Hoops in Monochrome... aka... Black & White Basketball...

Over the course of the hoops season, I've been asked to put together a selection of black & white images for a client. It's not a major project, but I thought I'd start early anyway. So here are a few of tonight's conversions:

Something very ordinary for starters...

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fantastic shots!
Very well done in available darkness

Love the shots, different, very different....I'll try it this season

Fantastic job you have done with the conversions! Great work!

Good job, Gavin!

Thanks cmM, much appreciated! ...also included in the recipe for these pics was a borrowed Canon SB-E1 flash bracket in an attempt to avoid some of the nasty flash related shadows...

---- Gavin

damn nice work...i'm sure they'll be pleased. Have you thought about adding some creative off court shots of the players to the black and white set? Sidelines, high fives, portraits even?

Cheers Will... yep... I think that's gotta be part of the plan.. pics of the court, crowd, sidelines... you name it. I've got all season... so I'm going to piece it together bit by bit nice to get some of the action stuff out of the way early on though.

---- Gavin

indeed, I think you could do some really cool stuff with that. You might even want to tack some super tight action shots on there too, break general SS rules and get creative though.

how do you plan on printing these? I've had a lot of issues with the printers at school and b&w...so I am on the hunt for a solid solution.

Just experimented with a couple of shots with my home printer... but disappointing, there's a slight colour cast even in monochrome mode...might try a couple through my usual lab next... otherwise it's going to have to be an investment in a better home inkjet machine. Might have to lurk over in 'Post Processing & Printing' for a while to get some ideas

---- Gavin

haha...i posted there, but from what I have seen in person, I havent ever been impressed with digital black and whites, and I've done every conversion technique known to man. I am about to try a regular lab next, but keep me updated on how you're lab works out for you.

Gavin -- I've only shot basketball one time myself and I assure that your worst is better than my best, but if you're looking for some negative criticism I'll give you my 2 cents. #1's too ordinary for the kind of stuff you do; it's probably the flash, but I think the guy's eyes in #7 spoil the shot; and #8s cropped too radically for me. Of the other's I'd rank them in the following order (best first): #6, #5, #4, #2, and #3.

Thanks Jerry... always up for a little feedback and, yep, I have to agree that #1 is as dull as ditchwater - it was just a rare shot of the player on the right with his feet (nearly) on the ground

#7 has the demon red-eye... I think I'll be doing a bit of work in PS when I put together the final selection at the end of the season as there will undoubtedly be numerous red-eye removals required.

I cropped #8 somewhat manically for the fun of it... it was something to do with the arms I think... and it still hasn't grown on me either

I'll probably keep posting selections of these conversions during the course of the season as I'll be looking to weed out the naff shots to make my life easier when it gets round to next April... so all comments that help me in the elimination process will be absorbed and acted upon.

---- Gavin

Gavin , Cracking shots, Brilliant . Two Questions :1 ), How did you convert to black and white. 2),How did you get on with the off camera bracket ,good or bad .

By the way , thanks for the advise with the light meter working well.

Roy

Thanks Roy...

1) I used 'desaturate' in PS (I am a Philistine - apologies to the PS B&W gurus)
2) I found the bracket to be very useful... I fitted it back-to-front (like this) with a Stofen attached to the flash and, overall, I was pleased with the quality of light and the lessening of background shadows. Here's a pic of the hoops rig:

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