shot in b/w

[ranchermom]

Sunset branches


Camera Nikon D60
Exposure 0.017 sec (1/60)
Aperture f/5.6
Focal Length 55 mm
Focal Length 55.0 mm
ISO Speed 400
Exposure Bias 0 EV
Flash No Flash

Been having lots of trouble with my b/w here lately. This one was shot in the b/w setting, not converted. I would like some feed back on the contrasts. is it too dark?

[SwissJon]

I read somewhere on this forum that you shouldn't shoot in B/W mode.. Always shoot in colour and convert later, that way you have far more control over the levels.

I think this is true of this composition. I love the darkness of the tree.. Winter trees work very well in sillouette, this is no exception. The clouds add some lovely interest. The hillside behind the tree however, is too dark, as I think you already guessed, and gives the impression that the tree is starting a little way up the photograph. If it had been a single trunk, that would have been ok, but it's not, and it looks wrong.

If you'd shot this in colour, you could have rescued this by altering the colours so that the hillside was lighter, without losing the sillouette, nor the interest in the sky. This would have pushed the tree forward, where it belongs, adding some depth to the photograph.

It's a real shame you shot this in B/W mode, because I think that if you'd managed to lighten the hillside this would have been a great photo.

[ranchermom]

I totally see what you are saying. I've had a lousey time converting my color photos into b/w with my limited pp program. maybe something as simple as a crop would help?



thanks! I will continue working on my conversions!!

[EOBeav]

Picasa has a good way of converting B/W images. Use the color filters they have available and move through each color until you find the contrast that looks right It's a free download. GIMP would be another option with excellent b/w conversion tools, but the learning curve is quite a bit more steep.

[Krusty79]

If you're going for a silhouette shot, I think you need more contrast between the dark tree and the sky behind it. The sky is pretty dark, so there is not much contrast and the image lacks "pop." Also your horizon looks tilted. I am also wondering if a color version would look better.