B&W High Contrast
by acrotide

Comment:
First, thanks for the terrific explanation and links to the other shots! That's a terrific tool for helping others follow along.

I think this particular photo is a great example of what the various versions do for you. Of course, you start from a nicely composed, nicely exposed, nicely focused shot. Let's not forget the fundamentals here.

Here's my reaction to each shot:

Color: an old barn, but not especially decrepit. It's a nice day, enjoying some time in the country. Emotion: calm, happiness, generally enjoying life. It might benefit from some higher contrast, but not to extremes. Details I'm drawn to: the shape of the barn against the sky, a little texture in the barn, the hay bales.

Initial B&W: kind of bland; while in the color version the sky contrasted with the barn and the ground, here they all kind of blend together. Emotions: tired, end of day, ready to go home. I notice the sky darkening in a way I didn't in the original, which suggests the end of the day to me. I realize intellectually that it's just the usual sky lightening near the horizon, but emotionally, that's the effect. Details I'm drawn to: not much, actually. Mostly the shadow line under the roof.

High contrast B&W: ZAP! I immediately zoom in on the textures in the wood, the way the loft door stands out against the grain, and how the main door is falling off its hinges. The sky seems ominous now. The hay bales fade out of view. The barn's upper wood stands out against the lower stones. I wonder what's hidden in that shadow on the left and over in the very dark woods. Emotions: a little afraid, like the barn's probably haunted. And the sky makes me worry a storm's coming. Finally I feel a little sad for this barn that's falling apart.

I'm not saying the high contrast version is better than the color version, necessarily. It just conveys different things, and the high contrast version affects me more strongly. The initial B&W is definitely the "tamest" of the three, and wouldn't hold my interest for very long.

by moniepenny

Comment:
I agree with dahkota. Now the the empasis is on shapes and textures.

I wonder what it'd look like pushed even further? I'm not saying it'd be better, just curious.

IMG_9138-desolate-highcontr.jpg
by Jaded_Housewife

Comment:
I think this higher-contrast version conveys "desolation" better.

I'm starting to get an idea of what high contrast does: it takes whatever message or emotion you're trying to convey and makes it starker.

In this case, where the message was abandonment, I think the high contrast version is more powerful. The brighter sky is even more different from the building and the shadows virtually scream "hidden secrets from long ago."

Message edited by author 2006-07-29 10:33:49.

Ringing The Changes
by Gordon

Comment:
This is just spectacular. The B&W feel (duotone or no) is perfect, the composition and angle of the invitation across the shot are perfect, and the DOF is perfect. And the DOF is appropriate. So many people use narrow DOF "just because" without it really making the eye go somewhere specific.

And all of the things everyone said earlier are true, although I don't know why anonymity was so crucial.

Thanks for providing a great example to try to follow.

Saginaw.jpg
by traveller2020

Comment:
Your description is perfect. This looks like a painted sky behind what might be a painted tower behind what's definitely a photo of a building.

The fence serves to link all three, fading from photo in the left to ambiguous in the middle, to painting-like on the right.

UnderPressure.jpg
by traveller2020

Comment:
Oh, man. You really captured that moment well, esp. with the two girls standing next to him. As if one girlfriend wouldn't be enough pressure, now her friend's leaning on him, too.

I really like how he's the only thing in clear focus in the middle of the shot. This is a good example to me of when the subject should be dead-center. It helps to isolate him among the many other details in the picture.

I wonder how this would look with literally everything else a little blurry (like the guy next to him in the red shirt). Maybe even a zoom blur with him in the middle.

The colors are wonderful, too, and really convey that fantasy feeling of a carnival.

Nice job!

Mmmm...Photographer...My Favorite!!!
by L1

Comment:
Oops - forgot to comment when I added this to my favorites. I've shown this to several family members and friends. We all think it's hilarious.

There's just something about the dead-serious look on his face.

Then, of course, there's the fantastic composition, DOF, and other technical aspects that allow you to focus on the tiger. :)

No Rags Handy (Checking the Oil)
by jerseyjim

Comment:
This is very, very creative. :)

Light fixture high contrast
by Melethia

Comment:
Heyyy....

First, thanks for the description and the image links. :)

I really like this, and I think it improved in each step: color->B&W, B&W original->this version. This really grabs my eye.

Of course, your nice off-center composition was there throughout.

Tilting
by ajschel

Comment:
I like this a lot. Of course, our entries are similar, as you pointed out. :) I voted this a 6.

Flipping back and forth between them, there are a huge number of lines that line up remarkably well (for example, the floor here lines up with the platform in mine).

I played around with a more horizontal crop, as you did. I think it emphasizes the vanishing point even more, and I think your crop works better for a perspective challenge. But since this one's about lines, I left it bigger.

I wonder whether the color vs. B&W was the difference in our scores or something else?