abc1234 Loc: Elk Grove Village, Illinois

I have to agree with Mogul. Way too dark and contrasty. Compare this to the lovely tones in the woodworker Graham posted recently. I disagree with Nightski. The woodworker was far better technically and artistically. It reminds me of Yosef Karsh.

The picture reminds me of the South African miner shot by the wonder Margaret Bourke-White. Except this lacks the subtlety.

Graham, do you shoot raw? How do you convert to monochrome? This may shed light on the result.

Graham Smith Loc: Cambridgeshire UK

Hello ebrunner, I post both new and older images, last week I posted some of a hunt meet in Lincolnshire which were current. I enjoy a wide variety of things and I am fortunate in being able to visit places and events that take my fancy. During the summer I visited a number of livestock markets, this autumn I have photographed four ploughing matches and an agricultural show, I posted pictures from these soon after each event. I visit Scotland at least once a year sometimes twice. I'm in Cambridge about once every two weeks and London several times a year, in fact, weather permitting, I am going down to London this coming Sunday. I will spend most of my day in Brick Lane and then perhaps, time permitting, some other spots, . And I will be visiting another meet of foxhounds on 11th of this month. I'm a busy boy :-)
As to posts from my archives, I have many thousands of images and I believe that an older image is just as valid as a new one. One of the reasons that I seem to be posting a run of older pictures is that I am about to update my web site and am reviewing everything I have and re-editing some for display on my site. Some I am posting here to get them critiqued, I am a poor judge of my own pictures and I get much useful feedback from this forum.

PS: Lifestyle? I didn't think I had one ;-)

Graham

Graham Smith Loc: Cambridgeshire UK

Hi abc1234, I always shoot raw, import into Lightroom, do some work in there then into Pshop and perhaps a few more adjustments to the colour image then covert in SFX.

The image is deliberately dark but monitors vary in the way people have them adjusted so this could be making it appear more dark to some than others. The same applies to contrast.

Thanks for your comments, much appreciated,

Graham

abc1234 Loc: Elk Grove Village, Illinois

Graham, I agree with you on the monitors. In fact, exporting from LR to job often requires more tweaking to get the jpg right. Frustrating. However, I suspect that this shot is just too dark for my taste.

I thought you were too sophisticated and experienced not to shoot raw. With the list of places to shoot, you are an amateur in the original intent of the word. Good for you and thanks for sharing.

What is SFX?

Graham Smith Loc: Cambridgeshire UK

It wouldn't do for us to all have the same tastes :-)


SFX is Silver Efex Pro 2 from Nik Software, in my opinion the best monochrome converter bar none.

abc1234 Loc: Elk Grove Village, Illinois

I agree with you on tastes. As for monochrome, I am so enamored with color because we could not get good color until the 80's that I have no interest in going back to my black and white roots. However, I have seen some great monochrome being done today. Your woodworker is an example.

To complete the discussion, here is my previous reference.

Margaret Bourke-White

Country's Mama Loc: Michigan

I would love to see some from the livestock market and the ploughing matches. I took a few livestock photos this weekend that I will be posting soon and would love to see how you approach this subject.

Country's Mama Loc: Michigan

I love how you have captured his joy and enthusiasm. I wisyou had used a tighter crop. I am not a fan of the people in the background. I think he is the main subject here and they do little to add to the picture.

Graham Smith Loc: Cambridgeshire UK

I'll post one now "The Auctioneers"

Graham

Nightski

I like this one much better than the woodworker one. I still wouldn't change a thing about this. The darkness contrasts with his brilliant smile. I love that.

BHC Loc: Strawberry Valley, JF, USA

Graham, I'd like to clarify my comment. I have never seen a B&W photo that was perfectly exposed; the closest was HCB. If you prefer to shoot some pictures so they appear dark, you are in good company, namely Karsh, Smith and the genius of the Rolleiflex, Margaret Bourke-White. But I have noticed that Bourke-White could also adjust her technique; I reference her 1946 picture of Ghandi and his spinning wheel, a masterful use of light and dark colors.

