B/W attempts at the train crossing

[Steve Boykin]

The first one was done a few weeks ago. The rest are tonight with the Fuji 18-55.

I didn't really notice until tonight how many controls there are in SFX. I'm still not sure what structure is but I used the High Structure pre-set on the car vacuums. I'm not sure if this helps for film. I think B/W seems to be harder to do than color. Actually it's much harder to do than color at least for me.

 

[Brian Moore]

Are these from the Ilford SFX film, Steve? Very fine set! What camera?

 

[Steve Boykin]

These Fuji X Pro conversions in Silver EFX. I think with the exception of the vacuum cleaners I used the Agfa 100 or the neutral. I am going to order some of that Arista B/W film this week. But until I learn how to develop it I'm going to use that Dark Room service.

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Are these from the Ilford SFX film, Steve? Very fine set! What camera?

These Fuji X Pro conversions in Silver EFX. I think with the exception of the vacuum cleaners I used the Agfa 100 or the neutral. I am going to order some of that Arista B/W film this week. But until I learn how to develop it I'm going to use that Dark Room service.

 

[Brian Moore]

OK,...so these are digital images,...?

 

[Steve Boykin]

OK,...so these are digital images,...?

Yes, I haven't started the class yet. It starts in the Fall term. I can't afford right now to send a bunch of film to be developed. That's one of the good things about the class. I've been wanting to learn film and black and white. The only lab here in town is at Walgreens and they are actually closing it soon.

Sorry if I was misleading in my description. I was talking about Silver EFex. It has a bunch of controls in it like Lightroom that I have no idea what they do.

I am going to get a few rolls of B/W film and shoot them over the next few weeks. When I get paid at the end of the month I am going to send them to the Dark Room for processing and scanning onto a CD. I need to sort of do this in baby steps because I get confused very easily. I was just trying to sort out what works in B/W. That's a starting point for me.

 

[Brian Moore]

I need to sort of do this in baby steps because I get confused very easily. I was just trying to sort out what works in B/W. That's a starting point for me.

lol. Fair enough, Steve, Understood. Nice set though. Very nice indeed.

 

[Chris Dodkin]

Steve - these are looking very nice

if anything - I'd add some black back into the shots to improve the overall tone and contrast

Like this

What do you think?

the thing with sfx is that the presets are excellent, and a great place to experiment until you see something you like - then tweak as required from there.

 

[David Mitchell]

I like those they are nice clean images and full of interest - plus you have some nice sky as well (all my photos seem to lack interesting sky lol).

 

[Rob MacKillop]

Nice shots, Steve.

 

[Pete Askew]

A very nice set Steve. The controls in SilverFX mimic many B&W darkroom techniques and also provide controls that are normally used at the taking stage when using B&W film: like choice of film (spectral response, response curve and grain pattern) and filter. As well as looking at the tonal range as Chris illustrates, try clicking on the colour filters (Using Coloured Filters in Black and White Photography | Photography Mad) as they will help give you tonal separation in some circumstances (eg they may separate the train wagons from the sky and foreground).

 

[Steve Boykin]

Steve - these are looking very nice

if anything - I'd add some black back into the shots to improve the overall tone and contrast

Like this


What do you think?

the thing with sfx is that the presets are excellent, and a great place to experiment until you see something you like - then tweak as required from there.

It's much better. Did you add the "black" in SFX or in LR? Sorry!

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A very nice set Steve. The controls in SilverFX mimic many B&W darkroom techniques and also provide controls that are normally used at the taking stage when using B&W film: like choice of film (spectral response, response curve and grain pattern) and filter. As well as looking at the tonal range as Chris illustrates, try clicking on the colour filters (Using Coloured Filters in Black and White Photography | Photography Mad) as they will help give you tonal separation in some circumstances (eg they may separate the train wagons from the sky and foreground).

I am going to try those tonight when I get off work. I only used the film simulations one and contrast and structure. I still am not sure what structure is. I can sort of tell what it does when you look at the "High Structure" preset which I used on the vacuum cleaner one just to see what it does.

I really need to get that little step ladder. I'm trying so hard not to tilt the camera which Hamish pointed out to me a while back.

 

[Pete Askew]

Structure operates in a similar way to Clarity and affects the contrast at a detail level (often referred to as local contrast). It will enhance fine details, increase apparent vibrance (in colour images) and give an apparent increase in sharpness. It can over-accentuate specular highlights and can introduce edge artifacts (fringes etc) though, so care needs to be taken

 

[Steve Boykin]

Structure operates in a similar way to Clarity and affects the contrast at a detail level (often referred to as local contrast). It will enhance fine details, increase apparent vibrance (in colour images) and give an apparent increase in sharpness. It can over-accentuate specular highlights and can introduce edge artifacts (fringes etc) though, so care needs to be taken

Ok, exactly. I noticed that on some power lines. It was as if they had an extra white edge around them. So the Clarity slider in LR and the Structure slider in SFX are essentially the same tool? I think this Nik Suite has a module called Vivenzia that has a Structure slider in it. I've never used it.

BTW- Thanks so much for taking the time to answer these questions. Like I told Brian, they will stop at some point. I can't tell you how much I appreciate it.

 

[Pete Askew]

Essential, yes they do the same job. Viveza allows control of exposure, contrast, structure and saturation etc in a very localised and controlled manner. Have look on the Nik site, they used to have some super tutorials.

Webinars

 

[Chris Dodkin]

Steve - I usually get the black back-in as I convert the RAW file - then tweak with the shadow slider in NIK SFX to suit as I process the B&W

 

[Pete Askew]

I also add black in at the raw stage but in LR instead - ie move the blacks slide a touch to the left.

 

[Nihat Iyriboz]

Steve,

These are very nice. Especially 4,5,6 are my picks. I must candidly say that you are cut for B+W work, and I like these B+W better than color ones. Looking forward to film images too.