Randy Bell
November 2024 - Mountains in Black and White
About the Image(s)
I discovered this scene while driving in the local mountains on my way to another destination. A break in the treeline along the road presented this view. Luckily, there was a nearby pull out where I could park and get out to take some shots. I started with my 35mm lens, then switched to my 24-70mm lens to isolate the granite peaks a little more. The day was overcast and the light was a little flat so I started playing with a black and white conversion on my computer and came up with this version.
I shot this handheld at 58mm using my 24-70mm lens at f/8, 1/400 second, ISO 200. I used Lightroom to make initial adjustments from the RAW file and converted to black and white in Silver Efex Pro.
12 comments posted
Randy, Mountains in black in white is very peaceful. Looking at the various tones and shapes is very meditational . My suggestion would be to add more contrast. Great image. It reminds me of Ansel Adams' black and white landscapes. Posted: 11/13/2024 14:08:09
Thank you for your comments, Yvonne. Ansel Adams was one of the first photographers I learned about and I do like his work. I will play around with the contrast a little more to see what I can get out of it. Posted: 11/18/2024 21:02:21
Randy, I absolutely love your photo! I like everything from the composition to the black and white conversion.
The question I asked myself is what effect soft contrasts have in landscape photography. This makes me think of Caspar David Friedrich.
That was a challenge for me at first. I changed the grayscale in the editing process, resulting in an overall "softer image".
This is just a suggestion, perhaps also for a discussion.
I'm looking forward to your opinion.
Posted: 11/14/2024 10:12:49
The question I asked myself is what effect soft contrasts have in landscape photography. This makes me think of Caspar David Friedrich.
That was a challenge for me at first. I changed the grayscale in the editing process, resulting in an overall "softer image".
This is just a suggestion, perhaps also for a discussion.
I'm looking forward to your opinion.
Posted: 11/14/2024 10:12:49
Sabine, thank you for your comments. I appreciate them. I wanted to look up Caspar David Friedrich before responding because I am not familiar with his work. After reading a little about him and seeing some of his paintings, they seem to have a softer contrast and he created some very nice paintings.
Your adjustment to the image got me thinking and I have gone back and forth between your version and mine. I think the softer contrast in your version looks good and I have seen other landscapes like this. I think, though, that I prefer more contrast in this image. I may play around with this image to create a little more separation in the tones, though and that might help this image. I do appreciate your thoughts on this and will try it on other images. I like hearing the thoughts from the group as it help get me out of my "bubble" and thinking about the photos in a new light. Thanks. Posted: 11/18/2024 21:14:17
Your adjustment to the image got me thinking and I have gone back and forth between your version and mine. I think the softer contrast in your version looks good and I have seen other landscapes like this. I think, though, that I prefer more contrast in this image. I may play around with this image to create a little more separation in the tones, though and that might help this image. I do appreciate your thoughts on this and will try it on other images. I like hearing the thoughts from the group as it help get me out of my "bubble" and thinking about the photos in a new light. Thanks. Posted: 11/18/2024 21:14:17
Randy, I like your well composed B&W landscape that reminds me of a time when open spaces and wilderness was more the norm. I also like the glimpse of the distant mountains shown in the upper left corner of your photo. It adds a little more interest. I find that my eye wonders a bit throughout the photo, possibly adjusting contrast would create a little more separation from the foreground, middleground and background? Posted: 11/17/2024 19:30:12
Jim, thanks for your comments. Luckily, places like this still do exist, though they are getting harder to find in some areas of the country. I will play around with the contrast to see what I can do. Posted: 11/18/2024 21:17:18
Randy, my comment is a matter of personal taste more than a critique. It really is a very nice photo. Posted: 11/18/2024 21:30:56
Very nicely done. I love the low cloud cover. I wonder if the clouds were as prominent in the original. Posted: 11/17/2024 21:32:51
Thank you for your comments, Sylvia. The clouds are still prominent in the original photo, there was definitely a storm moving in. The b&w conversion may have added a little more contrast to them, but not a whole lot. Posted: 11/18/2024 21:22:26
Hi Randy!
This is one of those photos that elicits such a strong (and pleasant) feeling in me. The grayscale is very calming and the balance of the foreground to the background is great. Nice job!
Thank you -- Posted: 11/18/2024 22:30:44
This is one of those photos that elicits such a strong (and pleasant) feeling in me. The grayscale is very calming and the balance of the foreground to the background is great. Nice job!
Thank you -- Posted: 11/18/2024 22:30:44
Hi Randy, The black-and-white effect works beautifully to highlight the textures of the granite peaks. I might consider cropping the sky slightly to make it about 1/3 of the frame, which could add even more drama to the composition. Great eye for spotting this scene-it's a stunning capture! Posted: 11/19/2024 22:28:33
Hi Randy, The black-and-white effect works beautifully to highlight the textures of the granite peaks. I might consider cropping the sky slightly to make it about 1/3 of the frame, which could add even more drama to the composition. Great eye for spotting this scene-it's a stunning capture! Posted: 11/20/2024 07:37:36