Pixiq

These shots, both color and black & white were all done using Photomatix HDR.  All were done using tripods, either a regular size one, or a small table top tripod that I started to carry around in my bag.

Slowly trying to move into color on my website.  It's tough for me.  Filled with pitfalls.  After years and years of black and white photography, I always come to this point where I say, well that color picture looks nice, why don't I continue in color?

This time it happened when I moved into HDR.  I try to convince myself that I can do color using HDR and it will be as striking as black and white.  I have a secret for you - New York almost always looks more dramatic in black and white.

When it comes to buildings, whether at night or during the day; or people rushing around, I just have to admit that I revert to my 1960's sensibilities.  Gotham is a black and white place.

The twist to this story is that unlike the days when we chose whether to shoot color or b&w, anyone shooting in RAW mode is shooting color.  So you always have this decision to make; or that you've made already, which is whether the image should be black and white or color?

For years, I had the LCD on my DSLR set to monochrome. When I imported a photo, I used a preset in Lightroom to go to monochrome.  I thought in black and white.

Frankly, it's a much more difficult way to work.   In the film era you knew what film you were shooting, and generally used that same film all the time.  Now there's an answer to having so many choices - shoot jpgs, deciding at the time whether they are b&w and then you won't have to decide later.  (Just kidding!!!)

I actually made that mistake early on when I had a point and shoot that didn't do RAW and there are lots of jpgs that I could easily have improved if I had been shooting RAW mode at the time.  But enough as been written about that.

So, not only can you turn your digital image into black and white, but pretty much anything you can think of, from sepia to cross-processed.

So this time, the HDR phase called forth the color side of my photography because it offers such dramatic pictures, even if it isn't so HDR looking.

In the past the color phase never lasts for more than a month.  It's too difficult for me to switch back and forth. I find myself thinking about color more than other things like story and design more and more and go back to black and white.

The same goes for grain.  We tried to use film that wasn't too grainy.  Now, in order to make digital more filmlike, we can just add grain to the image.  All these chooses.  Many of the components of what was once your "style" can now be added post-shooting.

At any rate - you can see examples of what I've been up to in the gallery - plus this shot which is more classic black and white of New York at night (from Top of the Rock) and using Photomatix and HDR.

So let me end with this question: if you are selling photographs, do you ever sell them in b&w and color?  Do you have trouble deciding whether the shot should be shown in color or b&w?  It's an issue for me right now... but it will, like all the other issues of art get solved one way or another.