Resting for a while before setting off again

[ashish]

C&C welcome

[John 2]

That's a very nice conversion Ashish. I also like the way you have caught her looking up. If we were only seeing the top of her head it wouldn't be anything like as effective.

[Shadowman]

That water is so smooth I'd be tempted to muddy it up a bit. Nicely captured and converted.

[Manfred M]

This is a picture that would probably be a lot better in colour, given the cargo she is carrying. Sometimes you lose a lot when converting to B&W and I suspect this might be one of those cases.

[mugge]

Lovely picture. There must be lots of colours about. I think Manfred is right in his assessment.
Cheers Ole

[ashish]

This is a picture that would probably be a lot better in colour, given the cargo she is carrying. Sometimes you lose a lot when converting to B&W and I suspect this might be one of those cases.

Thanks Manfred... here is the colour version.

[John 2]

Agree with Manfred. The mono version is good but I prefer the colour version also. However, I would probably have changed the colour of the red seats on the RHS. They draw the eye a bit.

[Shadowman]

The color version really pops, I wouldn't be tempted to touch the water at all.

[Manfred M]

Thank you Ashish - I find that the colour image is the stronger of the two images as well.

Everyone has a different take on when to shoot colour or B&W. In my case, this is virtually always a deliberate choice at the time I am taking the shot (I already know which way I am planning to go when I process the image and rarely change my mind afterwards) and there is always a specific compositional purpose when I make those choices (I will frame the image slightly differently, for instance if I am planning a B&W image, rather than a colour one). I also generally find that most images work better in one of the two genres; it is a fairly rare occurrence where I find an image equally strong in both colour and in B&W.

[IzzieK]

I prefer the colour version, Ashish -- the smooth water did not help in the mono version at all. Nice shot!

[ashish]

Thank you Ashish - I find that the colour image is the stronger of the two images as well.

Everyone has a different take on when to shoot colour or B&W. In my case, this is virtually always a deliberate choice at the time I am taking the shot (I already know which way I am planning to go when I process the image and rarely change my mind afterwards) and there is always a specific compositional purpose when I make those choices (I will frame the image slightly differently, for instance if I am planning a B&W image, rather than a colour one). I also generally find that most images work better in one of the two genres; it is a fairly rare occurrence where I find an image equally strong in both colour and in B&W.

Thanks Manfred, One question... how do you decide whether a particular scene will look better in monochrome or colour... or do you decide upfront whether you want to shoot monochrome or colour and then select the scene accordingly? I hope i have been able to articulate my question.

[NorthernFocus]

Another nice image, Ashish. My first inclination was to think that you should have shot tighter on the woman. But the composition as shot is necessary to really tell t he story. In this particular case the bold colors also help tell the story IMO so the color version is a much stronger image. Nicely done.

[Kaye Leggett]

I prefer the colour version, Ashish -- the smooth water did not help in the mono version at all. Nice shot!

I'm with Izzie et al with this one - it's such a vibrantly colourful place, it seems a shame to convert it

[Manfred M]

Thanks Manfred, One question... how do you decide whether a particular scene will look better in monochrome or colour... or do you decide upfront whether you want to shoot monochrome or colour and then select the scene accordingly? I hope i have been able to articulate my question.

I wish there was an easy formula to follow, but there isn't, so let me give you a few things I consider when making the decision. A bit of a warning though, this is just my personal opinion and process flow.

1. Choosing B&W or colour is a compositional choice for me (as I shoot both) and colour is my default mode (after all, that is what my camera records. This means I ask myself if a particular scene will look better in B&W or colour. I find that most images look better in one or the other and very few images work equally well in both.

2. The largest benefit of shooting B&W is that it simplifies any image. An sRGB image can contain up to 256 x 256 x 256 = 16.8 million distinct colours. A B&W jpeg is down to a maximum of 256 values. Throwing away 99.8% of the data is an extreme level of simplification.

3. B&W relies on gray scale tonal range and contrast. The scene needs to have a broad tonal range to work, so any scene that does not, likely will not convert well.

4. I find that certain subjects seem to work well. Portraits. period images (old buildings or cars) and busystreet scenes often lend themselves well. A lot of people say the same about landscapes, but I find that landscapes are not nearly as clear cut.

Once I have made the decision to go one way or the other, I keep this in mind when I frame the image. Distracting elements that don't work in colour might well work in monochrome, so I might added them in, rather than excluding them when I line up the shot.

[ashish]

I wish there was an easy formula to follow, but there isn't, so let me give you a few things I consider when making the decision. A bit of a warning though, this is just my personal opinion and process flow.

1. Choosing B&W or colour is a compositional choice for me (as I shoot both) and colour is my default mode (after all, that is what my camera records. This means I ask myself if a particular scene will look better in B&W or colour. I find that most images look better in one or the other and very few images work equally well in both.

2. The largest benefit of shooting B&W is that it simplifies any image. An sRGB image can contain up to 256 x 256 x 256 = 16.8 million distinct colours. A B&W jpeg is down to a maximum of 256 values. Throwing away 99.8% of the data is an extreme level of simplification.

3. B&W relies on gray scale tonal range and contrast. The scene needs to have a broad tonal range to work, so any scene that does not, likely will not convert well.

4. I find that certain subjects seem to work well. Portraits. period images (old buildings or cars) and busystreet scenes often lend themselves well. A lot of people say the same about landscapes, but I find that landscapes are not nearly as clear cut.

Once I have made the decision to go one way or the other, I keep this in mind when I frame the image. Distracting elements that don't work in colour might well work in monochrome, so I might added them in, rather than excluding them when I line up the shot.

Many thanks for the insights Manfred... will keep these pointers in mind going forward.