Luminous Landscape Forum

The Art of Photography => User Critiques => Topic started by: grzybu on October 12, 2009, 04:10:20 am

Title: Color or b/w?
Post by: grzybu on October 12, 2009, 04:10:20 am

Hi,

I'm not sure which version is better.
I like b/w version on matte paper, but I didn't printed color yet.
But which one looks better on display?

(http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3479/4002560182_708a323b65_o.jpg)
(http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2600/4001798317_f190560153_o.jpg)

Title: Color or b/w?
Post by: Professional on October 12, 2009, 09:07:32 am

I prefer the color one, but B/W is good too.

Title: Color or b/w?
Post by: AndrewKulin on October 12, 2009, 10:42:56 am

I prefer the colour.  I think the subject matter deserves to be in colour (red/green contrast) and there is not a lot of texture in the surfaces of the pears or the red peppers to warrant B&W treatment in my opinion.

Also, on screen the image (pears) appears slightly out of focus.  Is that your intent?

Andrew

Title: Color or b/w?
Post by: John R on October 12, 2009, 10:45:15 am

I think the highlights in the image are too pronounced and unduly attract attention to themselves, especially the foreground highlight on the chile pepper. I prefer the BW because it better hides the background. Try a filter to increase the contrast in tones.

JMR

Title: Color or b/w?
Post by: grzybu on October 13, 2009, 06:21:44 am

Thanks for comments.
I've set focus at the front of front pear, but now I see that I should move it little bit back, to get more of first pear in focus.

Title: Color or b/w?
Post by: pegelli on October 13, 2009, 08:09:58 am

As presented here I like the color one better for the reason already mentioned, it gives more color contrast/separation between the yellow/green pears and the red peppers. In the B&W the tones are a lot closer together. However if you set your channel mixer differently by for instance making the reds much darker and the light green/yellows lighter a B&W conversion could become a lot more effective as well.

Title: Color or b/w?
Post by: grzybu on October 13, 2009, 08:40:54 am

Good idea. I was playing with channel mixer to get more texture on pears, but it may be good idea to lower reds a little bit too.

Title: Color or b/w?
Post by: grzybu on October 14, 2009, 04:53:01 am

I've processed b/w version bit more. I think it's better now.
(http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3526/4010353455_749770f4ef_o.jpg)

Title: Color or b/w?
Post by: alangubbay on October 14, 2009, 05:58:53 am

Quote from: grzybu

I've processed b/w version bit more. I think it's better now.
(http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3526/4010353455_749770f4ef_o.jpg)

For me colour adds much more interest to the picture.

Title: Color or b/w?
Post by: grzybu on October 14, 2009, 06:18:19 am

I agree, but I just wanted to have this in b/w too

Title: Color or b/w?
Post by: thomasfolkeandersen on October 14, 2009, 06:37:09 am

I like the B&W version better here. I can see and relate to the comments about colour contrast, but I think the background is less distracting in B&W. Keep working on these still lifes and you could have a beautiful series.