You, Graham, have your own technique, not a copy of someone else's style, but a unique mindset toward exposure. The only reason I mentioned that your pictures were dark and contrasty was because you seemed insistent that you receive some critical comments. But, "Way too dark and contrasty" is more than I ever intended; I would no more make an absolute statement like this than I would criticize Karsh for snatching Churchill's cigar.

Proper critique must not be absolute. Each vision of adjustment is unique to the viewer. So I must regrettably use this posting to you in order to deliver a message to "others" on this forum. If anyone ever thinks my comments are a license to build upon those comments or jump on the bandwagon to join the parade, I have a message for them. BACK OFF! I do not like being quoted OR paraphrased out of context. Take ownership of your own comments!

Thank you, Graham, for continuing to give us learning opportunities!

Graham Smith Loc: Cambridgeshire UK

Mogul, I fully understand your critique and the thought behind it, I appreciate it. I would never let any criticism shift me from my "vision" for an image, but all criticism is registered by me and is / can be used to influence the way I move, hopefully, ahead.

As to me insisting on critical comment, on the contrary, it's the management that insits on it, we must avoid the censors dreaded red button ;-)

I'm not averse to a few "great picture" or "I like it", I'm only human after all. But I really do enjoy my pictures being disected, it's probably the best learning tool available. Sometimes the criticism cuts to the quick but I'm too long in the tooth and, I like to think, wise to let that worry me for long!

Thank you, Mogul,

Graham

BHC Loc: Strawberry Valley, JF, USA

Sorry, Graham, I have too much respect for you and others to make blanket statements. You used ISO 640 in this picture. I probably would have not gone that high. But if I am to learn anything from anyone, it can't be accomplished by an absolute statement that your ISO was too high. Maybe, i'll learn more and my critiques will serve a better purpose if I asked you why you went to 640. Also, with a 300mm lens at full extension, why did you use a slow shutter speed of 1/80? By the way, were you using a tripod or did you hand hold. If you hand held at 1/80, what is your secret for shooting two stops slower than recommended? I suppose one of my concerns is that, if I make a comment or ask a question you find offensive, you will not continue to give me a glimpse into the techniques of a master. And, if you ever do make a bad mistake, will I be able to address it in a manner that will not only point out the error, but will also revealed the thought processes from which I will learn. That's the way I work. I'd much rather ask why you did something than try to judge whether it's right or wrong. Thank you for your patience.

Graham Smith Loc: Cambridgeshire UK

Hello Mogul, the D700 performs well at higher ISO's and with street photography a small amount of noise is, to me, acceptable. Using the higher ISO also enables me to keep the shutter speed up in the low light conditions that we often encounter on the UK streets. I like to shoot this type of image with a wide aperture to de-focus the cluttered backgrounds, this lens was wide open at f/5.6. I was working in aperture priority, as I mostly do, so the camera set the 1/80. Together with the fact that the lens has VR, and that I am a pretty muscular person having spent my entire working life doing heavy manual work that needs great dexterity, I have no problem getting shake free images where others might struggle.
The tripod question, I never use one (apart from the odd landscape) it would be very difficult, if not impossible, on busy city streets. I like to work quickly and keep on the move as people can become conscious of cameras and this can change their demeanour, playing to the camera or stop doing what attracted me to them in the first place.

I am of the school that thinks there is no absolute rights or wrongs in photography, the end result justifies the means. But, having said that, a good grasp of the fundamentals of photography is absolutely.. erm... fundamental.

Me offended, how can I be offended by intelligent questions? Many have tried to offend me, very few have succeeded.

Now for mistakes, my life is littered with them but I hope I have built on them to make me better, so please point out what you think is a mistake and I will try understand and explain why it happened, of course I might not always agree that it was a mistake and some mistakes are quite serendipitous.

Graham, who likes to ask and be asked questions.