Which One? I took a picture of this gentleman and his friend on the waterfront this evening, with his permission. I took it in color then did a black and white conversion. I'm new to...

John Lawrence

I took a picture of this gentleman and his friend on the waterfront this evening, with his permission. I took it in color then did a black and white conversion. I'm new to this and wondered which one you prefer, if either. I'm not ready for a full blown critique but would welcome any pointers you offer.

Color

B&W

St3v3M Loc: 35,000 feet

The black and white gives it more character.

tramsey Loc: Texas

I agree

John Lawrence

St3v3M wrote:

The black and white gives it more character.

Thank you for your response. I took it in color but had a chance to study it when I got home. The dog has a proud stance and the gentleman is looking at him so I felt the dog had become my subject. That's why I tried the black and white and it seemed to put the spotlight on the dog where I now think it belongs.

John Lawrence

tramsey wrote:

I agree

Thank you for your input, tramsey. I appreciate it.

colo43 Loc: Eastern Plains of Colorado

John Lawrence wrote:

I took a picture of this gentleman and his friend on the waterfront this evening, with his permission. I took it in color then did a black and white conversion. I'm new to this and wondered which one you prefer, if either. I'm not ready for a full blown critique but would welcome any pointers you offer.

It looks Great!

John Lawrence

colo43 wrote:

It looks Great!

Thank you for your input, colo43.

tom kf4wol

Hi John,

I like both of them very much, neat to find a situation like that of 'real life' and share with all of us.

I love the every day life type shots verses dressed up and posed shooting.....Thanks for sharing..

Hope your day has been great.

Blessings.

tom

PAR4DCR Loc: A Sunny Place

John,
Both are good shots but I think the B&W is my choice. Being a dog lover I agree, the dog has become the subject of your shot in B&W.
Don

John Lawrence

PAR4DCR wrote:

John,
Both are good shots but I think the B&W is my choice. Being a dog lover I agree, the dog has become the subject of your shot in B&W.
Don

Thank you, Don. I'm learning that so much about capturing a good photo is governed by luck. I was walking the waterfront trying to get some shots of the harbor. I stopped to admire the dog and the gentleman seemed friendly. He gave me permission for one shot so my focus was on him. I got home and realized I actually had two different photos in one. How can you plan that.

Rob48 Loc: Portland, ME

John Lawrence wrote:

I took a picture of this gentleman and his friend on the waterfront this evening, with his permission. I took it in color then did a black and white conversion. I'm new to this and wondered which one you prefer, if either. I'm not ready for a full blown critique but would welcome any pointers you offer.

John Lawrence, I think they are both well-composed, crisp and clear; well done. These photos illustrate the following excerpt from a piece by Caroline Knapp:

When you speak to people about what it's like to live with a dog, you hear them talk about discovering a degree of solace that's extremely difficult to achieve in relationships with people, a way of experiencing solitude without the loneliness. You hear them talk about the dog's capacity to wrest their focus off the past and future and plant it firmly in the present. Above all, you hear them talk about feeling accepted in a new way, accompanied through daily life and over the course of years by a creature who bears witness to every change, every shift in mood, everything we do and say and experience, never judging us when we falter or fail.

John Lawrence

Rob48 wrote:

John Lawrence, I think they are both well-composed... (show quote)

Thank you for your kind words and the beautiful excerpt. This shot has become special to me so I bought a pair of two-sided frames and put the color shot on one side and the black and white on the other. I'm going to give one set to the gentleman in the picture and already have the second set in my office. I'm going to type your excerpt and put it with the one in my office.