Page 1 of 3

**Challenge 2: Nature in Black & White**

PostPosted: Wed Nov 03, 2004 11:00 am
by MHD
Thanks to Xerubus for the new theme!
********************
Black and white photography is a great way to learn more about photography. The simplicity of black and white forces you to focus on the more important aspects of your shot. Often boring or static scenes can look lifeless and drab in colour, however take on a completely different meaning when B&W.

For this challenge the picture needs to be of something in nature, whether it be landscape, critters, animals etc... just as long as the final result is black and white.

Rules: No Colour, no sepia, just straight black and white.
********************

Photo Valid from: 11am 3rd of november
Submit Starts as soon as I get the page up
Sumbission closes 7pm november 30th
Voting will start by 9am december 1st
Voting closes 9am december 3rd

Winner announced at the Xmas Dinner on the 10th of december and online on the 11th

From Birddog's post:
1st prize: AN EPSON STYLUS PHOTO R800
2nd prize: A PSD XDrive Pro II with 40Gb Hdd
3rd prize: A 1Gb CF Card 45x

Including shipping (NSW Countries + Interstates)

Due to the nature of local warranty + Shipping and handling, these prizes is restricted to Australia Wide, so only members with Australia's address will receive the winning prizes, my sincere apologies to all other International members.



For registrations PM me your email address, username preceeded by "d70" and a prefered name

GOOD LUCK!

PostPosted: Wed Nov 03, 2004 11:24 am
by MHD
Two points:
Those already registered do not need to re register

And:
A new rule: This comp is an anonymous comp... there should be nothing in your photo, either the subject, headers or title, that identifies you to other d70users...

Re: **Challenge 2: Nature in Black & White**

PostPosted: Wed Nov 03, 2004 12:11 pm
by Greg B
MHD wrote:
Rules: No Colour, no sepia, just straight black and white.
********************



MHD

When you say straight black and white, would that exclude IR?

cheers

PostPosted: Wed Nov 03, 2004 12:16 pm
by Raydar
Good Q Greg :?

Great choice MHD :wink:

Cheers
Ray :P

PostPosted: Wed Nov 03, 2004 12:26 pm
by MHD
Xerubus's choice!

Um... so far as IR goes... I think that conforms to the rules...

Image must have nature in it and the image must be in B&W so IR should work...

Unless there is a huge outcry against it!

PostPosted: Wed Nov 03, 2004 12:35 pm
by W00DY
Can I see an example of IR :D

Do you require special filters etc??? or can it be done in Photoshop?

PostPosted: Wed Nov 03, 2004 12:37 pm
by MHD
nope.. not done in PS (well except for CB and levels)

you need a filter the block vis but lets IR in...

PostPosted: Wed Nov 03, 2004 12:46 pm
by Greg B
W00DY wrote:Can I see an example of IR :D

Do you require special filters etc??? or can it be done in Photoshop?


Woody, There is an IR filter - it looks very deep red, hard to see through. I just got a stepping ring the other day so I can use the 58mm filter I bought for the G3 on my 50mm f1.8 lens.

I have taken a couple of shots as a test, and the d70 seems to perform well.

I am in Sydney for a few days, so I can't post an example, will do when I get back to melbourne

cheers

PostPosted: Wed Nov 03, 2004 12:51 pm
by xerubus
IR is fine as long as it's black and white :)

example of IR here:

http://www.nikonaustralia.com/gallery/L ... roof_black

PostPosted: Wed Nov 03, 2004 1:06 pm
by W00DY
xerubus wrote:IR is fine as long as it's black and white :)

example of IR here:

http://xerubus.is-a-geek.com/gallery/La ... roof_black


Thanks for the example. So do i pressume that you take the photo with the IR filter on anf then make it Black and White in Photoshop? or does the image look B&W straight from the camera?

PostPosted: Wed Nov 03, 2004 1:44 pm
by Greg B
xerebus, I am surprised at the darkness of the foliage. Great shot however.

