want your opinions and if you could, offer some advice on how to beef up the b/w conversion.
Color:


b/w:


And yes, I know how some of you feel about flower photos, but for now, these are what I use to practice my lagging skills on.

[J.Scott]

Ta' hell with them! I like flowers!

I like the color version but would suggest using a larger aperture opening to create a cool bokeh effect.

[rparmar]

First, the original photo could be improved in a number of ways. It looks like it was taken under full sunlight. Try a softer light or less intense time of day.

I'm not sure what lens was used, but there are all sorts of halos on the leaves in the background that indicate less than great glass, or some other issue.

It could be a matter of using a polarising filter and dialing it in correctly.

I also agree with the comment about reducing the DOF to throw the background out of focus.

It takes a while, but work on those items and see how things go! I never thought anything of flowers at one time, but have learned to love shooting them. It's not as easy as it looks.

I hope this helps.

[photolady95]

Originally posted by J.Scott..
Ta' hell with them! I like flowers!

I like the color version but would suggest using a larger aperture opening to create a cool bokeh effect.

Thanks on the first part. I like em too, easy to shoot and they usually stand still. The converting was just a whim to see if it would look any better in b/w. And it probably would if this had been true b/w film. Oh well.
As for the bokeh, I thought I was getting that, until I saw the negative. I'm usually pretty good at getting bokeh.

Originally posted by rparmar...
It looks like it was taken under full sunlight. Try a softer light or less intense time of day.

I took this in the afternoon about 3pm but I have to be honest, the sun was shining directly on these flowers as the house I was at, that side of the house gets the most sun in the afternoon. I'll try early morning next time.

rparmar....I'm not sure what lens was used, but there are all sorts of halos on the leaves in the background that indicate less than great glass, or some other issue.

Taken with an off brand 50mm 2.8. I think the halo's you see are bokeh rain drops. It had just rained about 30 minutes before this shot.

by rparmar....It could be a matter of using a polarising filter and dialing it in correctly.

I didn't have the polarizer yet. I got that after these shots were taken. I'll try using that next time too.

by rparmar.....I also agree with the comment about reducing the DOF to throw the background out of focus.

See above.

So, this rose is in focus, right? I just need to work on bokeh and lighting. Thanks guys. Appreciate the comments and suggestions.

[Scottnorwo]

Just keep on experimenting. try a lower angle. get closer. Be creative.

[photolady95]

Thanks for the suggestions Scott. This was shot dead on, and I thought I had a closeup filter on the camera.

This flower actually belongs to my niece so I don't have everyday access to it.
However, there are some smaller versions growing here at home. I'll experiment with them.

[Donald]

"how to beef up the b/w conversion"........

with this shot it will be difficult. The color version appears a bit overprocessed: excessive hilites, oversaturated reds, halos.

Also, the chroma values of mid red on mid green do not convert to adequate contrast in BW without prior manipulation, post processing or in photgraphic composition.

All digital color captures require contrast boosting prior to black and white conversion. Benjamin's technique - duplicate layer, soft light, etc. - is the single best post processing advice on this forum; nondestructive adjustable contrast boosting.

Your mid-red flower on mid-green background, not processed for BW, is both breaking up in backround, and has de-emphasized subject from background, mid red = mid green.

If you aren't sure of desired end result, photoshop's channel mixer is best to play with. After Benjamin's or other method contrast boosting, view RGB alpha channels for relative contrast. In channel mixer, adjust RGB values accordingly; break the much repeated 100% rule, but not much.

Lastly, floral black and white is difficult. Flowers own color, taking color away leaves composition. Generally, appealing floral black and white's are excessively simple, minimal compositions with extreme black - white values, minimal grey scale hues.

[rparmar]

I'll try early morning next time.

Sounds like a good idea!

Taken with an off brand 50mm 2.8.

You could try the Sigma tele zoom as well. It can be quite handy for isolating details in a garden.

[photolady95]

Originally posted by Donald....All digital color captures

These are not digital captures, this was film. I don't do digital. See my signature.

rparmar. The zoom? I thought that would be too much lens, that's why I chose the 50mm. But I'll try that one next time instead.

[rparmar]

The thing about the zoom is that though it's not as fast it does have a longer focal length so it might give you more control over depth of field. It also might have better IQ for this application. And the pseudo-macro ability allows you to get fairly close.

[photolady95]

Thanks for the explanation on the zoom.

While looking at for lens caps today on KEH, I checked the 50mm to see which cap I needed, and found out this 50mm is a Ricoh.

[little laker]

photolady,
I tried fiddling with your photo a day, or 2 ago, in photoshop on my not calibrated monitor.
of course everyones tastes are different, however , while using the Channel Mixer I found that sliding the red slider to around 80, and both the Green and Blue sliders to around 10 gave me the results I'd more or less want for your photo

[photolady95]

This is what I got when I input your numbers in photoshop. I had to switch OS because photoshop 7 32bit won't work on Windows 7 RC 64bit. And I'm using PhotoShop Elements on windows 7 PE doesn't have channel mixer.

[Bokehboy]

I really cannot add anything but some encouragement. The previous advice sounds good to me but you will have to experiment a bit. I agree about the using the zoom macro. Don't be afraid to try it. On that particular lens with a digital slr there can be some vignetting show up at the extreme 300mm but that is not always a bad thing. It can actually be used to frame the subject if you desire that effect.

[photolady95]

Thanks Bokehboy for the suggestions and comments. I don't use digital at all. Well, except for my p/h nikon which is in the drawer now I have these other two cameras......

I'm going out in the morning early and see what I can do with this zoom lens.

One other question since I have your attention. What speed film would work best for this. This last roll was 400. I have some ASA100 and some ASA200, also.