Over a Spring/Easter Holidays I went to a Wales - Conwy....I had never been there and it was lovely. As I grow up near the sea, I was very glad to see a open water again, what is a rare thing in Midlands....The weather was sunny for a change, and I was hoping to take some decent photographs over there....unfortunately light wasn't my friend ...as I went there it was a midday....the worst time to take some pictures...Back home when I look at my work - I didn't like it at all, but I had some idea how to improve that....I change some of images in Black and White and was very surprised that it turn out not so bad as I was imagine on first place. That give me an idea....Because is about time to me start seriously thinking about my other theme, what involves Landscape photography - I thought - as I am not mobile enough to go places in appropriate time (early mornings, late evenings), when light is the best to capture landscapes, I can do with some black&white images, which also look attractive taken in the daytime.
After a long break I went to college library to find some books about Black and White photography and also following advise from my tutor I decided to explore more in this area.
John Beardsworth
(Photography used to be a hobby. I took pictures in my spare time, made B&W and some colour prints in my kitchen-darkroom, and I shot a few weddings, but I was horribly sure I’d remain locked in a suit and tie (or at least in business casual). Somehow I escaped..../J.B./)
J.Beardsworth is a London based photographer and writer with a wealth of experience in shooting as digitally as on a film. He is the author of several books dedicated to Black&White photography as well as other.
The book what I came across was "Advanced - Digital Black&White Photography", -focusing on black and white photos J.Beardsworth looks at both the camera and techniques needed to capture good images, as well as the digital processing that can be applied. Laid out in a logical way - creatively teaching the art and science of seeing in black and white. Also rules of composition are illustrated with the authors fantastic black and white work. It works well as a guide and reference and just looking at the illustrations is thoroughly inspiring. In my opinion perfect starting point for learning digital B&W conversions.
The main thing what he advises is to shoot in RAW and in Color. Principe is simple- color images - especially RAW files- contain the maximum amount of information. Quality is every bit as important as flexibility...and the best way to produce highest quality pictures is to shoot them in color, using RAW mode, and then convert the picture in Black&White using or camera options or appropriate software.The only downside of that is - as much as I like RAW image quality, it is very hard to display it....On previous level I shoot all my images with RAW mode, but to download it on blog is not impossible as a file took so much space, I had to produce a screen grabs from each of one of them...as well as If you wish to print out, is hard to find printing service willing to do so.
But returning to the J.Beardsworth - he a lot uses digital manipulation...in my opinion good but also bad....our days most photographers create stunning images using computer tools, which I not very kin to...I didn't have Photoshop at home, but is not the only reason...I just trying to achieve, get image what I want without any other technical help....and that's is very hard I`ll be honest...So it doesn't surprise me that with a bit of channel mixer you can get probably more than one differing grayscale interpretations and decide which one you like more, and me same time never come even close to desirable result, but...that's life....and its not easy. But anyway, J.Beardsworth has a good point about all of this..."A well-composed picture will work equally well in color or black and white.."....So if happens to take a really good image its will nicely look as black and white...if not...you have to fix it.
For more
J.Beardsworth visit:
http://www.beardsworth.co.uk/But returning to the J.Beardsworth - he a lot uses digital manipulation...in my opinion good but also bad....our days most photographers create stunning images using computer tools, which I not very kin to...I didn't have Photoshop at home, but is not the only reason...I just trying to achieve, get image what I want without any other technical help....and that's is very hard I`ll be honest...So it doesn't surprise me that with a bit of channel mixer you can get probably more than one differing grayscale interpretations and decide which one you like more, and me same time never come even close to desirable result, but...that's life....and its not easy. But anyway, J.Beardsworth has a good point about all of this..."A well-composed picture will work equally well in color or black and white.."....So if happens to take a really good image its will nicely look as black and white...if not...you have to fix it.
F/13, 1/100, ISO 100
F/13, 1/80, ISO 100
Thees was taken in Conwy bay, week ago...not of best of time, I had to use a small adjustments of contrast and sharpness and also converted them in black&white. They not the best one considering fact that I just finish my close-ups and turn into Landscapes, which requires using different camera settings.
