Gone but not Forgotten

[Peter Ryan]

I have been trying to improve my B & W conversion skills.

C & C welcome.



Click image for larger version.

[MiniChris]

It feels a little blown out in the back middle section. You could do a new layer dodge/burn combo in that area to see if you could get it a little darker. A tad more contrast might help as well. What program are you using and what method for sharpening?

[Peter Ryan]

I am using CS4 and I forgot to resharpen when I resized.

[MiniChris]

Very hard to adjust without the original file but did a bit of LAB sharpening and lightened the shadows in the right side tree, then increased the shadow value on the bottom left to offset the tree. What program are you using for B&W conversion?



I think it is oversharpened now but from this, you should be able to see the need to go back to the original file and sharpen the image. I do two sharpens. One in LAB - go to channels and lightness layer. Sharpen the stew out of it. After I've made all my other tweaks and saved, I resharpen using 200-400%, 2, 4 just before I send it to web output. This is one I did tonight using the same formula:

[Peter Ryan]

Thanks Chris.

I am just using CS4 Chris. I did have a look at the area behind the Poplar trees in the middle distance and played with some D & B to create more conrast and that worked ok. I also lightened and added more contrast ans sharpened. I haven't changed the shadow detail in the foreground as you did. The more constant tone in your does put a floor to the image.

[MiniChris]

You might want to go in and add an adjusment layer using multiply at say...22-24% and bring back some of your mid to dark values...seems just a bit light at this point and lacking some of the good contrast you had in the first image. I'm really having a lot of fun doing this and I know in CS2, I was able to do a highlights selection load and work those pesky bright spots, especially in the sky without compromising the rest of the image.

[Skitalez]

I would make the huge size to put it up on a wall! For me very well

[Peter Ryan]

Thanks Yegor,

I do not normally take photos of old barns or houses as they need a good location to look anything more than just an old house. I took this and didn't like it in colour but playing around with B & W conversion I opened it by accident just for practice but I quiet like it now as a B & W.

[Peter Ryan]

Thanks for your input Chris.

I will not have time today to do any more on this but I will revisit it again soon. I do appreciate your input. I have learned I need to look further into the whole image - on a smaller scale, than I do with colour as the levels of brighteness in an image do not stand out as much as subtle colour changes.

[Peter Ryan]

I have continued to work on this image and think I have got it right this time.

C & C welcome.