Old Growth

This is my first attempt at a black and white digital image, and I have no idea what I'm doing. Your suggestions will be much appreciated. This is probably a well photographed tree from the bridge overlooking Lower Yosemite Falls.

That's a nice image, Richard -- are you saying that you captured this in a black and white mode, or that you converted this from a color image? Either way, you did fine. If you've done black and white darkroom work, then using the dodge/burn tool is pretty much the same drill with a digital image. In my experience, converted color images almost always need to have some work done on brightness and contrast, too, if you use the "desaturate" mode to convert to black and white. The "auto contrast" isn't a bad way to start in making this adjustment when working with black and white, then using the "fade contrast" to find the right adjustment to your liking. This photo might benefit from just a bit more contrast to help the two roots with highlights jump out a bit more.

Tom

Thanks for the information, Tom. I should have provided more information. This was a color photograph that I converted to black and white in Lightroom with the push of a button. I also made adjustments in Lightroom, but haven't adjusted a black and white image before. I'll try adding a bit more contrast, as you suggested.

I'll have to take another look at Lightroom, Richard - I've noticed a number of people here using it. I've been holding out for Aperature, since I'm a Mac user, but need to do some hardware upgrades before I can fully use it. However, Lightroom has fewer system demands, so I could use that on my current configuration. Still more options to mull over..!

Tom

Nice tonality here. Lightroom is a great program, although I don't use it as much now that PS CS3 came out. Aperature is nice as well, I'm a Mac user myself and actually prefer lightroom right now, although my experience with aperature is limited.

Very nice shot here. I do like photoshop most, maube becouse I'm just used to it so much and don't see any reason to switch, or maybe I'm just too bussy to try a new things and photoshop has everything (and wauy more ) that I need. Once again nice shot.