This month is off to a fantastic start! When I first jumped into black and white myself, I thought it would be an easier theme to work with. But after some serious trial and error, I've learned my naivety was in full force! Reading through some of the old lessons that have been shared has really helped me find my own starting point in black and white editing, so just for fun I'm including my own submission at the end of this reel as well. The photos you have all shared have been absolutely inspiring, and I can't wait to see what is ahead in the coming weeks of March. Here are a (big) handful of my favorites! Peace, love, and leave some extra toilet paper,
Gear: Canon 6D Mark II, Canon 35mm 2.0
Settings: ISO 320, f2.0, 1/500
The Shot: While out on a summer's evening, we were at a friends farm. My boys had insisted they had seen an animal run into the corn (strong possibility) so of course, they had to go look. While I was telling them that they could not run into the fields, they would get lost, my boy James wasn't too thrilled and stood at the edge of the corn. Silly kid! But I was happy I had my camera with me
Post Processing: I edited this with Tribe Archipelago Terrain in Lightroom.
Gear: Nikon D7000 35mm f1.8
Settings: ISO 500, f 2.0, 1/400
The Shot: We were in the car waiting for Daddy’s “quickstop” to the guitar center. We were playing with a clear balloon given to my daughter
Post Processing: I used Lightroom to reduce color and add contrast and reduce noise
Gear: Nikon Z6, 24-70mm at 66mm
Settings: ISO 1250, f/3.5, 1/20
The Shot: Saw my kitty there in the bright, morning light. Grabbed the black and white pillows front of frame, and stacked them to add interest and framing. Called my kitty so he would look out of curtain.
Post Processing: Edited in LR very basic. Added a little exposure, contrast, increased whites, sharpened around kitties outline. Used adjustment brush just on kitty to increase clarity, and contrast. I normally add clarity to the whole image for a black and white, however, I wanted to keep the soft look of the surroundings, while making kitty stand out. Changed to black and white.
Gear: Nikon Z7 sigma art 35mm
Settings: ISO 100, f 1.4, 1/1000
The Shot: He had fallen off the flying fox and was upset at first, I gave him a hug and he started laughing about it. He thought the sand all over him was cool. I asked if I could take a photo and he said yes. He was standing in front on the black rail fencing in the park next to the flying fox, which gave me the dark background. The light was behind him to left, I asked him to stand so he was side and backlit.
Post Processing: ACR upped their contrast, sharpened, dropped the high lights, dropped saturation to black and white. PS sharpens sand on his face and eyes, levels layer, curves, dodged high lights. Used a black and white action I have to add drama.
Gear: Canon EOS Rebel T6i with Sigma 35 mm
Settings: ISO 3200, f/ 2.0, 1/320
The Shot: Taken in the evening at my parents’ house. Henry just started walking up the stairs instead of crawling. So it was fun to shoot a quick picture while still making sure he didn’t fall.
Post Processing: Edited in Lightroom from the B&W preset. Changed the exposure, contrast, whites, blacks, clarity, and attempted to change the curve for my first time.
Gear: Canon 6D Mark II, Sigma ART 35mm
Settings: ISO 2500, f2.8, 1/320
The Shot: She was playing the Ukulele on the stairs in some beautiful soft light. I asked her to keep playing while I set up my shot.
Post Processing: I have recently created my own B&W preset that includes all of my normal tweaks for B&W. I applied that preset and bumped up the exposure a little. I sharpened my subject with a brush and brought up shadows and highlights in the darkest shadows on her along with adding some clarity to the ukulele. I put a couple of gradient filters on the sides to bring down the shadows and light on the edges
Gear: NikonD750
Settings: ISO 800, f 2.2,
The Shot: I decided to get out of my own head and just take the picture already. This was after sunset and I was working with low light. I took this photo as quickly as possible. I recently read a book that I am not my thoughts yet I am my actions. I always come up with one reason or another to not take a photo.
Post Processing: This was edited it Lightroom using SMAL B&W.
Gear: Sony a7iii 24-70 f2.8
Settings: ISO 3200, f 3.2, 1/160
The Shot: This is a window in a dark stairwell at our Union Station. I bribed my son to climb up in the window so I could take some photos. He wasn't thrilled about taking photos so his expression is showing it.
Post Processing: I edited the photo in Lightroom. Turned it to black and white and decreased the exposure all the way down on the walls around the window. Decreased the highlights and increased luminance and noise reduction
Gear: Nikon D750, 50mm
Settings: ISO 400, f/2.8, 1/100
The Shot: Pulled the vertical blinds halfway closed on the sliding door to minimize light spill and increase contrast. Self-portrait. Used my phone as a remote trigger. Pulled a muscle trying to get my fingers in the same focal plane as my toes.
