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04-01-2017, 06:07 PM   #1
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Little Windows
Lens: smc PENTAX-DA L 50-200mm F4-5.6 ED Camera: Pentax K-30 Photo Location: Planet Omicron Persei 8 ISO: 400 Shutter Speed: 1/60s Aperture: F4 

Well, this is (in my opinion) one of my better candid portraits. There was no setup, and it was done with available light indoors on a sunny day, albeit beside a huge floor to ceiling glass window. Just a shot of the niece taken when my Brother was in town. It's a b&w conversion, and I really like how it captured her eyes. The color version looks great too, but I just really like the drama the b&w version adds to it. There's more contrast here as well. Be brutally honest, and tell what you guys think.

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04-01-2017, 06:23 PM   #2
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Isn't there always drama with little kids? ha ha, just kidding. I'm not a pro but I think the colored version might be more flattering. It's a cute baby, with a serious face and in black and white. What is the mood in the environment your trying to capture? happy, serene, contentment, wonder.or something else?. I do like the composition, soft natural light and you brought out the baby beautiful eyes..
04-01-2017, 08:34 PM   #3
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QuoteOriginally posted by Scotteroni Quote
Isn't there always drama with little kids? ha ha, just kidding. I'm not a pro but I think the colored version might be more flattering. It's a cute baby, with a serious face and in black and white. What is the mood in the environment your trying to capture? happy, serene, contentment, wonder.or something else?. I do like the composition, soft natural light and you brought out the baby beautiful eyes..
Well, to be honest I was just shooting everything, but with children her age, my goal is always to capture the curiosity/wonder that they display. That was my goal with this shot. I felt like the b&w added to that, due to the added dramatic flair and contrast. But, here's what the color shot looks like with what I deemed color appropriate post processing:

Last edited by Vicioustuna2012; 11-29-2017 at 08:49 PM.
04-03-2017, 09:35 AM   #4
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I like the first version a lot. The second is not good; the color is very distracting from the subject, which is the baby.

04-03-2017, 07:44 PM   #5
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QuoteOriginally posted by jk333 Quote
I like the first version a lot. The second is not good; the color is very distracting from the subject, which is the baby.
My thoughts exactly! When I did the b&w conversion I thought, "Yes...this is how this shot should look". Thanks so much!
04-03-2017, 09:55 PM   #6
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But you miss those big blue eyes in the B&W...Can you de saturate the pink some so its not as bright?
04-04-2017, 05:59 PM   #7
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QuoteOriginally posted by GolNat Quote
But you miss those big blue eyes in the B&W...Can you de saturate the pink some so its not as bright?
I could, but I don't like the color version...well, I think the b&w looks better. It's one of the rare instances where I think the b&w actually makes the eyes look better.

04-04-2017, 07:04 PM   #8
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Well I suppose people took plenty of baby pictures before color film so there you go.
04-05-2017, 04:47 AM   #9
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Overall, I agree that the monochrome version is far better that the color one. But in contrast to
QuoteOriginally posted by Vicioustuna2012 Quote
It's one of the rare instances where I think the b&w actually makes the eyes look better.
it's the eyes, esp. the child's right eye, where I would reduce the highlights (window reflection) somewhat, to be more in line with the lower perceived contrast in the color version. Otherwise they're too dominant, distracting from the otherwise curious look.
04-07-2017, 11:22 PM   #10
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I like b&w version, but there are so many ways to make color version working as well. Here is the quick variation in Lightroom. First I adjusted wb, reduced the contrast a bit, then I reduced the saturation for the whole picture, and brought back saturation with brushes on selected areas. Played with effects a bit.
I also softened skin a bit, cleaned a few spots, sharpened eyes, and cropped the left edge very little.
The point is: you can create as many edited versions as you like. Play with it and have fun!


04-08-2017, 01:59 AM   #11
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QuoteOriginally posted by micromacro Quote
I like b&w version, but there are so many ways to make color version working as well. Here is the quick variation in Lightroom. First I adjusted wb, reduced the contrast a bit, then I reduced the saturation for the whole picture, and brought back saturation with brushes on selected areas. Played with effects a bit.
I also softened skin a bit, cleaned a few spots, sharpened eyes, and cropped the left edge very little.
The point is: you can create as many edited versions as you like. Play with it and have fun!

Hey, thx! This is a great idea. You really nailed the tone. I didn't realize how warm I had this shot, but now that I see what you did I realize my WB was way off in the color shot. Thanks so much, your input has really helped!
04-08-2017, 07:14 AM   #12
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QuoteOriginally posted by Vicioustuna2012 Quote
I realize my WB was way off in the color shot.
To me the wb is one of the hardest things to adjust, especially if editing for a long time. It's tricky sometimes even with calibrated monitor.

There are also so many ways to create b&w images by different ways. You also can download Silver Efex Pro from Nik collection, it's free. I love their variations, especially tones. Unfortunately I had problem with Windows Explorer and Nik, so I uninstalled Nik for now, but I will try to install it again.
05-05-2017, 10:36 PM   #13
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Nice pic..kind of reminds me of the Gerber baby..
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