I have the worst luck when it comes to weather on the weekend. It has poured rain all day! Pity me! So I stayed indoors and tried my hand at some B&W conversions.

These are all images I took last year in Nicaragua. Most are snapshot portraits and one of a farm house. The country might be in not terrific shape due to certain natural disasters and political unrest, but the people of Nicaragua are great! In fact, in spite of their rather bleak situation they remain quite positive about the future.

Anyway, here are some conversions from colour to B&W. I like B&W for portraits.

CC is always welcome.

Each one of these pictures could come with a paragraph or two of explanation, but I'll spare you the travelogue and let the images speak for themselves.

#1

#2

#3

#4

#5

#6

#7

#8

#9

#10

[distorted_vision]

fantastic shots mate..these are really gooD!!!

numbers 5,7 and 10 are my favs,,

[daacon]

Jeff I am sure that trip was a real eye opener. A few comments. #1 is a little noisy not sure if that is by design. #2 the shadow of the fence is realy distracting on the boys face. #3 though #6 are awsome. The conversion, expressions, lighting, framing I really like them. #7 could use a crop to isolate the focal point and take some of business and bluring from the background. #8 is my favorite just tells a story. The sunlight is perfect. #9 and #10 are well done but I prefer #8 the best. A very nice series.

[J.Scott]

Thanks for the comments! You are correct, I added 8% noise on #1; sometimes it works - sometimes not.

#2 was fun to shoot as I was standing near the house when this little head popped up beside me at the hole in the chicken wire and he started shouting something in Spanish at a girl there (his sister, I'm guessing). I know the wire makes a funny line on his face - I guess I could carefully 'clone' it out.

#7 is challenging. It is kind of hard to isolate him due to the fact that there are so many people in the room working very close to each other. The shot is a bit blurry as well as I did not have a camera with SR; that would have been perfect in this circumstance. I'll try a crop to see it that helps focus on his eyes. Everyone else was trying to ignore us but this guy was drilling holes through my cranium with those eyes! I think he was more annoyed than angry, but I still like the expression.

Is this better?

[daacon]

I like the cropped version much better! You are right I did not really notice that look before now that is the text book definition of 'If looks could kill' - cloning the shadows off the boys face would be a painful process I think.

[roentarre]

I agree. The cropped version does seem more to the point and creating more impact.

Great series of photojournalism

[Kaimarx]

Love the whole series. # 8 is my favourite, i love how the light bounces back up into the roof. The whole scene reminds me of my grandmothers 'kitchen' on the farm when i visited her in the islands as a child.

[raz-0]

I like most of them. However, the first one looks as if you tried to add noise to simulate grain and added color noise. It's a nice enough photo that it might be worth going back and reprocessing.

[J.Scott]

I like most of them. However, the first one looks as if you tried to add noise to simulate grain and added color noise. It's a nice enough photo that it might be worth going back and reprocessing.

I agree whole heartedly. I think I will leave the colour version alone. Thanks for your opinion.

[little laker]

Very nice Jeff, I love the smile in #3

[Bramela]

Nice work Jeff.
Some of those portraits are great.
I do like No.8 myself, just the shaft of light and the atmosphere does it for me.
Well done, mate.

[J.Scott]

Here is the colour version of #1. The story behind her is simple, but memorable.

We were visiting a very poor neighborhood in Managua, Nicaragua and just chatting casually with some of the people there. I was wandering around just snapping pics of whatever interested me. I went to take a picture of this little girl but she said something in Spanish and ran off. The interpretor said that the girl did not want me to take her picture as she was not clean. She knew I was visiting from Canada and would be showing the pictures of her and she wanted to look her best. She took a shower in a communal shower; basically a water pipe surrounded by some black plastic bags. Scampering back to her mothers tin shack wrapped in a towel she emerged a few minutes later dressed as you see her here. She told me (through the interpretor) that she was ready for me to take her picture. I was humbled by her dignity and pride of personal appearance. I will never forget her.

[axl]

no8 is my favourite, it really cuts it for me...

[JCSullivan]

Here is the colour version of #1. The story behind her is simple, but memorable.

We were visiting a very poor neighborhood in Managua, Nicaragua and just chatting casually with some of the people there. I was wandering around just snapping pics of whatever interested me. I went to take a picture of this little girl but she said something in Spanish and ran off. The interpretor said that the girl did not want me to take her picture as she was not clean. She knew I was visiting from Canada and would be showing the pictures of her and she wanted to look her best. She took a shower in a communal shower; basically a water pipe surrounded by some black plastic bags. Scampering back to her mothers tin shack wrapped in a towel she emerged a few minutes later dressed as you see her here. She told me (through the interpretor) that she was ready for me to take her picture. I was humbled by her dignity and pride of personal appearance. I will never forget her.

That is such a sweet story. So many poor people around us (even here at home) and yet we go on wasting, especially food. I get so angry at my nieces and nephews and remind them that what they're throwing away was equivelant to a whole week's food for a child elsewhere in the world.

[distorted_vision]

i really like the cropped version of #7.. you really did capture the moment didnt you!!