best way to get black and white with A7R?

[peppard]

As an experienced B&W wet printer, I feel very confident saying that the beauty of B&W lies in the subtleties. Understanding tonal relationships is key. It is not about tones in the absolute sense, but how they interact with each other within a given image and in relation to paper white/mountboard/lighting that will take a traditional or digital printer to the next level. The difference between a 'digital looking an in your face B&W image' and a beautiful one that leaves you agape can surprise you in its subtlety. Sadly, there are no easy shortcuts to mastering this.....

Thank you very much, Turtle. That's why I spend a lot of time in the dark room, trying to learn how to become a good, not great, printer. I feel I have not arrived at a satisfactory level to post anything yet.
Giorgio

 

[goo0h]

As an experienced B&W wet printer, I feel very confident saying that the beauty of B&W lies in the subtleties. Understanding tonal relationships is key. It is not about tones in the absolute sense, but how they interact with each other within a given image and in relation to paper white/mountboard/lighting that will take a traditional or digital printer to the next level. The difference between a 'digital looking an in your face B&W image' and a beautiful one that leaves you agape can surprise you in its subtlety. Sadly, there are no easy shortcuts to mastering this.....

I have a close friend that is very talented in the darkroom, and have enjoyed times working with him on prints. Alas, I doubt I'd ever be that good at it, but at least it has given me more appreciation for this interaction of light that can make well done wet prints truly magical....

Honestly, while digital b/w has come a long way in recent years and can even be pretty darn impressive at times, I will always slightly prefer well done wet prints from film. The reality, however, is that I just don't have the time nor resources for a darkroom. Even my friend, who has a darkroom, barely has any time these days to do anything with it. So I just have to figure out some way to--not replicate--but at least approach something acceptable, albeit different.

 

[Lightshow]

For my B&W shots I shoot raw and convert in Lightroom with the local selection tool(#6)
http://layersmagazine.com/create-stunning-black-and-white-images-in-lightroom.html
I find it gives me more than enough control to get the look I want, it's like being able to go back to use different filters after the capture.