Sometimes my good intentions lead me astray. I had every intention, when I began to process this image, of allowing the appealing fall colors I had captured to remain the stars of the show. Somehow along the way the lines, shapes, and forms of this intimate place along the Blue Ridge Parkway took control and completely overwhelmed the scene and became a whimsical Black & White conversion, with a slight amount of negative clarity added for good measure.
A focal length of 100mm, somewhere near the far end of short-telephotoland, gave me the intimate angle-of-view I wanted with some slight magnification. An aperture of f/20 provided depth-of-field and ISO 200 allowed me to cut the shutter speed to 2.0 seconds, which, along with patience, meant that I could stop the slight breeze wafting through the forest before me.
Even in the midst of a fall color extravaganza, it’s always worthwhile to consider the visual field as a monochromatic possibility.
Don, can you explain ‘negative clarity’ a little bit?
I like how you have once again expanded my horizons. I very rarely, if ever, convert my shots to monochrome. I like the effect and may have to try it with a few shots I took the first week of October. I looked back in your archives and saw two similar shots in your May 2019 posts, however they were in color. The composition though was very similar. I think both styles can work. It would be fun to see a side by side (color/monochrome).
An interesting example of B/W conversion! Just last week, the day after a surprisingly early, but not too heavy, snow hit the Chicago area, my very first photography instructor posted a blog and image about his delight in finding a snow-lined landscape with late fall color still shining through to make the image pop. His bottom line about color vs. monochrome was to look for contrast. In his image, the color of the foliage was the contrast to whiteness. In yours, the tree trunks vs. the foliage provide contrast and interest. Thank you for a complementary lesson.
I think you had a lot of fun with this one. I really like the results. The contrasts are beautiful and the negative clarity made it a little whimsical. It looks inspired by Orton and Porter… a great combination.
Good evening Everyone. It’s a pleasure to be with all of you this evening as we draw near to the close of another wonderful adventure with the beautiful Appalachian Barns of Madison County, North Carolina. It’s great to have all of you with me as we consider an Image taken recently along the Blue Ridge Parkway not far south of Craggy Gardens. As the lead-in explained, I began processing the image in the full color that it was experienced, but somewhere along the way realized that it was choosing to express itself as a black and white.
Hey Jeff. I hope this finds you well. Thanks for your excellent query about “negative clarity.” In the “Basic” module of both PhotoShop CC or CS, as well as in Lightroom CC (actually I have 5.7), there is a slider labeled “clarity.” The clarity slider’s primary purpose is as a mid-tone sharpening tool. If you take the slider to the “positive” side, it, in fact, performs that function. If, on the other hand, you take the slider in the (-) negative direction, it creates a softening of those mid-tones, which at some point begins to produce a softer, more impressionistic effect. Not all images are necessarily good candidates for this technique, but in this case, I felt the outcome would be pleasing, although I did not apply it to a great degree. Hope that’s helpful.
Hey Kev. It’s always good to have you with me. I think your basic conclusion, that “both styles can work, ie color and monochrome, is right on target. In fact, I believe both styles can work when applied to the same image; so I encourage to try both frequently and fall color is a perfect time. Walk in Beauty, my friend.
Hi Donald. It’s always a pleasure to have you join us, and it’s always good to have your keen observations and questions. I agree with your #1 instructor about looking for a contrast to exploit in making B&W conversions; and I agree that you have found the appropriate contrast to describe in the image I have shared. Conversions on circumstances such as this are just plain fun to work. There’s a pleasing surprise down every path of the process.
Hi Nancy T. It’s always just plain fun to have you with me and to read your insightful thoughts and observations. This Image was fun, too, and I am very honored by your comparison to both Orton and Porter. Michael’s pursuit of art through his impressionistic creations and Eliot’s pursuit of beauty through his “intimate landscapes” are deeply inspirational for me. I’m grateful that the result pleases you. Talk soon.
Thank you All, again, for your sharp eyes and keen thoughts. I hope your fall season has been filled with wonderful creativity. Be well and Walk in Beauty.