Woody, the shot comes out as deep red in colour. You can either do a straight conversion to BW, or, for example, split it into channels. The red channel gives a striking outcome.

Typically, foliage comes out very white.

PostPosted: Wed Nov 03, 2004 1:47 pm
by Greg B
Also Woody, I meant to mention that because the filter is so dark, you lose many stops.

I shot at f1.8, 1/60 or 1/125 at ISO 400 on a very bright sunny day. And it was hard to see anything through the viewfinder.

Lots of fun however.

PostPosted: Fri Nov 05, 2004 11:25 pm
by MHD

PostPosted: Sat Nov 06, 2004 6:31 am
by Raydar
Here we go!!!!!!! 8)

Cheers
Ray :P

PostPosted: Sat Nov 06, 2004 6:33 am
by birddog114
Gentleman! start your engine!!!!!

PostPosted: Sat Nov 06, 2004 9:16 pm
by Dargan
With film I remember having to use an orange filter to bring out the sky etc, with B & W film. Is this unnecessary now as we can do this in post processing. We are all learning here so are there any sites users know and are willing to share relating to B & W and digital of value to read.

Thanx in anticipation

PostPosted: Sat Nov 06, 2004 9:26 pm
by birddog114
Dargan,
Check in the important link section, I think I posted few links there.
If I found one, I'll point the link to you.

PostPosted: Sat Nov 06, 2004 9:33 pm
by birddog114

PostPosted: Sun Nov 07, 2004 9:02 pm
by MHD
VERY VERY VERY IMPORTANT!!!

You MUST edit out or remove any copyright or ownership info in your EXIF tags that identifies you!!!!!!

I have just removed an entry for violating this condition!!

(I have granted him the right to re-entry but as the close draws nearer this can no be gaurenteed)

Please edit out your info.... if you dont know how post up the fact and I'm sure we can help (I do it using a text editor and exiting the header directly)

PostPosted: Sun Nov 07, 2004 10:14 pm
by Onyx
I'm having SOOO much trouble just knowing where to start! Where's everyone else's inspiration coming from? :)

PostPosted: Sun Nov 07, 2004 10:17 pm
by xerubus
Try getting a book from a photographer which you enjoy.. such as john freeman or steve parish .... find a photo which captures you and see if you can emulate it...

PostPosted: Mon Nov 08, 2004 8:45 am
by W00DY
Onyx wrote:I'm having SOOO much trouble just knowing where to start! Where's everyone else's inspiration coming from? :)


I haven't started at all :lol:

I think I need to plan a weekend away (maybe Barrington Tops) and dedicate it to photography.

The Nature part is easy the B&W is the hard part....

W00DY

PostPosted: Mon Nov 08, 2004 9:29 am
by Greg B
It is a tricky business, that's for sure.

I wanted to do some shooting over the weekend, but it was raining all the time. I think the official meteorological term is "pissing down". :lol:

Anyhoo, next weekend is now on the schedule. I am awaiting the arrival of inspiration.

PostPosted: Mon Nov 08, 2004 9:35 am
by gstark
Barrington Tops ...

A lovely area, especially the Forestry areas. I'm not a great fan of NPWS; they're too extreme for my tastes.

We used to spend a lot of time just a tad south of BT, in the Telegherry Forests region, just out of Dungog, with our every faithful gundogs. They, of course, loved it up there, and would spend a week recovering from a weekend in the forests.

PostPosted: Mon Nov 08, 2004 10:29 am
by Raydar
Greg B wrote:I think the official meteorological term is "pissing down". :lol:


Yes mate that is used quite a bit.
It’s a lot easier to say that Persistent Precipitation.

Cheers
Ray :P

PostPosted: Wed Nov 10, 2004 2:09 pm
by darb
it seems theres no opportunity to add a photo to your submission gallery MHD.

if i had a photo, how do you know its mine when it comes to deciding a winner?

can it be a photo ive already taken? or must it be a new one?

