[CJ Swartz]

"Black & White" or "Similar or Different" Let's give entrants some feedback without worrying about who we're going to actually vote for at the end of the month!

[ScubaMargie]

Could we do a combination of both topics?

[CJ Swartz]

Originally Posted by ScubaMargie

Could we do a combination of both topics?

Go for it, Margie! As long as we submit only one entry, it's up to voters to decide if we nailed the theme or not.

[ScubaMargie]

Cool bananas!! Now to find something to photograph :-)

[fpellerin]

Originally Posted by ScubaMargie

Could we do a combination of both topics?

Great idea!!! I can't wait to see what you come up with!

[ScubaMargie]

A question about the black and white theme. Does the picture have to be taken in black and white mode or can it be taken in colour and then desaturated?

[CJ Swartz]

Originally Posted by ScubaMargie

A question about the black and white theme. Does the picture have to be taken in black and white mode or can it be taken in colour and then desaturated?

My opinion is that it doesn't matter -- "black and white" could even be a color photo of things that are black and things that are white -- or something more creative that I haven't even thought of yet.

Let me say something "Official" as the moderator -- this competition is here to give us all another reason to shoot images. Let's allow ourselves full lee-way to shoot whatever occurs to us when we see the theme title. When people discuss our images and vote for their favorites, they can say whether they agree or disagree, but YOU are the photographer, and the control is completely in YOUR hands while you decide what and how to shoot. Margie, you always submit interesting images, and I'll just say again -- "Go for it!"

[ScubaMargie]

Thanks for your reply CJ Swartz, and your comment on my images. I was just curious.

[ScubaMargie]

from crazyfly1 in the comp thread.

Scubamargie, I don't know a lot about BW but I think that's an awsome picture. Are those gears really that big or do they just look huge because of how you shot them?

Thanks for your comment crazyfly1. The gears are pretty big and almost true to size in the photo. I was laying on the ground about a foot away from it when I took the image.

[CJ Swartz]

Originally Posted by Mystical One

I like the idea of both themes, and although I do sometimes shoot in black & white, this is one that I originally shot in colour, but only decided today to see how it would look in b & w. Hope that is ok for the comp terms.

Ducks are always welcome!

[CJ Swartz]

Originally Posted by Mystical One

Thanks CJ. Pardon me for forgetting the standard duck exemption clause LOL

It's OK, I know it's hard to read the fine print.

My Photography 101 class instructor made a rule "outlawing duck photos" because so many students went to the nearby parks and photographed ducks, but I love to see that "smile" on most ducks' faces.

[CJ Swartz]

A few images have been entered in the competition, and most have remarked about "not usually doing much B/W photography" and not being sure whether their images are successful at showing the moment, etc.

Some of us are old enough to remember when most photos were done in black/white, while others may never have shot in black/white before in their life. When I took my first photography class, I discovered that "color" was a type of "crutch" for me -- that I didn't pay as much attention to exposure, focus, or even composition when I was shooting something that had strong color/colors because my attention was almost totally captured by the color(s). Some images are ALL about color, but most depend upon the other photographic elements as well, with color as "the dessert".

Anyone discover anything interesting about their reactions while they were shooting (or processing) in black/white for this competition?

[ScubaMargie]

I actually found it quite difficult to start with, and still do.

I was looking on flickr for some inspiration and saw that there were quite a few flowers in b&w and thought I would have a go at taking some flower shots. I wasn't happy with the results on the LCD. I think maybe that might have been that I was used to taking flower shots in colour. They lacked something, besides colour.

Then I saw the old mining piece and thought that that would make a cool shot. I took a few shots and had a look in the LCD and thought that they looked pretty good. There was something about them that I liked, not sure what. I actually turned the camera back to colour mode and got a couple of shots in colour. I must say I prefer the black and white.

Taking photos in black and white is difficult and also interesting. It feels to me like I have stumbled into a new area of photography that I like and would like to learn more. As a result I have bookmarked a couple of sites on the web about B&W photography, to see if I can get my head around it and the challenges it presents.

I have added one of the b&w flowers that I took. I still can't work out why I don't like it. I have also put in the colour version of my entry.

[ejk]

I started using B&W film and developing the same in my dark room until the advent of digital. I'm still trying to get used to using a digital camera and love the immediacy of "instant images" as well as color. Printing color in the darkroom has always been a challenge. I'm an old fashioned photographer, and still think there is a difference in the quality of the print from each of these cameras.

liz

P.S.
I still need to learn how to size and upload an image correctly! :-0

[ejk]

One of the thing one looks for in the world of photography, is the clarity or rather sharpness of an image. For some reason, the images shown here are very muddy looking. At least this is so on my monitor. (with the exception of the duck image). If it were not for that one, I'd say that it may not be possible to upload a clear photograph.
How can one upload and show a better looking image?
I'm sure that all the photographs posted here were cleaner looking before they were turned over to the computer... :-)

liz