Exercise 18 - colours into tones 2

I opted for number 2 - lightening the complexion without significantly altering the tones of the rest of the image.

Original version of the image

The 'default' version of the image was created using 'Greyscale' - whilst quite a raw conversion I think it works quite well because is simplifies the background.

Greyscale conversion

For this next conversion I added a Black & White Adjustment Layer and then very slightly increased the red slider - by 10 points.
Initially, I used the magic wand to select just his face and hair and then added a Curves Layer and lightened the selection. This conversion was acceptable, but no better than the greyscale version above - and considering the additional work involved, not really worth the effort.

Complexion lightened using the red slider

Lightening his face in this way certainly improves/lifts this image. My only comment would be that his forehead now blends into the pillar behind, whereas there is a clear distinction in the 'Greyscale' conversion.

Currently in the Pdog19 library - March

Advanced Digital Black & White Photography by John Beardsworth
(2007, Ilex Press Ltd)

I purchased this book 4 years ago when I started an image manipulation course at the local college. By section 3 of the first chapter I was completely out of my depth. So I put it on the shelf in the vain hope that one day I might pick it up and understand it. Two weekends ago I dug it out and read it - its actually a very good book.

The book has a natural flow and this makes it very easy to read - it starts with destructive conversion techniques, rapidly moves onto non-destructive techniques, and includes numerous creative effects. The images used are varied so you get a good feel for how b&w works, plus they're a good size so you can actually see what happening. Page layout is intuitive: screenshot > instruction > image with caption > screenshot > updated image with caption > etc, etc. Normally a couple of methods are documented for each process, plus the individual instructions are given in long hand and as short cuts. On top of this, the book also has loads of "a good little trick is to...".

For £19.99 it is superb value for money.

Exercise 17 - colours into tones

I selected a red lily for this exercise because of its striking colours. In Photoshop, I added a channel mixer layer and then saved a version of the image with each of the presets so that I could compare them side-by-side. In addition I also saved a greyscale version.

Rather just selecting 2 contrasting images, as per the exercise, I included all of the images in my blog because I thought the subtle change of tone across the sequence was interesting.

Ø       The blue filter is the least affective conversion for this particular image.

Ø       The greyscale and orange filters I put together in the sequence because of them being the 'standard' methods for creating b&w in digital and film photography, respectively. Both filters produce an acceptable b&w version, with the greyscale image having more contrast.

Ø       The red filter, unsurprisingly, produces an image least like the original - the red leaves turning white.

Ø       The yellowed filtered version I like the best - it has good tonal separation and makes a nice photograph.

Ø       The green and infrared filters are very stark b&w, quite limited in the tones represented and the IR is really just too dark.

       As shot

           Blue filter

          Greyscale

             Orange filter

        Red filter

             Yellow filter

            Green filter

               Infrared filter

Finally in terms of selecting a contrasting pair of images I would go for those with the red and green filters.

Exercise 16 - strength of interpretation

Part 1 - increased contrast using a pronounced S-curve

Trees - as shot

Trees - high contrast (pronounced S-curve)

The strong S-curve made the image look gaudy and very over processed. Taking the above image and converting it to b&w transformed it into something interesting.


Trees - b&w conversion

I added a futher curves layer and adjusted the red and green channels to create this 'lith' version.


Part 2 - high key treatment

Tulips - as shot

Tulips - high key colour

This image was created by slightly increasing the exposure in RAW. Once in Photoshop I added two adjustment layers - the first set to overlay and the second set to colour dodge. To convert the image to b&w I added a hue/saturation layer and set saturation to -100. After that I added a black & white adjustment layer leaving it with the default settings.


Tulips - b&w conversion

Finally I added a 2mm grey border to the image to anchor the flowers.

Exercise 15 - black & white

Armed and dangerous with some tips from the black and white pro's:

Ø        Avoid shooting with the sun behind you - your after contrast!

Ø        Whilst flat/dull days are poor for colour, their great for black and white - get out there with your camera and experiment.

Ø        What works in black and white? - the same as what works in colour...

Ø        On the other hand, a  poor colour image with a good tonal range can be 'worked' very effectively in black and white.

Ø        Black and white is very good enhancing depth.

I took my camera out with the specific purpose of taking black and white photographs for these next few exercises; it was a cold day with a very harsh sun and a good sky.

