Thank you for your service!

I have always been a PhotoShop user, so I stay in my comfort zone. I understand that Luminar is a very good alternative.

Thanks Robert! Teacher/Educator... A rose by any name..... You'll notice that my "bio" begins with Math Teacher. Actually I started before you; 1970 - 2006. 1990 was when I started the Tech gig.

Formerly a Math teacher, in 1990 I became the first Technology Integration Teacher in New York State. For the next seventeen years I taught teachers how to incorporate technology into their instructional strategies and students how to use technology as a tool to learn and publish their accomplishments.

Photography is a natural motivator for kids. My students and I used some of the very early digital cameras and enjoyed the evolution of them as they captured images of people, bugs, architecture, science experiments, and much more. I was fascinated with how even reluctant students would write volumes about the images they captured as if they were compelled to explain what this little slice of time meant to them.

I retired in 2006 and decided to take my own interest in photography to the next level and I've been learning and practicing ever since. I enjoy photographing everything, always looking for that image that clearly defines a person, a place, or a thing. Often it’s just capturing an image that describes an ordinary thing in an extraordinary manner.

I have been a Partner at Image City Photography Gallery on University Ave., Rochester, NY, for the past 12 years and I enjoy making mostly architectural images, but occasionally strays into some street work and portraiture.

I did read your entire post. I'm reacting to the statement you made... "Here is the kind of background I would rather have." Those photos had a nice creamy, out of focus, bokeh. I assumed that'as what you were looking for. I would love to look at some of your posts and pictures, but haven't got that far in this forum. Perhaps you can direct me. I also went to the web page suggested in your bio... but it has been taken down.

There are many good suggestions here. I might add, as someone has already stated, that you need to practice, practice, practice. Join a local photo club. Post in many places asking for feedback. Getting your work critiqued is the best way to improve... and you can't have a thin skin.

I decided to only produce B&W images about 5 years ago and I think I'm getting the hang of it. After a while, you begin to "see" in B&W and the images will find you.

A basic workflow for me is to shoot RAW in color. I use Photoshop to process my RAW images. I use "Levels" to improve contrast. Levels allows you to make sure you have pure black (just a little usually) somewhere in your photo and pure white (again, just a little), and then use the middle slider to adjust the midtones dark or light to your preference. I then use NIK Silver Effects Pro to convert my photo to B&W. There are many presets that are quite good and you can tweak them.

I opened your original in Camera Raw (even though it is a JPG). I used the "Geometry"
section to correct the verticals and then cropped it to get rid of the large (too heavy) columns on the left and right. I also had to do a bit of cloning in the lower left corner because of small empty space due to the crop.

I saw the reply regarding the UV filter. I have seen that happen as well, but that will not give you the bokeh you are after.

The photos you have shown last have the bokeh you desire. They were taken with an f-stop at 1.4, 2.0, 2.8, nothing more. Your photos are at f/8, f/5.6, f/7.1, etc. You will never get a creamy bokeh at those apertures. Additionally, a very long lens "flattens" your photo accentuating the affect. I would bet the 2 last examples were taken with a lens less than 100mm. Finally, at the distance you were shooting , even with a high shutter speed, will exaggerate any movement. The "streaks" you see are from light bouncing off the grasses and their movement. They are acceptable photographs, but without the bokeh you are after. If your lens allows, stop down to 2.8, put your ISO in it's natural setting - probably 100 or 200, and I think you'll get what you are after.