Black and White photography

[Sikario]

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/n.e.bullock/Car%20black%20and%20white.jpg

Any tips on how to improve the above picture would be great, I'm trying to create a crisp black and white image with good tones. But I'm finding it hard to decide on what looks good and what doesn't. Is it too dark, are the highlights too bright?

Thanks.

[Sikario]

Here's another of my cat

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/n.e.bullock/Waffle%20BW.jpg

BTW - They were both taken with my Powershot A80

[jmjmotorsport]

If you're using PS I've had good results with the VP shoebox filter. I think you can get it at Luminous Landscape.. or just do a google search for it or other PS plug-ins for B+W. The other way I do it is Image>Adjustments>Gradient Map then find the one w/ b+w triangles.. you get a tab with some sliders on the dark and light end of the spectrum and you can set color stops etc to get the tones you want.. Hope this helps

[IanBMW]

The E36 M3 pic is nice, but I think with a better background it would of really made the car stand out. IMO also, there seems to be maybe just a tad too much contrast in this pic. I don't know tho it's hard to tell. Nice car, I wish you had the front license plate delete kit.....its not that expensive :P

[jO3]

One thing to remember is that when you're shooting in B&W, you want your subject to stand out in the picture. Not to the point where the background is completely washed out, but just enough so that you can notice the subtle background compliment the subject... If I was to shoot this picture, I would have tried to find an arched concrete tunnel/bridge (just like the one you spotted for your location) in a lighter gray/concrete color. That way, the bimmer would definitely pop out, and the arches of the tunnel/bridge would accentuate the arches of the car, without having the same color shade overpower the car.

Overall composition of the shot is great, but in my personal opinion, to make it outstanding, I wish you would widen the shot just a tad and position the focus on the car just above the baseline of the shot, and the rear just a tad closer to the right frame. The curb is also a bit distracting, so maybe shoot the car about 2 or 3 feet away from it? Whereas it doesn't intersect the car at such a key point as the bumper?

And of course, I'd like to see the cone right in front of the second arch to be cloned out. :D

Just my $0.02.

[Sikario]

Thanks for the tips. I certainly agree about the cone, it stands out more than the car :p

[chris.bailey]

Clone out the cone and copy over the infilled arch to the unfilled one to block out the view through. Did it on a small version of you pic and it changes it totally.

Nice car BTW, have had two of the next one along.

[MattSG]

e36, yes, m3, don't think so.

The B&W of it isn't bad, The DOF could use some work. Also when you do a shot like this, try to park on something darker, or wet the ground. Certainly a good pic, just not a great one.