SAL Photography Challenge #4 - Black & White Photography

[Jay]

I've been busy so my hobby takes a back seat. But I grabbed this photo today:

Original on Flickr

Rokinon 135 wide open on my A7 1/160 - ISO 5000

I hear that loud and clear Great capture!

Jay

[wilmeland]

Couple weeks ago saw this guy in the foliage when I opened my back door. Hoped I could get the camera before he moved. Obviously that would not be a problem. Think it's a May Fly. Don't think they last very long in their winged state. Guess the drops of water still clinging to him should have given me my first clue.

maynotfly03837 by wilmeland, on Flickr

Here's another stab at the B&W theme. Focused on the anthers which were highlighted by ray of sun through the leaves.


hibiscus by Hunter S Catson, on Flickr

Willie

[FlavioRoss]

Take this one today. Used the 16-35, a7, and the B&W Hi contrast of the camera. I liked the result, with such high contrast you end losing details, but that way gives more appeal to the image, at least here. (but I still prefer shooting RAW and develop my way, too much is lost shooting Jpeg.)

[FlavioRoss]

Thanks @Jay and @wilmeland for the comments!

@Sean : Thanks for the process details. It's hard to single out a picture from a group of such variety but your "style" is recognizable among all participants. Very nice effect, beautiful picture (faved in Flickr).

@Obelix: nice cemetery patterns and textures.

@Jtimmer: excellent macro work. What lens did you use?

@Jay: the metal man is pretty cool.

@Flavio: Still trying to wrap my head around the 3D sketch. Is this a picture of a picture or a real "thing"?

@Brian: That middle rock has a strange "lizard" shape on it. Almost a modern fossil... interesting accident or what?

It's just a paint on the wall (and two pair of sandals). Since there are no colors on the image, the drawing on the wall and ground looks more realistic, giving more an 3D feel.

[wilmeland]

Seriously "old school".

Deardorff01782 by Hunter S Catson, on Flickr

Willie

[Obelix]

Couple more from Forest Home Cemetery




Sony a6000, SEL1670Z

[dragion]

A6000 : SELP18105G


China~Dragion Designs
by dragioniii, on Flickr

[MoOriginal]

Heres a few of mine promise not to post anymore as ive posted a few -
And my first post too

[Obelix]

Finally I got my film back with not so good scans.
All pictures taken with Minolta Maxxum 7000 and Minolta AF 35-70mm f4.0
Kodak TMAX 100 film

#1


#2


#3


#4


#5


#6


#7

[wilmeland]

These are giant steel and glass sculptures on the exterior wall of Evander Preston's gallery at Pass a Grille beach.

fliesonthewall4043 by wilmeland, on Flickr
Yashica 50mm
Willie

[wilmeland]

@ MoOriginal - nice series of compositions. Definitely good compositions for the B&W format & nicely executed.

@ Obelix - nice B&W, also like the one with the old tractor as the focal point on Flickr. Curious, what was the speed and type of film used and assuming these were scanned prints - have you ever scanned negatives? I always do the prints, but am thinking of digging out some old negatives to try on my Epson.

Observation, on film there is a quality that just cannot be defined. We can chase it with digital, but there is something tactile about the analog medium. I think it is very similar to the discussions I read regarding digital music vs analog record albums. Despite the inevitable clicks and pops that may be evident on a record, there is a depth or warmth of quality that just is just not there with digital recordings.

end of of my ramblings for now,

Willie

[seanlancaster]

So many great images posted since I was last here. I think it's great that Obelix even brought in some film, which reminds me that I have a Canon AE-1 with my first roll of film sitting in it and I need to get it finished off so I can finally get some film photographs in my collection.

I am fortunate to have a local photowalk group who went out yesterday and that forced me back into action. Here is a photo of a photographer with his Canon 6D and old film 50/1.2 lens. I took this with my Rokinon 135/2 wide open (pretty obvious) on my A7:



Original on Flickr

Sony ILCE-7 - 135mm - f/2 - 1/2000 ISO 200

[Obelix]

I saved tractor and other ones for tomorrow
Kodak TMAX 100, I didn't expect that much grain from 100 ISO. Fuji 400 I used last year looked better than this one
These are scanned negatives, no prints.

[seanlancaster]

I have Kodak UltraMax 400 (color) so I won't be posting it in this challenge if I ever finish the roll.

[Lucille]

I love black and white.

I have often said the Sony A7S with the Zeiss 55mm f/1.8 tends to have a medium format feel to it.....atleast to my eyes, I love how this combo renders. I shot this image a few days ago.


Sony A7S, Zeiss 55mm f/1.8

[Obelix]

Great portrait Lucille!
One tip for your model, removing lens cap helps with taking pictures

[Jay]

Awesome work guys and loving the look of that film Obelix Killer Portraits Sean and Lucille!

