Westcountry wanderings » photo course

Working in grayscale

nigel — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 08:00:42 +0000

I actually started a blog on this subject two years ago but it has remained a “draft” all that time. Over that period I have learnt quite a bit and still have a lot more to learn. These images do not relate to a specific walk but have all been taken over the past couple of months, the weather for the last week or so has mostly just been grey! Most of the images have been seen on the Westcountry Wanderings page on facebook too as I do sometimes put recent images on there before they make it into a full blog. Not particularly a fan of facebook but I do appreciate the feedback I get there.

For quite some time I couldn’t “see” black and white images in my scenes. I realise that I could set the camera to black and white however one thing I have learnt is that it is better to process the images to grayscale after they are taken not at the time. This actually allows far greater flexibility in processing and I will manipulate grayscale images more than colour ones which I prefer to be as true as possible. Given we do not “see” in black and white” creating more or less contrast is not about reproducing a scene but more about a feel for the look of an image

The idea of “colour popping” has always appealed in a sense however it is something that can be overdone and so I rarely look for it in my images. However the one above which was almost monochromatic on a grey day seemed worth trying it on.

Quite a few of my images have tended to be somewhat monochromatic anyway with my love of shooting into the light and I am starting to see that some of my better colour images will also work in grayscale. In fact the above image is quite “wrong” in colour and does work better in monochrome.

I have always been a fan of Ansell Adam‘s work. His monochrome landscapes are extremely evocative to me. They manage to capture the scale and grandeur of some scenes in a way which almost seems harder to achieve in colour. I have a long way to go yet but I like the sense of space here.

The drama of light and cloud which I love can also look good in grayscale. The mistiness on the coast – something I like in colour – also works in grayscale as seen above. The idea of the vessel being in a spotlight has more drama in monochrome than in colour actually.

This one quite surprised me. The colours in the clouds at sunset were lovely and I got a quick shot or two in. I suddenly wondered what it might look like in grayscale and was pleasantly surprised by the results. The colour version can been seen on facebook too in this album. This will not be the last monochrome post I think even if it has taken me two years to get it done. I’ll close with very best wishes to all readers for 2012 – hopefully it will bring some good photographic opportunities too.

Towards the dark side

nigel — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 12:02:57 +0000

(and for those who know my sense of humour this is the dark side not the far side!)

Early on in the photography course I exchanged emails with a fellow student where we agreed we were being drawn to the “dark side” of photography. Del may wish to comment ( ) however I saw this as being drawn towards increasing processing of images. For some years my photography has been as much a “matter of record” rather than overly creative. Certainly the course has changed my views on what I will and won’t photograph. However I am not really drawn into highly processed images in the main.

The fact that I can create the images around this page (& I am prepared to show them here!) suggests that I have some interest in this genre however I would still prefer to see a good unprocessed image. However there is real work involved in creating such images. Firstly there must be an appropriate image to work on (I hope these are not too bad). After that the work starts. Tastes are so varied that there will always be voices suggesting this or that tweak to just finish an image off – maybe that is why I prefer “real” images – the discussion is then quite limited!

I guess I quite like all the images here though possibly not in their current form. They are ones I felt had some potential but maybe not quite in their original form.

The bottom image is a little different to the others in that it illustrates a section of my learning image manipulation which I’ve found very useful. The way it now is represents an impossible image in that the “obvious” bright area bottom right could not create the equally obvious shadows that can be seen (it actually has three differently placed and differing effect graduated filters on it).

Will I do more of this? Unlikely for now. However one aspect of this processing does draw me. Acknowledging conversations about the subject and its value black and white treatment in varying forms does draw me (& that includes some level of sepia and the like). I plan the next blog to be on that subject and the way the weather is at present it might be quite soon!.

Colour

nigel — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 14:54:21 +0000

The course I am doing has made me look at photography and my photography quite differently. Driving can now be quite awkward – I sometimes see things I want to take a picture of .

A little while ago the week’s assignment was to find “colour” – bright and not necessarily identifiable. Two of the images here are ones I used on the course directly. Of the three remaining, two are related to course ones and, with the final one, were ones I got yesterday.

The top image is similar to the course one but has a little more in. When I took it for the course the sun was on it but as it had been dry there were no fresh water streaks on it and I like this one too.

Close to the spot I took that I also took this one and it was used for the course. It is a very tight crop but I liked the combinations of texture, sharpness and colour.

I like this blue one in some ways. It is just so blue. I would not have dreamed of taking such an image even a couple of months ago.

I guess I find decay interesting photographically and so rust can draw me. The sun was on this and it stood out well.

Finally – a self portrait in a manner of speaking. I used this object on the course but decided to introduce a different aspect here. I like the idea of shadow photography at times. Whatever else my style is wider than it was .

The effects of the sea

nigel — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 10:06:28 +0000

The photography course that I am doing is extremely rewarding and without it the images for this photo shoot would be quite different. I now look at things with a somewhat different eye. Someone has suggested I am getting a ‘house style’ but I haven’t spotted it for myself yet!

This was from a short stroll along the beaches at Preston and Paignton in Devon. I was hoping for some good seas but the water was quite calm although it was windy and, at times, cloudy.

Walking around the harbour I found this one.

The geometry and the colours appealed. Seaweed on the tyres, rust on the metal and sun on part of it.

I did manage a conventional image of the pier however – this is a stitch from three images created with Hugin. It should make it on to Commons in due course.

And finally

There should be a competition for this one. What would you like a Talking Telescope to say to you?

Some objet trouvé!

nigel — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 15:00:50 +0000

(Well I am doing a French course at present )

Hopefully I will not be here when this is published. I should be walking on the South West Coast path at the time. I wanted to try a post that was automated as much as anything. I hope there will be some interesting images from the walks which I will get on here as soon as I can when I am back.

For now though some things I’ve found recently.

Dawn in Torbay

nigel — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 12:06:45 +0000

The forecast was for a clear dawn so it was up early and out to catch some dawn light.

It was not as good as last time (I’ll post those images another time maybe) but we did catch dawn & some early light. Some of the images may get used on the photography course as one of our next tasks is taking pictures in difficult light conditions.

Around Hound Tor on Dartmoor

nigel — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 21:00:32 +0000

Hound Tor

Well I guess everyone has to have a “first” blog sometime & this one is mine.

The forecast for Thursday (8th) was good so I headed for the moors in the afternoon to catch some sunshine & photos. As the weather was good it was no surprise that there were quite a few people around (although I guess Hey tor would have been worse!).

Greator Rocks

I walked around Hound Tor largely to avoid the tourists & headed for Greator Rocks. I’ve always loved these rocks ever since I was a kid & scrambled on them. The afternoon light on them looked good and there were few folk there.

I caught one or two images for my photo course there (maybe on here another day!) and then moved around to the old medieval village there. Wikipedia has some info on it.

Medieval Village at Hound Tor

Wandering back around Hound Tor it was clear that the fine day had brought out not just tourists but some fairly enthusiastic and skilled climbers. A couple of guys were tackling a tricky pitch climbing free – the look on his face says it all!

Comments/brick bats welcome – hopefully this will have something other than the “vanilla” theme soon but the temptation to get something up and running was too great. Thanks.

Climber on Hound Tor