multitude of options yourself instead of letting the camera decide with the three or four options it has.
My 2 cents
Because of this, if you are really into B&W photography, it is often more pleasing to experiment with those multitude of options yourself instead of letting the camera decide with the three or four options it has.
My 2 cents
Nov 11, 2011 10:34:19 #
Thanks for your 2 cents. 8-) I look forward to playing around with my editing program.
Nov 11, 2011 10:37:31 #
My nickles worth if you please. When you shoot a color photo do you have in mind what it might look like in b&w? Do you shoot different if you want a b&w photo? I shoot my b&w in the b&w mode. I photoshop or convert very few of my photos. I have posted before. I know that Ansel Adams spent hours correcting his photos. Did he ever have the option of shooting in color and converting to b&w? With contrast, lighting and composition I look at the subject I am photographing different for b&w than color.
Nov 11, 2011 10:41:47 #
snazz23 wrote:
Hi everyone :D
I love taking B&W pictures, but read somewhere that it is better to shoot all your pictures in color then edit to B&W later. What do you guys think about this?
I love taking B&W pictures, but read somewhere that it is better to shoot all your pictures in color then edit to B&W later. What do you guys think about this?
Yeah I always shoot in color then edit...but that is just my preference...I like shooting color first also because I am a big fan of selective color editing
Nov 11, 2011 11:21:59 #
Most of the time I shoot, I do consider what it will look like in BW. But that just comes from experience. Sometimes, however, I try a technique and like it.
Nov 12, 2011 05:46:47 #
To give yourself an extra options, shoot the image in both color and B&W. Before moving the camera, try different exposure settings while you're at it, too.
A great color photo doesn't always translate well to black and white, which depends more on contrast differences to look good.
A great color photo doesn't always translate well to black and white, which depends more on contrast differences to look good.
Nov 12, 2011 07:22:00 #
snazz23 wrote:
Hi everyone :D
I love taking B&W pictures, but read somewhere that it is better to shoot all your pictures in color then edit to B&W later. What do you guys think about this?
I love taking B&W pictures, but read somewhere that it is better to shoot all your pictures in color then edit to B&W later. What do you guys think about this?
Shooting than editing in color will enhance the gray tones that are lost if you just shoot B&W... One add on B&W conversion program to look at is NIK Silver EX Pro....
Nov 12, 2011 08:01:02 #
snazz23 wrote:
I love taking B&W pictures, but read somewhere that it is better to shoot all your pictures in color then edit to B&W later. What do you guys think about this?
I always shoot with color in mind, but find that some images work well in B&W as well. Here is a good example. I would never have considered B&W when shooting in the Caribbean because of the gorgeous colors. I used a polarizing filter for the color shot, and converted to B&W using a red channel filter and modifying from there.
Trunk Bay, St Johns, USVI
Trunk Bay in Black and White
Nov 12, 2011 08:58:47 #
Well, you can change colour to B&W but you cannot shoot in B&W and change to colour!!
Nov 12, 2011 10:09:09 #
sparky192 wrote:
Well, you can change colour to B&W but you cannot shoot in B&W and change to colour!!
...and by allowing the camera to do the creative work of the conversion the photographer loses control. Do the job from a color Raw file in post processing. I have rarely seen outstanding results from something a simple as applying "desaturate" so I use a Photoshop plug-in by Topaz. Nik is the definitive, albeit far more expensive, industry standard.
Nov 12, 2011 11:14:10 #
sparky192 wrote:
Well, you can change colour to B&W but you cannot shoot in B&W and change to colour!!
If you shoot RAW you can change a shot taken in B/W back to colour :-D
I also find b/w shot in camera results in a flat looking b/w. There isn't enough range in b/w. Too much grey.
I shoot in colour and then convert to B/W. I like having the control to adjust all my tones (highlights, mid and low), I aslo dodge and burn areas to get the look I want. I liken of shooting in B/W in camera too shoting in auto and not manual. I want full control of my camera and full control of the final product.
Nov 12, 2011 11:15:23 #
It seems to me anyway that a great photo usually, not always,
is found amongst a gaggle of rejects. Digital photography has saved me a lot of $$. Digital rejects are cheap and allows one to purchase better equipment with the $$ saved. I have learned this saving $$ concept from Wife and Daughter whom I love dearly. If I had all the money they have saved we would be millionaires.
is found amongst a gaggle of rejects. Digital photography has saved me a lot of $$. Digital rejects are cheap and allows one to purchase better equipment with the $$ saved. I have learned this saving $$ concept from Wife and Daughter whom I love dearly. If I had all the money they have saved we would be millionaires.
Nov 12, 2011 11:20:52 #
snazz23 wrote:
Hi everyone :D
I love taking B&W pictures, but read somewhere that it is better to shoot all your pictures in color then edit to B&W later. What do you guys think about this?
I love taking B&W pictures, but read somewhere that it is better to shoot all your pictures in color then edit to B&W later. What do you guys think about this?
Yes, I think this is the best way :thumbup:
Nov 12, 2011 12:34:05 #
Russell Brown has a wonderful video on converting color to B&W.
http://av.adobe.com/russellbrown/CS3Color_To_BWSM.mov
I've used it to good effect. A B&W shot of a dark blue next to a dark red may show little or no contrast because the colors convert to the same shade of gray. Play with the color shifting and you can convert a good color photo to a comparably good B&W. In one instance, a friend wanted a tribute to her brother, who was a photographer, in an ad. His photo was dark and moody, and just converting it to B&W produced a dark mud. I was able to shift the colors enough to come up with a result which our friend was very pleased with.
http://av.adobe.com/russellbrown/CS3Color_To_BWSM.mov
I've used it to good effect. A B&W shot of a dark blue next to a dark red may show little or no contrast because the colors convert to the same shade of gray. Play with the color shifting and you can convert a good color photo to a comparably good B&W. In one instance, a friend wanted a tribute to her brother, who was a photographer, in an ad. His photo was dark and moody, and just converting it to B&W produced a dark mud. I was able to shift the colors enough to come up with a result which our friend was very pleased with.
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