Try it in Black and White
Monday, November 9, 2009 at 7:01 PM
Every so often, I find my images just don't look right when I pull them up on the computer. I'll be excited about a shot in the field, only to find myself a little disappointed when I get home. The problem for me usually isn't that I don't like the photograph. It's just that it seems a bit off.
I sometimes find that these photographs just need to be seen in a different way. One thing I'll often do is hit "V" in Lightroom to see a grayscale version. This gives me an idea if the image works in black and white and I take it from there.
That is exactly what I did with this shot from a recent trip to Monterey. A little work in Silver Efex Pro and I was able to produce an image more like what I envisioned when I first saw the scene in my viewfinder.
Reader Comments (2)
Not sure I agree with this. In order to have a stunning black & white image the photographer must see in black & white before the camera's shutter is pressed. While some may think it gives it a "different feel" or a quick fix for ill set white balance. All those colors/contrast play an integral part when the photo is presented in black & white. If the photo was not originally conceived in black & white the impact of this style is lost.
It's like actions for a photo editor. One runs through all the actions to see which one makes a photo look "better". Shouldn't the photographer have the vision prior to these actions? If a photographer is thinking that a conversion/action will save a photo then there are issues with the photographer's vision in itself and perhaps one should spend more time working on that than clicking around on the computer?
I really like black & white photography and don't mean to come off like a bowl of sour grapes but I just don't agree that it should be done because there's a button for it. Call me a purist or whatever but one must see in black & white to capture it.
Great quote on Twitter that I fav'd went something like this "Actions for photography is like auto-tune for musicians"
Joey,
I agree that actions or b&w conversion software should not be used to "save" a bad photo. However, I am not suggesting that everyone take all their bad photos and turn them into b&w versions of their bad photos. What I'm saying here is that by viewing certain images in b&w, you give yourself the option of presenting that image in a different way. For example, I liked the original version of my photo here. I don't think of it as a bad photo that needed to be saved. But by working with it in Lightroom and Silver Efex Pro, I created something that better suited my creative vision. I never intended to tell anyone that they should use b&w conversions to "save" their images. If this is how you interpreted my post, then I have to apologize for not being more clear.
As for the ability to pre-visualize your images, I agree that this is an important skill for photographers to acquire. However, I also think that as an artist, it is just as important to allow yourself to explore your creative vision. Maybe I am different from most and not a "purist", but I find more and more that the images I bring home merely serve as a starting point for my creative process. This is not to say I don't try to take the best photo possible when in the field, but sometimes what I want to present just cannot be created in camera.
Steve