Superhero Photo Challenge: Black and White

Some photos just lend themselves to black and white. I love looking through photos after a shoot and deciding which ones have just the right combination of elements that makes for a good black and white image. Sometimes it's about contrast, other times an image has that dreamy, vintage quality, sometimes it's just trial and error, clicking back and forth between b/w and color.

How do you choose what images you will make into black and white? Let's crack the code on good black and white images. What makes for a beautiful shot? I want to see your favorites.

I found so many gorgeous examples in the Shutter Sisters flickr pool. Wow people. You are good.

feeling nostalgic

There are a number of reasons I choose to live in Southern California. This is one of them.

I will admit that we don't usually get defined billowy clouds here which is exactly why I took my camera out with me the day I shot this from the pier. Although this landscape shot looked lovely straight out of the camera, it is the vintage postcard processing that makes me fall in love with my surroundings all over again.

I have noticed so many of you creating your own magic with nostalgic processing techniques. Swoon.

If you've got some photo editing handwork of the antique kind that you'd like to share please do. Let's take a trip back in time.

Tweak the Antique

I'm fairly new to Adobe Lightroom (my new BFF photo editing program) so I’m still working out my system. The whole post processing thins can be overwhelming to say the least, especially when you take as many photos as I do. I’m thinking that we’re all in that same boat of shooting gazillions of photos so I know you can relate.

One of my favorite presets right now that Lightroom offers is aged photo. t first when I click on it my images looks totally overexposed but when I take down the exposure slide (is that what they call that thing?) it starts to work it’s magic. The photos look nostalgic in an interesting, not sappy way. I will admit that I thought I was so over that antique tinted look but with the options this baby gives you, you can totally revamp the look of it.

In the shot above I got it too look just as I liked it just by playing with the exposure slide (I hope that's what they call it). The only thing that was missing was more color in the magenta flower so I cranked it up a little. I used the magenta slide and upped the saturation and my work was done. I love the way the warm pinkish cast works in this image and the flower is just tinted enough to remain a subtle but beautiful focal point. That against the color of the little girl’s skin captivates me.

Have you used aged photo or something like it? Do you use it as it comes or do you tweak your antique?