I nearly didn't bother with this shot as I'd originally intended this to be shot in colour – the deck chair has blue and white stripes and Marhall had a red shirt – but it didn't work out, mostly because the sea just looked a muddy brown and detracted from the contrasting foreground colours. But in black and white, it's much better.
This shot was converted to B+W using a combination of techniques as follows (particularly aimed at producing contrasty but natural looking skin tones):
First, create a Hue/Saturation adjustment layer and set the saturation to -100. Second, create a Channel Mixer adjustment layer ('above' the Hue/Saturation layer) and convert to monochrome using the Red channel. Next, and this is the interesting bit, alter the opacity of the Hue/Saturation layer until the skin tones look balanced. With 0% opacity the skin tones will be bright (possibly over bright/exposed), with 100% opacity the skin tones may look dull or flat, or underexposed.
camera capture date aperture shutter speed shooting mode exposure bias metering mode ISO focal length image quality white balance cropped?
Canon G5
12.26am on 1/8/04
f4.0
1/1000
program AE
+0.0
evaluative
50
28.8mm
RAW
auto
minor
comment byUrbanite at 08:33 AM (GMT) on 4 August, 2004
I love the boy in the background being dragged kicking and screaming into the sea. I have the same feelings about it, I too would have to be physically dragged against my will before I'd set foot in an English sea !
comment byHenry at 12:18 PM (GMT) on 4 August, 2004
Dave, this shot reminds me of so many punk rock singers. Definitely the earing and tatoo did it for me. His hair and the stripes on the chair stand out so much IMO. I definitely agree with you that this image looks better in b/w than color.
P.S. I feel so honored to have gotten a comment from you on my site :'( (a very happy tear drop). You're my idol!
comment byPeter Crymble at 05:30 PM (GMT) on 4 August, 2004
Rock on! Cool shot. Tried your effect to limited success but its in Paint shop pro...might just need to invest sometime in photoshop!!!
comment byJason Wall at 07:38 PM (GMT) on 4 August, 2004
*chuckle*
The stripes on the chair suddenly made me think of a prison, and the guys ear ring adds to the effect. You could title the photo, "Prison: Not Just Another Day and the Beach."
*grin*
comment bylynn at 07:44 PM (GMT) on 4 August, 2004
i find this a very strong and tactile kind of image, with a lot of excellent variations: in texture, in line, in focus. black&white does it justice.
can you imagine how much these eight letters HURT?
when i - seldom, i admit - convert to black&white, i use the D-Max photoshop action that i found so appealing over at ground glass back on april 18th. it works a treat.
comment by John Washington at 10:31 PM (GMT) on 4 August, 2004
this image actually sums up Blackpool for me. It is a place full of people from all walks of life. This man may be actually be very nice but he looks 'hard and aggressive' and typifies the bad press that Blackpool so often gets.
it is a very strong image and because I live close to Blackpool I can vouch that it sums up this great British resort.
comment byHolden at 02:01 AM (GMT) on 5 August, 2004
Do you ever publish a book? If the answer is yes, tell me where I can buy it.
Ciao
comment byCharlie at 02:35 AM (GMT) on 5 August, 2004
What a wonderful shot...it is very intersting to see the small child being pulled out to see as it seems the "MARSHALL" is blissfully unaware that anything is even happening. :)
comment bydjn1 at 03:40 AM (GMT) on 5 August, 2004
Thanks everyone.
Holden: no, leastways not a photography related one.
comment bywookiee at 04:25 PM (GMT) on 6 August, 2004
Further down his back are:
TUCKER
BAND
RULES!!
comment byDave Anastasi at 09:27 PM (GMT) on 11 August, 2004
Thank you for being so thorough with details in your photo descriptions. I found your method of B&W conversion to be incredibly effective. Anecdotes like that one keep me coming back to your site and learning more.
I nearly didn't bother with this shot as I'd originally intended this to be shot in colour – the deck chair has blue and white stripes and Marhall had a red shirt – but it didn't work out, mostly because the sea just looked a muddy brown and detracted from the contrasting foreground colours. But in black and white, it's much better.
This shot was converted to B+W using a combination of techniques as follows (particularly aimed at producing contrasty but natural looking skin tones):
First, create a Hue/Saturation adjustment layer and set the saturation to -100. Second, create a Channel Mixer adjustment layer ('above' the Hue/Saturation layer) and convert to monochrome using the Red channel. Next, and this is the interesting bit, alter the opacity of the Hue/Saturation layer until the skin tones look balanced. With 0% opacity the skin tones will be bright (possibly over bright/exposed), with 100% opacity the skin tones may look dull or flat, or underexposed.
capture date
aperture
shutter speed
shooting mode
exposure bias
metering mode
ISO
focal length
image quality
white balance
cropped?
12.26am on 1/8/04
f4.0
1/1000
program AE
+0.0
evaluative
50
28.8mm
RAW
auto
minor
I love the boy in the background being dragged kicking and screaming into the sea. I have the same feelings about it, I too would have to be physically dragged against my will before I'd set foot in an English sea !
Dave, this shot reminds me of so many punk rock singers. Definitely the earing and tatoo did it for me. His hair and the stripes on the chair stand out so much IMO. I definitely agree with you that this image looks better in b/w than color.
P.S. I feel so honored to have gotten a comment from you on my site :'( (a very happy tear drop). You're my idol!
Rock on! Cool shot. Tried your effect to limited success but its in Paint shop pro...might just need to invest sometime in photoshop!!!
*chuckle*
The stripes on the chair suddenly made me think of a prison, and the guys ear ring adds to the effect. You could title the photo, "Prison: Not Just Another Day and the Beach."
*grin*
i find this a very strong and tactile kind of image, with a lot of excellent variations: in texture, in line, in focus. black&white does it justice.
can you imagine how much these eight letters HURT?
when i - seldom, i admit - convert to black&white, i use the D-Max photoshop action that i found so appealing over at ground glass back on april 18th. it works a treat.
this image actually sums up Blackpool for me. It is a place full of people from all walks of life. This man may be actually be very nice but he looks 'hard and aggressive' and typifies the bad press that Blackpool so often gets.
it is a very strong image and because I live close to Blackpool I can vouch that it sums up this great British resort.
Do you ever publish a book? If the answer is yes, tell me where I can buy it.
Ciao
What a wonderful shot...it is very intersting to see the small child being pulled out to see as it seems the "MARSHALL" is blissfully unaware that anything is even happening. :)
Thanks everyone.
Holden: no, leastways not a photography related one.
Further down his back are:
TUCKER
BAND
RULES!!
Thank you for being so thorough with details in your photo descriptions. I found your method of B&W conversion to be incredibly effective. Anecdotes like that one keep me coming back to your site and learning more.