MoOrigional, great series and thanks for sharing!

Dragion, Really liking that shot of statues...

Willie, Nice job with the grass and small fly fallowed up by the huge fake fly on the wall

Will Hucks, Liking the high contrast mode big time!

Keep up the great efforts everybody and I've been spending all m spare time playing with my new toy drone, but will try and get some new shots asap...

Jay

[Obelix]

More film pictures
Kodak TMAX100, Minolta Maxxum 7000, Minolta AF 35-70mm f4.0

#8


#9


#10


#11


#12


#13


#14

[MoOriginal]

Thanks all for the comments

Just in case if anyone wondered those shots all taken on a Sony a7r - with a Canon FD 28mm 2.8 lens - which I love !

[Lucille]

Great portrait Lucille!
One tip for your model, removing lens cap helps with taking pictures

That's funny, we snapped to that when in post processing..... duh!

[Lucille]

Las Trampas New Mexico.

[leuius]

Gorgeous sky, Lucille! (and in another thread also...)

Very nice composition...

[leuius]

Awesome work guys and loving the look of that film Obelix Killer Portraits Sean and Lucille!

MoOrigional, great series and thanks for sharing!

Dragion, Really liking that shot of statues...

Willie, Nice job with the grass and small fly fallowed up by the huge fake fly on the wall

Will Hucks, Liking the high contrast mode big time!

I concur with everything Jay has indicated.

I just wanted to single out MoOriginal's set... great images!! That first spiral and the ribbons (#5) are exceptional.

Also appreciated the additional cemetery images from Obelix and the old camera from Willie.

Truly talented people showcase... can we even call this a "challenge"??

[BrianC]

I concur with everything Jay has indicated.

I just wanted to single out MoOriginal's set... great images!! That first spiral and the ribbons (#5) are exceptional.

Also appreciated the additional cemetery images from Obelix and the old camera from Willie.

Truly talented people showcase... can we even call this a "challenge"??

I agree with everything Jay and Stef have said, and especially the last bit about the showcase of talent. This thread has nice strong legs, and it is running so fast that I can hardly keep up. I also agree with Willie on the analog:digital point. It seems like, notwithstanding the relatively minor difference in technology, that analog is more organic, that it finds a readier niche in our bio-computers' memory banks... .

Abbreviated LIFO exercise--
Lucille, that's a lovely picture of Las Trampas - angle, light, architecture and sky. Also the great (and funny) portrait
Obelix, I'm loving the film. I especially like the yard art pics and the geese flying at the end.
Sean, I love that photographer portrait - crisp and creamy at the same time, and it looks like he's having a blast.
Great flies, great and small, Willie!

[Obelix]

Wind Point lighthouse

Sony a6000, SEL1670Z


Sony a6000, Rokinon 12mm f2.0

Foghorn house

Sony a6000, Rokinon 12mm f2.0

[leuius]

Nice pics Obelix. I particularly like the middle image; great use of that Rokinon.

[leuius]

If there is one subject which naturally begs B&W, it has got to be the moon.

Last Sunday evening, the (very thin crescent) moon and Venus were together in the night sky just after sunset. Unfortunately I was out and did not have a camera with me at the time. I promised myself that I would try the moon at the next occasion, which was the following night. I did not have much time and did not want to set up the tripod and get the bigger lenses out in the freezing cold (spring is really taking its sweet time this year) so I simply took a few hand-held quickies using the Sony 55-210mm at max zoom on the A6000 before the moon disappeared below tree cover.

What follows is the result of a little experimenting with the RAW file in Capture One. I'm very new to that program so I expect the image to be sub-standard in terms of post-processing technique and result. I'm wishing to get a clear night soon to try again with a more suitable set-up so I won't have to crop so much and maybe get a chance at stacking images...


Early moon crescent on Flickr

Cheers,

[Lucille]

[seanlancaster]

Lucille, I am loving your wide angle shots.
Obelix, you're really mastering film. I am almost too scared to shoot mine because it's so . . . permanent. I takes a very different mindset than I am used to. But when I came across your A6000 shots, I could have easily mistaken them for film as well. Digital sure has come a long way.
Stef, the detail you captured in the moon is spectacular. Wow!

I visited an old 1 room schoolhouse recently and found this teacher's bell still sitting on the desk.



Original on Flickr

Lighting was terrible, but A7 with the Rokinon 135/2 wide open - 1/160 and ISO 5000.

[leuius]

I visited an old 1 room schoolhouse recently and found this teacher's bell still sitting on the desk.

Lighting was terrible, but A7 with the Rokinon 135/2 wide open - 1/160 and ISO 5000.

Very nice composition and result... Razor-thin DOF and dreamy bokeh also.

It looks like you have kept your new 135 attached for this entire month; the turnout is beautiful!

Regards.