[Villages Kahuna]

Nice shots. Remember, the viewer’s eye will always be drawn to the item or content that is noticeably brighter than the rest of the composition. Try “flipping” your photograph from front to back and see where your eye is initially drawn. If it’s not the part of your scene that you intended the viewer to be drawn to, then you need to reconsider composition.

[Notsocrates]

Originally Posted by GrumpyOldMan

Walked around Brownwood Square a little while last night and snapped a few shots. Totally new to B&W, so any suggestions on these would be greatly appreciated.

The contrast of these shots exceeds the range of your camera. Extreme bights and darks are washed out. There is a technique where you can use several exposures to grab detail at both ends and combine them for a better result..

[Shansonmarx]

I think they look great!!!!

[forebubba]

Great pictures

[Syd2008]

Not a photographer but live B&W and viewed these multiple times. Beautiful.

[colorpixel]

Great photos and use of depth of field....you may want to watch the contrast would be my only input but it could be my monitor?

[jebartle]

Grumpy, you are very talented. Atta boy!

[jcgrether]

You've got a good eye for interesting shots. I cut my teeth on B&W 50 years ago and got many different effects by varying the film speed and f stops. That doesn't help much today in the digital world with no film...but you should be able to play with f stops I'd think. Keep it up...!

[BlackhawksFan]

I have a couple questions.

Did you use a phone or dslr?
Was it shot in b/w or converted in post?
If converted was in a monochrome or true b/w conversion?

I ask about the conversion because I noticed the extemes previously noted as well.

[jimjamuser]

Originally Posted by GrumpyOldMan

Walked around Brownwood Square a little while last night and snapped a few shots. Totally new to B&W, so any suggestions on these would be greatly appreciated.

Dear Grumpy O. I liked the last one. The chains and entrance to the square. It had a long perspective! And balance!

[BigHoss18]

Great pics. Thanks for sharing. Check out YouTube pros like Tony and Chelsea Northrup, Greg Cazillo, and Mark Denney. They have superior videos and they’re easy to understand.

[jimjamuser]

Originally Posted by Villages Kahuna

Nice shots. Remember, the viewer’s eye will always be drawn to the item or content that is noticeably brighter than the rest of the composition. Try “flipping” your photograph from front to back and see where your eye is initially drawn. If it’s not the part of your scene that you intended the viewer to be drawn to, then you need to reconsider composition.

I have no idea what, "try flipping your photograph from front to back" means?????

[GrumpyOldMan]

Originally Posted by BlackhawksFan

I have a couple questions.

Did you use a phone or dslr?
Was it shot in b/w or converted in post?
If converted was in a monochrome or true b/w conversion?

I ask about the conversion because I noticed the extemes previously noted as well.

I shoot with a DLSR (Nikon D7500).
The Nikon records color and I convert to B&W in post.
I use Capture One to convert to B&W. The process used involves adjusting the color components based on color theory. I start by setting each color component to contribute the following amount of its value Red 30%, Blue 11%, Green 59%, and their three. compliments Yellow 89%, Cyan 70%, Magenta 41%. Then I fiddle with it.

The blown highs are not a result of the conversion, they were blown in capture. The only way I could capture that range of light would be using HDR, and I don't "like" HDR.

So, I had to chose where I kept the detail and where I was willing to blow it. I wanted the blacks black, and no detail, I wanted the detail in the mid-levels, and I was willing to lose some detail in the lighting to get that.

If I lost any detail in the mid-levels, it was a mistake and not intentional. I am new at black and white and so I have a lot to learn. I was going for a more "Artistic" look instead of exposure accuracy.

Thank yiou

[GrumpyOldMan]

Originally Posted by jimjamuser

I have no idea what, "try flipping your photograph from front to back" means?????

I believe the idea being suggested is to flip the photograph so it does not look like you composed it. Whether it is flipped vertically or horizontally shouldn't matter.

It is similar to an old drawing technique of looking at your subject upside down. It forces your brain to notice details.

[GrumpyOldMan]

Originally Posted by Villages Kahuna

Nice shots. Remember, the viewer’s eye will always be drawn to the item or content that is noticeably brighter than the rest of the composition. Try “flipping” your photograph from front to back and see where your eye is initially drawn. If it’s not the part of your scene that you intended the viewer to be drawn to, then you need to reconsider composition.

Thank you, good suggestion!