Jon Joyce
May 2023 - Green Machine
About the Image(s)
I took this photograph a few years ago right after the University of Delaware apparently felt the need to demonstrate that they were aligned with modern academic thinking about the environment and erected this windmill. I converted the image to black-and-white using the Silver Efex Pro 3 upon the recommendation of Scott Kelby, (Adobe photoshop ccc Book for Digital Photographers), I have not used this software long enough to master it, but it seems easy enough to use. I simply opened my image in the software and selected one of the many offered presets and then made a few adjustments.
This round’s discussion is now closed!
5 comments posted
The image illustrates the contrast of nature and modern technology existing together. Your windmill shows well the negative intrusion into nature's peacefulness. As to Silver Efex Pro, I use it a lot. It is the best B&W software I have found for my images. There are several YouTube videos on this software that will get you up to speed. Basically, find a preset you like, adjust it with the sliders on the right and add control points as needed for adjusting specific areas. In this image it looks like all adjustments were global and no control points were used. The sky has the same sharp detail as the land but should not. A little added blur to the sky would be better. Posted: 05/04/2023 17:47:57
Interesting contrast of machinery and nature There seems to be a halo around the windmill I would like the windmill darker I think it is too busy with this sky I would also remove some of the central white grasses leaving one on the right which I moved with content aware move to echo the straightness of the tower The black and white presets in Lightroom were written by the same man who wrote the Silver Efex pro presets according to Matt Kloskowski I used one of these and it darkened the wind turbine and the sky I cropped in more also Posted: 05/05/2023 01:48:16
I find that there are too much over exposures / highlights coming from the clouds.
If the wind mill (the subject) has a plan sky background (remove all the highlights and brings up the overall shadows in the foreground), it would give a calmer overall effect.
As the wind mill is pointing to the left, it should be located on the rightside of the frame pointing to the left of the composition. Posted: 05/06/2023 00:47:40
If the wind mill (the subject) has a plan sky background (remove all the highlights and brings up the overall shadows in the foreground), it would give a calmer overall effect.
As the wind mill is pointing to the left, it should be located on the rightside of the frame pointing to the left of the composition. Posted: 05/06/2023 00:47:40
I would like to add some words of wisdom here, but the others have already said it. Posted: 05/06/2023 14:05:18
I like the image and the story about it. Having not used the Silver Efex Pro I can't address the finer points of the program. I can say that when I'm doing a B&W there is never a one size fits all setting. I normally will have multiple layers, much like Bill's control points, I will paint the adjustments in where needed. For instance if the sky needed to be darker moving the blue luminosity slider darker will darken all of the blues, but this might cause unwanted affects the areas. So I would do a layer dedicated to just the sky, or the area I need to adjust.
Posted: 05/18/2023 19:35:44
Posted: 05/18/2023 19:35:44