another 2006 retrospective

[JeffR]

Like priller, I thought it might be interesting to look back on the year in monochrome. So:

January: not a very successful photo, but one I'm kind of attached to just the same


February: my aunt's funeral - the flower arrangements were beautiful, but I remember the day as a complete absence of color


March: Prince Edward Viaduct


April: shot in a derelict area that was once the center of the city's port operations


May: signs of life amid the benign neglect of the back yard


June: protest vigil for Lieutenant Ehren Watada, June 27 (check out http://www.thankyoult.org/ for info)


July: traipsing the urban wilderness near Taylor Creek


August: harbor master


September: self-storage complex


October: downtown


November: chapel


December: taken at a restaurant where the family gathered for a Christmas Eve brunch


Thank you, regnaD kciN for this year-end retrospective idea.

Thanks, Photography Group, for helping keep me sane throughout 2006. There won't be a thing about this year I'll miss, but I'll remember and appreciate the truly beautiful photographs everyone has posted here in 2006, and I look forward to being amazed and delighted by everything everyone will post next year.

[Eurobabe]

1. Nice work Jeff, I especially like the Old Chapel

It has an almost 'surreal' look to the area around the chimney. Thanks for posting. Maybe I will put mine together this morning while it's quiet here. Not a creature was stirring...

[regnaD kciN]

2. Very nice...

I particularly like March, July, September, November, and December.

You're obviously one of those members of the photo group who have a talent for doing black-and-white conversions. Whenever I try it, all I get is a mediocre grayscale that looks like it desperately needs color. But, with the images you put up here, I can hardly imagine a need for colors. Good show!

:applause:

[priller]

4. One thing I've noticed about "real" b&w photos

They tend to have lots of dark blacks and bright whites, with less mid-tone. When you say you end up with a "mediocre grayscale", try using something like the "Levels" function and pull in the two edge sliders to get more blacks and whites. Which is not the same thing as increasing overall contrast (although that can help, too).

[priller]

6. I picked up a little book a while back

called "Digital Black and White Photography", by John Beardsworth, that definitely helped me. He covers all the basics methods for doing b&w conversions (like Channel Mixer), plus he includes very helpful advice on learning to "see" in b&w. Even talks about things like duotones, "hand painting", simulating infrared, etc. Written for Photoshop, of course. Not a bad little book.

[JeffR]

5. My first attempts at B&W conversions were risible

But I've found through experimenting that different photos seem to call for different methods. Recently I've found that converting to sepia or some other duotone, backing off the midtones and boosting the tonal extremes slightly, then doing a grayscale conversion can be really effective. But it's always a bit of a crapshoot.

Priller's right about the need to juice the curves, definitely.

Your April tulip photo would be a great candidate for black-and-white.

[CC]

10. Here is a good

tutorial for Photoshop using LAB. I have had some luck with it. I also love his opening about film and digital. http://www.journalofaphotographer.com/workflow_tutorials/tutorial_converting_color_images_to_black_and_white.php

[priller]

3. Good collection!

I like the viaduct photo especially.

[Maestro]

7. Great stuff!

I've never been good at architectural photography.

[F.Gordon]

8. I really like April and September

If I'm looking and remembering the correct months. :crazy:

All very nice and I like the decision to go all B&W for your perspective.

[CC]

9. Great pics.

Love seeing them in black and white. Hard to pick a favorite though. Leaning toward March and August, and love the seagull.