Can we make B & W images of plants and flowers?

[Donald]

Well, let's try.

The default position for most of us would, I think, be that flowers should be shown in colour. But flowers and plants are as much about shape, tone and texture as they are about colour and maybe, in some cases, even more so.

The Sambucus Black Lace in our garden (I say 'our' because Sheila, my late wife, was the gardener in our family) looks, I think, magnificent. The fact that it does look better than it ever has, in the summer after Sheila died, does, you will appreciate, have a certain poignancy for me.

So this is my effort to show its beauty ... devoid of colour.

This is also new territory for me. So, all you folks who have shown superb plant/flower images on here - cut loose on the C & C and let us know what you think.

[Shadowman]

Definitely works, good contrast between flower and leaves.

[Manfred M]

This shot reminds me of an image that someone in my recently completed photo portfolio development class did in B&W. It was a common dandelion, but as a B&W image, nobody recognized what it was at first. Somehow everyone's brain had a problem mapping that the "pretty white flower" was actually just a common weed.

I suspect certain flowers like roses or tulips will be easy to recognize, but other flowers make be a bit tougher to figure out.

Regardless, another beautifully executed image.

[Mike Buckley]

Absolutely magnificent! Sheila is enjoying her flowers in this image as much as ever. Your buddy Ansel Adams, as you know, made photos of flowers in black-and-white and he would be very proud of this one.

[IzzieK]

As I looked at the sharpness of each little flower, I find it enjoyable to study...although let me nit it a little bit that the leaf on the lower left hand corner (of my view that is...) is a tad too sharp for comfort. If you can tone (blur it down a little bit that is...) this will be perfect in my eyes. I said 'my' because it is my opinion only and no one has mentioned it really...

[marlunn]

This shot reminds me of an image that someone in my recently completed photo portfolio development class did in B&W. It was a common dandelion, but as a B&W image, nobody recognized what it was at first. Somehow everyone's brain had a problem mapping that the "pretty white flower" was actually just a common weed.

I suspect certain flowers like roses or tulips will be easy to recognize, but other flowers make be a bit tougher to figure out.

Regardless, another beautifully executed image.

Donald, it works for me and going on this from Manfred - it also helps challange perceptions and engages the viewer to not simply dismiss a 'known' so more effort is put in to understand and review the photo, the technicalities are more important to convey the image of the flower so there is more emphasis on technique and your shows strenths in all of this.

[AndrewMcD]

How interesting that you would raise the question and post the image! Just recently I did a B&W conversion of a flower and made a mental note to look into some more flowers as I get a better understanding of B&W conversion. At this point I've been simply clicking the B&W conversion button in Lightroom. I think there's great potential for some interesting images done this way. Can anybody suggest a good primer on B&W conversion techniques and software?

[Donald]

The industry-leading software is Nik Silver Efex Pro.

As for learning about making B & W images - Michael Freeman, 'The Complete Guide to Black & White Digital Photography', ILEX, 2009.

[JBW]

I am overstepping the bounds as I am most assuredly not a superb shooter of flowers. But I have been experimenting with B&W in flower shots. I have been a fan of B&W movies for a long time because of the tonal quality the great films have.

With five distinct focal areas and multiple areas in the white flowers you are developing the tones nicely. Might I suggest that a black and whit shot has the same potential for 'colour' as a shot with heavy mist or fog?

I am unsure of how to bring it out but I am sure that it is there. Good luck.

This is as good as I have come to the shades and colours I am sure are there.


B.

[AndrewMcD]

The industry-leading software is Nik Silver Efex Pro.

As for learning about making B & W images - Michael Freeman, 'The Complete Guide to Black & White Digital Photography', ILEX, 2009.

Thank you Donald.

[Steaphany]

Unlike the usual process of SilverEfex Pro or other methods of converting a color image into monochrome, this was shot with a Sigma SD14 while the IR Blocking filter was removed. Keep in mind that the SD14 does not have a Bayer filter array on the imager. This allowed the captured light to span the full spectrum, well into the infrared. The raw image was devoid of greens and overly saturated, out of gamut, shades of magenta. When processed into luminescence, a grain-less B&W is the result:

[deetheturk]

Very nice Donald, it certainly works for me!

[Donald]

Thanks for commenting. And thanks to Steaphany for showing us the other way to approach the task ... and the stunning image that resulted.

[bnnrcn]

I like flowers and plants in B&W a lot, I like your shot very much too

[Kaye Leggett]

I like you Donald am still pondering this one. For me your foreground is a little too strong and distracts from the flowers themselves.