Welcome to Weekly Challenge #463 - Powerful Black & White

Thank you to Vaskebjorn for hosting and your kind words, also for selecting my image as the winner, you've certainly caught me on the hop here for setting next weeks challenge, but here goes...

My first love has always been B&W... maybe cos I'm so old, colour hadn't been invented when I started photography.

So for this weeks challenge, lets see those images that ooze power by their very presence, images that wow and pop while being devoid of colour, Split toning, Sepia treatments and the like are allowed.

Here's a few of mine which I hope convey what I mean for this challenge.

The Challenge will run from now until midnight Tuesday 9th July 2019, I'll judge and post results the following day. Every week, a new theme is picked and judged by the winner of the previous week.

Rules
1. Post ONE photo.
2. The photo must portray an interpretation of the theme.
3. Post your single picture in this thread and explain what motivated you to take the picture and/or how you feel it represents the weekly theme (especially if it's not obvious).
4. The challenge is interactive. Any response is welcome.
5. The judge will pick the WINNERS and choose one of them to be the judge for the next week.
6. This challenge runs for 7 days plus an additional day for the judge to choose the winners.
7. Any Pentax camera can be used.
8. Pictures can be from any time frame, not just within the week of the current theme.
9. In case the winner of a challenge is unable to become the judge for the next challenge, they will PM the #2 winner for that person to be the judge.

[charliezap]

As the cold front was approaching Salisbury St. Park in Ma. the life guards were blowing the whistles to get every one off of the beach.--charliezap

Attached Images

View Picture EXIF

File Date

 

[ramseybuckeye]

I took this one this Winter, it was taken to be Black and White to show a cold Winter day, the kind of day void of color anyway.

[noelcmn]

[StephenHampshire]

I had a tough choice for this one, but in the end, this portrait (actually unposed, although as a "re-enactor" the chap was playing a part....a K3 shot with the DA-L 50mm f1.8

[Prince Harbinger]

Rain droplets on a Marigold.

[Kerrowdown]

Just a few hours left for this weeks submissions, you'll need to fire 'em in quick now.

[Kerrowdown]

Thank you to all who participated, perhaps a little more difficult this week, but that IMHO that's what a challenge should be... a challenge.

During the course of this week I was having a wee chat with some other "togs", I mentioned this challenge that I'd set. Some asked if they too could participate... my reply was "but not using that hardware, Canikon just don't cut it here".

Interestingly enough, all in the group claimed that they "pre see" a B&W image, rather than "just converting" a colour image. I must admit that I'm the same, certainly certain subjects and environments lend themselves better for that purpose too. With me, even down to which ones will have split toning or other treatments applied to them, perhaps I should purchase myself a Leica M Monochrom and save a process step...

So to honourable mentions, just in order as posted...

jacamar "abandoned bridge" I like B&W images to have both a pure Black and pure White within them, this one has both and certainly an interesting viewpoint too.

bigoak "Art Deco–style building" looks to be super sharp and loverly textures.

aaacb "Ice Axe" really like the composition of this image.

eva "Bike" yep like this, it looks like a reverse penny farthing.

Hattifnatt "family silhouette" strong image and super sharp too.

tuco "look out" dark and powerful but still with a huge amount of detail, a good one for wall mounting IMHO.

StephenHampshire "re-enactor" What a powerful portrait, very film noir.

The winner for me was... StephenHampshire with his "re-enactor", it's a truly cracking powerful portrait, well done sir.

Runner up... tuco with "look out", a great image, get this printed up big and hung on the wall.

[photolady95]

rather than "just converting" a colour image.

I was guilty of that one. If I'd shot jpeg like most do, I could have done one in color and one in B&W. But I shoot RAW aka.DNG. Oh well, maybe next challenge will work for me, eh?

Congratulations, to StephenHampshire for the win!

And congrats to the runners up.

However, if you know how, and what you're doing in post processing, any converted photo can look like a shot Black and White photo, even it if was color to start with.

[Kerrowdown]

I was guilty of that one

Wasn't trying to apportion blame or guilt trips... if so my apologies , I was just trying suggested that IMHO pre visualised images taken for B&W in mind, usually make for far better finished images, than just converted ones.

If I'd shot jpeg like most do

Really lots of folk still do that?... oh dear, that to me seems to be such a wasted opportunity for development of imagery later rather than "baked" in camera. I only tend shoot jpeg (usually sports related) when it needs to go straight down the wire to an picture editor.

But I shoot RAW aka.DNG.

Yep me too... Pentax DNG, then straight in LR then PS if required for heavy lifting.

[djb47]

Congratulations to Stephen Hampshire on the win.

Well done to the runners up.

[jacamar]

Thanks for the HM Kerrowdown - Congrats to Stephen and Tuco, well deserved. There were lots of good pics in this challenge.

[photolady95]

Kerrowdown]Wasn't trying to apportion blame or guilt trips... if so my apologies , I was just trying suggested that IMHO pre visualised images taken for B&W in mind, usually make for far better finished images, than just converted ones.

And I wasn't trying to make you feel bad either. I just converted a color image to black and white. I should have said so in the contest.

Really lots of folk still do that?... oh dear, that to me seems to be such a wasted opportunity for development of imagery later rather than "baked in" camera. I only tend shoot jpeg (usually sports related) when it needs to go straight down the wire to an picture editor.

You'd be surprised at the number of people and the type of photographers that shoot jpeg. From amateurs to professionals.

Yep me too... Pentax DNG, then straight in LR then PS if required for heavy lifting.

I look at RAW as my being my negatives. Just like when I used to shoot film.

[Kerrowdown]

I should have said so in the contest.

No at all, I suspect that most or all were probably digital colour shots converted. I just wondered how many were actually pre visualised and maybe exposure adjusted at the time of taking for an intended B&W finished image. The examples I posted at the beginning of the thread were all done in this manner, until that is... a Leica M Monochrom is sitting in front of me on the desk.

that shoot jpeg

I guess that's only way to keep the 14-16fps going for a second or two longer.

I look at RAW as my being my negatives. Just like when I used to shoot film.

Exactly...

[eva]

Congrats to Stephen and Tuco,thanks for HM's and for comments.Nice challenge.

[StephenHampshire]

Thank you Kerrowdown....as with any shoot at a "1940s" or earlier event, you are always thinking "mono" at the back of your mind. Shooting at night means a restricted pallette anyway, so whilst not shot specifically in black and white, it was never far away.

I will post a new challenge tomorrow, as I am out tonight!