Post Processing: Lightroom: used the BW preset I made (increases contrast and clarity a lot). Lifted the shadows from my bun and added texture there. In photoshop: cloned out my phone that was sitting next to me.
Gear: Nikon D750 with Tamron 24-70mm on 24mm
Settings: ISO 2500, f6.3, 1/100
The Shot: Taken at the Salt Flats in Utah while my family was skiing. Water was 22 degrees so my feet were freezing! The sunrise colors were beautiful on most but loved the drama & mystery to the BW.
Post Processing: Edited with CM Elements Collection - Exhale preset then with Intense Sky Filter added
Gear: Nikon D750 + 50mm lens
Settings: ISO 200, f2, 1/640
The Shot: Shot in the evening, down low to get the effect I was after, overcast day.
Post Processing: Edited in Lightroom, used a B&W preset, brought down highlights slightly.
Gear: Sony a7iii with sony 35 mm
Settings: ISO 6400, f2.2, 1/320
The Shot: I put her on the couch after her bath with the intention converting it to black and white and using the usually crappy spot light like LED bulb in the living room. She wanted her book and that kept her still. This was one shot as she needed to get ready for bed.
Post Processing: This is my second edit to give it more contrast. cropped, adjusted curves/contrast up/highlights up/shadows down/whites up/blacks down/hls adjusted for reds, blues and purples/added a slight vignette/clarity up/sharpened/denoise.
Michelle Wright
Gear: Sony A7RIII Helios 58mm
Settings: 58mm, ISO 400, 1/200
The Shot: I was looking for contrast in my garden. This was a few hours after the sun came up but in moderate shade so fairly even lighting.
Post Processing: LR - adjusted sliders in basic panel (all of them i think), slight s-curve on tone curve, split toning, adjusted for noise. PS - removed dust spots, sharpened.
Gear: Canon 7D 50mm
Settings: ISO 800, f 2.8, 1/6400
The Shot: Shot at a distance at a building I'm been admiring for quite a while. Using my teenage muse
Post Processing: Edited all in photoshop with contrasts changed, levels, and a homemade filter.
Gear: Nikon D750 / 85mm
Settings: ISO 250, f 2.2, 1/250
The Shot: Side light from a window
Post Processing: Edited by hand in PS. I converted it to bnw with a gradient map and added contrast and d&b with curves.
Gear: iPhone XS (of course the ONE day I didn't bring my camera to the park)
Settings: ISO 25, f/1.8, 1/1500 (setting per Lightroom)
The Shot: My daughter was jumping off the ladder. I was sitting on the ground and did an iPhone photo burst. there were some cool photos of her flying through the air, but I just loved the movement of her hair & dress as her feet hit the ground.
Post Processing: Applied SMAL 10 preset. decreased exposure & blacks, bumped up the whites. added a radial filter around my daughter & bumped up exposure & clarity on her.
Gear: Canon 5D mkIII 16-35mm
Settings: ISO 500, f 2.8, 1/200
The Shot: We had just spent the weekend camping and were driving home. With the minimal sleep we got during the cold nights we were all exhausted. I turned around to say something to the girls and was met with this sight! Thankful to be in the passenger seat and not driving I quickly grabbed my camera switched to a wide angle lens and grabbed my favorite photo of the entire trip.
Post Processing: Cropped to straighten, inverted to black and white, highlights and shadows adjusted, and sharpened.
Gear: Canon 6dii Canon 50mm macro lens
Settings: ISO 125, f 4.5, 1/100
The Shot: There was a short period of time where light was streaming directly in on the sink area (late afternoon). I got down so the light was behind her hands and shot from there focusing on the bubbles. I spot metered for the highlights which blocked most of the shadows.
Post Processing: Because it was such intense lighting on her hands I had to do very little to bring down the blacks but I did add clarity and texture and then adjusted highlights and shadows to my liking.
Last (and most definitely least!) my own first real B&W submission Emily Flodstrom
Gear: Nikon D750, 35mm 1.8
Settings: ISO 100, f 1.8, 1/250
The Shot: Shot this in our driveway on a rainy day. I wanted to use the negative space to gently guide the viewer into the space my daughter was looking
Post Processing: Edited in LR with the black and white lesson by Rebecca Lundin. Mostly decreased highlights, increased whites, boosted contrast and clarity, and few other minor adjustments to the tone curve. Added some rain drops in PS for a final touch!