More attempts at B&W

[MrB]

Several members appear to be having a go at B&W lately. Well, yesterday I was looking at some photos I had taken in May and they looked fairly ordinary in colour. So I started to play around with them, using the controls in PaintShop Photo Pro X3. Just trial and error really (like most things I do!), but the results seem to be quite interesting. Comments appreciated, but not too technical - I'm struggling to get to grips with both artistry and pp!

.
Dismal Day on Dunstable Downs:



.
Reflections of Refreshments:


(The Dunstable Downs Visitor Centre)

.
Thank you for viewing, and for your inspiring work displayed on CIC.

Philip

[Dizzy]

The first image definitely appeals to me, the second not so much.

I often find myself looking for that same type of shot Philip, where there is a straight line of items
in a row, or a fence, crop row, etc. My only negative thought would be that it doesn't maintain the
focus on the fence and pilings deep enough into the image, but then perhaps that was an effect
you desired in the image?

Mike

[MrB]

My only negative thought would be that it doesn't maintain the focus on the fence and pilings deep enough into the image, but then perhaps that was an effect you desired in the image?

Thank you for the accurate observation, Mike - I confess that I had not noticed that detail (must go to Specsavers!). These were among some earlier photos from my first dslr (bought in May) and the exif data shows that they were recorded in Program Auto mode - the camera selected an aperture too low for the required depth of field for this type of shot. It is also more than likely that my inexperience led to me not choosing the correct part of the scene on which to focus. In summary - incompetence not creativity!

Philip