B&W from Portrait Session

[DavidS]

My wife's friend wanted at B&W of these two pictures. I haven't done many conversions. How are the conversions? How could they be better?

1.
http://DavidS.smugmug.com/photos/219475836-L.jpg

2.
http://DavidS.smugmug.com/photos/219475514-L.jpg

[lunajen]

I think that they look pretty good...you could play with the channels to get softer skin tones on the first shot.

But other than that I think they look good. I really like the second one the best.

[Ann McRae]

These are adorable - really love the poses and expressions.
I am not a black & white expert, but there are several around, and several nice tutes on PP methods.

I do want to suggest a square crop on the first - get rid of the sides of the mantel.

As well, check your whites with the eye dropper - on this laptop monitor they seem a bit harsh.

These really are great shots - well done

ann

[photogmomma]

#1 is spot on, in my opinion! I really love it!

#2 - if you can blur the background *slightly*, I think it'll make the boys pop. I'm a little distracted by the leaves in the upper left. But it's a really cute shot!

[DavidS]

Thanks, Jennifer, Ann and Andi. I appreciate your advise and kind words.

[Richard]

First of all, these are both wonderfully expressive shots. :clap

Regarding conversion, I think you did a fine job overall, especially in #2. I would try to use shadow/highlight on both to darken the bright part of the shirts a bit and see if you can bring back a little more detail there. I would also try darkening the quarter tones just a hair on #2, but I'm not terribly sure this would make it better :scratch.

FWIW.

Cheers,

[DavidS]

First of all, these are both wonderfully expressive shots. :clap

Regarding conversion, I think you did a fine job overall, especially in #2. I would try to use shadow/highlight on both to darken the bright part of the shirts a bit and see if you can bring back a little more detail there. I would also try darkening the quarter tones just a hair on #2, but I'm not terribly sure this would make it better :scratch.

FWIW.

Cheers,

Thanks for the nice words and advise Richard.

[Scott_Quier]

I like the conversion in #1. #2, I think, could use a little more pop. Andi's idea of blurring the backgound has lots of merit. I also think the judicious use of an "S"-curve to enhance contrast might be in order.

[wxwax]

They look pretty good. Cut kids, nice faces.

First one, some of the white in the shirts is blown out, especially on the right hand kid. Have you tried lightening their eyes a bit? The background is kind of distracting. Cropping or vignetting might help.

Second one, the football on the ground by his foot is a bit distracting. Feels a bit gray. White on the arms looks blown-out. The background's a bit distracting. Blurry would be good, but hard to do in post, better to shoot with a shallow deoth of field in the first place. Might be better to darken the background in post. Again, some kind of vignetting might prove useful.

Cute, nice job. Will she let you try some more?