Critique: which B&W edit - London

J

Jurat

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So I got this shot which despite the fact that it should have been in portrait mode I still want to share with the world because it's interesting. I've started using Silver Efex and am amazed by how different it is from the Fuji X100 out of the camera B&W but with this one I don't know which setting to use. So if you guys could nudge me into the right direction I'd appreciate it. And if you have any other PP suggestions I'd love to hear them.

setting 1:
17ws39.jpg

http://www.julienrath.eu/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/DSCF0020-Edit-2.jpg

setting 2:
34iqm4h.jpg

http://www.julienrath.eu/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/DSCF0020-Edit.jpg
 
Prefer setting one - If it was me, I think I would also crop out the space on the right side of the image, so that the edge of the pavement visible next to her handbag is in the cropped image and lines up with the bottom right corner - creating a line from the bottom right into the image, that works with the other diagonals.

YMMV - it's all subjective remember 😉 btw. nice image - the dog makes it.

Cheers,

/Meakin
 
First one, definitely. Second loses detail in the highlights and shadows, without looking like it's on purpose.

I'd probably dial back the contrast even on the first one, to be honest. Silver Efex Pro is a great program, but it tends to blow out highlights and kill shadows way too easily with most of the film profiles.
 
One other thing (since you asked). You have a good photo going there w/ some interesting compositional opportunities. You might try cropping it to get that portrait mode you wanted. Or keep things as they are and clone out the walking girl in the far left background, as well as the car on the right.

For myself, if I have a composition problem/question, I like to print the photo and use a mat that's been cut in half. Then move the two cut mats around, one on either side, and see how things look with different crops. Strangely, I can spend a lot of time doing this and nearly always arrive at the same conclusion....just use the shot as it is.
 
Number one is number one!

I'm often surprised at how good the OOC B&W jpegs are, so much so, that if I think I might even be tempted to have a frame be n B&W, I hit the RAW button and make a "print" of it in the X100. If it needs any burning or dodging or fine finessing, I just bring the jpeg into SEfXP2 and bust out the control points as needed. Not always, mind you, but sometimes the camera just nails it.
 
Here's another crop suggestion: square, cropping so that the light pole shadow in the left foreground is cropped out. I think that would mean the small tree on the other side of the road is just included on the right hand side.
Reason: I find the white object on the left side of frame next to the lady distracting. But just cropping that out chops her arm off and cuts the shadow of the pole. Also, the white wall facing camera at top left also draws my eye away from the subject.
Worth a try?
 
lynnb said:
Here's another crop suggestion: square, cropping so that the light pole shadow in the left foreground is cropped out. I think that would mean the small tree on the other side of the road is just included on the right hand side.
Reason: I find the white object on the left side of frame next to the lady distracting. But just cropping that out chops her arm off and cuts the shadow of the pole. Also, the white wall facing camera at top left also draws my eye away from the subject.
Worth a try?
Click to expand...

tried this:
2hzpft3.jpg


dodged the wall in the back and changed the crop. what do you think?
 
celluloidprop said:
I don't care for either cropped version - much more of a snapshot now than a composition, IMO.
Click to expand...

I usually don't crop my shots. Was just trying all the tips out that I was getting here.

And I have to say this was a snapshot(in a sense) I was surprised by the dog and shot this out of the hip without any composition whatsoever. Maybe I should add a poll....😀
 
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