Interestingly I took shots that previously I would not have considered taking. By this I mean, shots that contained 'noise' or possibly more accurately 'clutter' - with the absolute belief that this would be removed/minimised/irrelevant because of the black and white processing. It took me back to an interview with Liam Neeson and the making of Schindler's List. The reason for black and white was so people could focus on the story not the detail of the film - for example, the blood. Colour is a very strong visual element and people are easily distracted by it, substitute this with grey and detail goes unnoticed.

The photograph selected here is rather nondescript and if it had remained a colour image would have been unlikely to catch anybodies eye. As a black and white image it is much more interesting.



The Street - as shot

Image information: f/11, 1/125, ISO 200

In terms of processing I tried a number of different black and white conversions: -

Ø        Greyscale - the result was fine, but felt rather clinical and stark.

Ø        Desaturate - for this particular image I couldn't see any difference between this and greyscale.

Ø        Gradient Map - this provided good contrast and I liked this result. I also liked the 'reverse' capability and the ease of which the image could be tinted.



The Street - sepia



Ø        Channel mixer - I found this a useful tool and ideal for quick conversions.

Ø        Black & White - this option provided the greatest flexibility and was also the most intuitive to use.

My favourite final image was obtained using a black and white adjustment layer.



The Street - using a black & white adjustment layer

One of the most interesting lessons learnt form this exercise is the use of 'channels' to examine your image - I had never noticed this tab on the layers pallet. When flicking though other images, even those destined to remain colour, I find it provides great insight into how you can work with your image to bring out its better qualities.

Exercise 14 - my interpretation

Original photograph

This particular photograph was taken on a miserable, windy winters day - I was attracted to the strong sculptural feel.

Sky replacement

Option 1 - remove the grey sky to provide a colour contrast and lift the mood of the photograph, I also lightened the stairs to give them a more natural feel. The overall colour of the composition is better, but I prefer the shapes of the original clouds.

Old fashioned...

Option 2 - sepia filter, I appreciate that applying an aging filter to a modern steel spiral fire escape is not the most obvious thing to do, but I'm glad I tried. I like the way the detail is picked out on the checker-plate.

"Pop art" steps

Option 3 - I decided to give it a pop-art make over because.....

Moody

Option 4 - this is the result of playing with layer blending options: 1st layer - multiply; 2nd layer - exclusion. This is my favourite result and whilst it might be a bit surreal, I think this version of the image communicates the feel of the day very accurately.

The Pdog19 library update

The library has been busy, but not with what you would call reading material - more picture books. I have been absorbed by guerrilla art. Namely:

Street Knowledge by King Adz
(2010, Harper Collins)

Adz states that "Whether the point of exhibition happens to be in the corporate world via advertising campaigns or 'underground' written on the walls and the bridges of our urban environments - makes absolutely no difference; the only think that matters is impact and visibility on the street.

Adz has travelled all over the world, spending time with, working with, and collecting the work of urban artists. The aim of the book is to document the influences on urban culture over the last 30 years and chart its progression from its origins to where it is today. This is indeed a big ask for one book, but Adz gives it a good go. The drawback being because of the number of artists covered it is somewhat superficial, but it does provide a good taster of what is out there. Plus if your interested in any of these artists you can usually find them on the web.

The writing style will certainly not be to everybody's taste, but the colour reproductions of the art in the book are excellent.


Trespass - a history of uncommissioned urban art edited by Ethel Seno
(2010, Taschen)

This book is some 300+ pages and full of photographs of graffiti from around the world. Each photograph has a caption providing minimal information, normally a location and year; sometimes it includes the name of the artist and the duration of the piece (before removal by the authorities).

In comparison to Street Knowledge (above) there is no information about art, artist and evolution - its just photographs. Nonetheless, it is an inspiring collection of art and well worth the read. For me, the most surprising element of this book was the incredible sense of humour of the artists - there were numerous occasions when I laughed out loud.


Street Sketchbook by Tristan Manco
(2007, Thames and Hudson)

"Sketchbooks retain an eternal fascination. The sketches of Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci and Picasso, for example, are regularly exhibited around the world's museums to huge audiences. Our reverence for them has endured through time, as has their role as repositories of ideas and as sanctuaries for drawing. Working out thought on paper may seem antiquated in this increasingly high-tech world but this process is far from dead."

This book contains sketchbook extracts from over sixty contemporary artists world wide. It provides a brief write up on the artist, their style and approach to art, plus any affiliations (street art). In addition, and most interestingly, is goes on to discuss the relationship between the artist and their sketchbook.

The last page of the book provides a list of websites for the majority of contributing artists - this is a very nice touch.