REPOST - Critique please.

Charlie, I just wanted you to know that if I could give you a critique I would, but for me with B&W I'm still at a point where I have to try everything to see what seems right for any given image, so I can't even begin to tell just by looking at it. I really do like this image of this curled reed, though.

Thanks Barbara. We are at nearly the same point on B&W. I'm hoping some of the B&W experienced will give me some idea if I'm getting any progress.

Charlie

Very nice, Charlie. I never saw the colored version but I do think the B/W rendering. Nice light and good composition.

Regards,

Carol

Charlie: Looks pretty good to me. I like the contrast range and the comp. Well done.>=))>

Hi Charlie.

I love black and white and I do it whenever I can. My experience is that a photo works in color or it works in black and white but probably not in both. I didn't see the color version of this one. The black and whites I like best have lots of contrast - black blacks and white whites. This is what I'm talking about: http://www.naturephotographers.net/imagecritique/bbs.cgi?a=vm&mr=67069&CGISESSID=127779a87200d7536631985c5c4bcf50&u=23600

For me, this photo's appeal is in the shape of the curled reed, not in its black-and-whiteness. There are a lot of mid-tones, some highlights, but no real blacks.

Charlie:
I like the composition here with the curled reed.

B&W is quite different and challenging in its own right. I am still exploring and learning more with B&W with my radiography images. Wish to see more tonal range and contrast here.

Thanks all for responses. Buck and Gary I see that my contrast and overall processing needs work.

This past few days has been hectic and I'll try to get a repost sent soon.

Regards,

Charlie

Here is my latest try at B&W processing. Don't let me down now. Keep giving me the thoughts you have about anything that in your opinion should be better. Thanks.

Hi Charlie I dont think it's your processing, its the subject., like Buck and Gary said, you need a subject with more contrast, Love the flowing lines and detail
Albert Darmo
Canada

Charlie, I think the repost is a big improvement.

A strangely sculptural quality to the image, Charlie, which I like a lot. To my eye the repost has slightly greater clarity and sharpness, though the variety of tones in both seem to work extremely well. I'm not over familiar with converting but I would say this is pretty darned good !

Thought I'd post a color version so you can see what this originally looked like. I have so little experiance with B&W and have been looking for images that might be worthwhile converting. All your suggestions and critiques help enormously in me beginning to understand what this is about.

Thanks.

Charlie

Charlie,
I think the b&w repost works better, but I prefer just a bit the color version because IMO it seems to have more 3-dimensionality. Beautiful lines and textures.