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The Definitive Sony B&W Images Thread

craygc

Member
Family lineage...

Family Lineage by Tre Nelson, on Flickr
Hi Tre,

Curiosity has the better of me and need to ask, how are you processing your B&W conversions? The reason I ask is that I notice on all your images that if I start to clip your blacks in PS, it starts off almost as line art, which is certainly not usual behaviour.
I only realised this because your images looked low contrast and I wanted to check if it was due to not having a black point set :p
 

iiiNelson

Well-known member
Hi Tre,

Curiosity has the better of me and need to ask, how are you processing your B&W conversions? The reason I ask is that I notice on all your images that if I start to clip your blacks in PS, it starts off almost as line art, which is certainly not usual behaviour.
I only realised this because your images looked low contrast and I wanted to check if it was due to not having a black point set :p
Depends on the image but sometimes I will raise the black point from 0 to say 3 or 4 to give a slightly faded contrast but it depends on the image. Most images I don't do this to but with a handful that I've presented here I did. Desaturation and contrast adjustments happen "to taste" at times and I also really only post jpegs versus the RAW that I work with. JPEG really doesn't hold up to much manipulation.

With Sony images (and especially ones I envision in B&W) I tend to expose to ensure minimal highlight clipping even if I have to under expose because there's usually a 1-2 EV recovery I can do to raise the exposure if need be but pulling highlights down is an exercise in futility in more cases than not from my experience... I rather a darker in camera image than one that's too bright. Sony's do well at capturing shadow detail that maybe I've gotten accustomed to not paying as much attention to because they're so good at recovery.
 
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mediumcool

Active member
Hi Tre,

Curiosity has the better of me and need to ask, how are you processing your B&W conversions? The reason I ask is that I notice on all your images that if I start to clip your blacks in PS, it starts off almost as line art, which is certainly not usual behaviour.
I only realised this because your images looked low contrast and I wanted to check if it was due to not having a black point set :p
Looks like nothing but under-exposure to me. Lower tones are hence insufficiently separated, and rendered dull and lifeless. Not a good look when there is considerable detail below Zone 5!
 

iiiNelson

Well-known member
Looks like nothing but under-exposure to me. Lower tones are hence insufficiently separated, and rendered dull and lifeless. Not a good look when there is considerable detail below Zone 5!
Well that's one opinion but I explained above already. If my images don't strike a chord with you then that's okay. They are not for everyone and that's perfectly fine by me.
 

gandolfi

Subscriber Member
Gandolfi; very kool rendering, love the old darkness of your shot...the seat of the Bishop of Bath & Wells..as usual your work is very inspiring and the locations just bring back memories, thanks for sharing....Takomru
Takomaru, thanks. The Wells West Front is impressive, isn't it?

Here's a snap taken in 2009 during some renovation work, with a fine example of 'workman's humour';)

(tho' taken with a Lumix LX3)
 

takomaru

Member
Takomaru, thanks. The Wells West Front is impressive, isn't it?

Here's a snap taken in 2009 during some renovation work, with a fine example of 'workman's humour';)

(tho' taken with a Lumix LX3)
Thank you, Gandolfi; I'm going down memory lane with your shots...love the perspective on this one, printed would be very nice...we're printing on washi with ink from direct offset and the results for duo-tritone b&w art are stunning...great and impacting style, thanks for sharing, Takomaru
 
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