F/20, 1/80, ISO 200
F/29, 1/15, ISO 200
Last two was recently made, by the canal close to Branston water park. This time fallowing advise I gone for a RAW in color, which after conversion in B&W turned out as JPG file. As I get use to landscape photography I realize that is very important to get complete scene into focus - changing F stop, smallest possible can do that very well. These images I only turn black and white without any other adjustments. Even it is not the best result possible I quite happy about myself...because I learned from my mistakes....and hopefully will produce for future something better and better.
J.Beardsworth visit:
Back from Conwy I bring some images, which doesn't quite apply to landscape photography....they were more of the mixture of documentary, landscape and close ups....so in order to include them to my theme I had to find some similar artist to compere with.
Fay Godwin
(17 February 1931 – 27 May 2005)
F.Godwin was a noted British photographer, most widely known for her black-and-white landscapes of the British countryside and coast. Two books which I borrowed from college library give me chance to get to know her better and explore she’s work in black and white photography.
The photographs I came across were a bit too depressive for me, there is a deep loneliness in some of her images, a sense of desolation - hoverer photographed exclusively in black and white it is a very good collection of bleak images of the British landscape. Is not even close to glossy coffee table photo books, but is totally unsentimental in its outlook, concentrating on light, shade and form, which is what photography is all about, and probably it is a beautiful at the same time..... She had a real, natural, intuitive feel for landscape, that’s for sure. I read in Internet that Fay Godwin get famous when she was already in her fifties - that's sounds promising and I am very glad, because I always thought that I am too old to do this, so I hope I still have a chance.
F.Godwin had no formal photographic training. As a author of several books dedicated to the land of its own F.Godwin nicely present photographs show to us a contrasts of classical landscape images with images providing documents of mans impact on the land - historically through monuments, stone circles and contemporary - environmental issues as well as political.
| My way into photography was through family snaps in the mid-1960’s. I had no formal training, but after the snaps came portraits, reportage, and finally, through my love of walking, landscape photography, all in black and white. A Fellowship with the National Museum of Photography in Bradford led to urban landscape in colour, and very personal close-up work in colour has followed. | ||
—Fay Godwin, ca. 2000, | ||
Probably not the best image examples, but that's all what I can find in Internet - books was full with outstanding photographs, but none of them was available in the net...but even from these you could understand what I meant when I say depressive....and lonely...I just get that feel look at them....it’s no doubt there are different meanings below each of them. F.Godwin photographing isolated and remote areas of the British landscape and producing many beautiful pastoral scenes as well as contrasting urban landscapes, reflected in the complex relationships and tensions between man and nature.
More from F.Godwin:
My tensions probably was very simple, when I went for a day to Wales....I was happy and excited to change a scene, capturing something new for me....as I didn't bring a tripod, had to adjust my settings anyway to handhold the camera. Like I said I wasn't pleased with result and all photographs needed touch ups in computer, but still is turned out somehow well-
More from F.Godwin:
http://www.ephotozine.com/article/no-man-s-land---fay-godwin-s-last-interview-67
More from me:
More from me:
F/11, 1/160, ISO 100
F/11, 1/160, ISO 100
These two was shoot originally in Monochrome mode, just to see how its works, no any adjustments done.
F/7.1, 1/100, ISO 100
F/7.1, 1/100, ISO 100
F/11, 1/200, ISO 100
Last ones was a bit manipulated, I change from color to B&W an added some sharpness and contrast.
My tensions probably was very simple, when I went for a day to Wales....I was happy and excited to change a scene, capturing something new for me....as I didn't bring a tripod, had to adjust my settings anyway to handhold the camera. Like I said I wasn't pleased with result and all photographs needed touch ups in computer, but still is turned out somehow well-
Hi
ReplyDeleteAs we discussed last week these seaside images may be used as your themes work if you feel that they can be used on their own. They do show a very close similarity between your research and your images. Can you make that clear decision so there is no misunderstanding in what you are producing and for which theme, thanks.
Steve
Hi
ReplyDeleteCan you also look to narrow your selection of images to around 40 from each theme and no more. You can then focus on post production and photoshop. Of course you can still shoot more and look to raise the bar by replacing some as the work gets better.
Steve