PostPosted: Wed Nov 10, 2004 2:22 pm
by xerubus
Photo Valid from: 11am 3rd of november
Submit Starts as soon as I get the page up
Sumbission closes 7pm november 30th
Voting will start by 9am december 1st
Voting closes 9am december 3rd

PostPosted: Wed Nov 10, 2004 2:25 pm
by darb
im visiting http://potofgrass.ath.cx/gallery/challenge2 but it seems I cant submit any pics, it shows 0 items.

PostPosted: Wed Nov 10, 2004 2:31 pm
by MHD
PM me email d70*username* and perfered (displayed name)

Only registered users can compete..
No hurry, entries are open to end of the month...

PostPosted: Wed Nov 10, 2004 2:33 pm
by MHD
and take a squiz at the rules
http://forum.d70users.com/viewtopic.php?t=584

+ the first post in this thread which talks about anoniminity... (Check you EXIF headers too!)

PostPosted: Wed Nov 10, 2004 2:45 pm
by darb
so i presume you can tell whos pic is who by virtue of you having issued specific usernames to us all? but we in general dont knwo whos is who

PostPosted: Wed Nov 10, 2004 2:55 pm
by MHD
I can... no one else can (Unless I have overlooked something!)

PostPosted: Wed Nov 10, 2004 3:31 pm
by darb
so even when logged in you cant see other peoples photos?

PostPosted: Wed Nov 10, 2004 3:33 pm
by MHD
no one has submitted yet! Closing date is at the end of the month (7pm)

PostPosted: Wed Nov 10, 2004 3:34 pm
by MHD
I dont expect people to start submitting until about the last week

PostPosted: Wed Nov 10, 2004 4:17 pm
by PlatinumWeaver
Does our picture need to be taken within the month? Say I shot something in the middle of october, is that photo invalid because it was taken before I knew about this comp?

I had a look at the post about the rules but couldn't find anything official.

PostPosted: Wed Nov 10, 2004 4:26 pm
by gstark
Dean, Darb

Here's a reposting of the rules.

===========================
Rules: No Colour, no sepia, just straight black and white.
********************

Photo Valid from: 11am 3rd of november
Submit Starts as soon as I get the page up
Sumbission closes 7pm november 30th
Voting will start by 9am december 1st
Voting closes 9am december 3rd
===========================


Dean, I believe that the Photo Valid item addresses your question; the photo must be made no earlier than the Photo Valid date/time, and (obviously) no later than the close of of the challenge.

So, yes, it must be a new image, taken within the range of the dates specified, (most likely taken expressly for this challenge), and while you must remove any data from the EXIF that might identify the photographer, you still need to ensure that the EXIF of the submitted image retains the data that ensures the image complies with the other rules, such as that it was made with a D70, the date and time of the exposure, and so on.

HTH.

PostPosted: Wed Nov 10, 2004 4:32 pm
by darb
which leads me to think ... can you manipulate exif data? ive never heard of a tool that allows it?

PostPosted: Wed Nov 10, 2004 5:05 pm
by MHD
emacs

:P

PostPosted: Wed Nov 10, 2004 5:06 pm
by MHD
Furthermore to what Gary said I will add that is what makes the challenge fun!

This is not merely an excersise in dredging your stock photo collection but its to get you out there thinking creatively!

PostPosted: Wed Nov 10, 2004 5:40 pm
by gstark
darb wrote:which leads me to think ... can you manipulate exif data? ive never heard of a tool that allows it?


I certainly have tools that would let me do this, but that is not what this is all about. As MHD says, the idea is to get us out and about, thinking, and making new images.

PostPosted: Wed Nov 10, 2004 5:41 pm
by Greg B
darb wrote:which leads me to think ... can you manipulate exif data? ive never heard of a tool that allows it?


No-one here would want to do that because it would not be in the spirit of the forum or the competition.

PostPosted: Wed Nov 10, 2004 5:43 pm
by MHD
yes but you might need to do it to remove the comment tag though... (which is what darb was refering to)

PostPosted: Wed Nov 10, 2004 5:47 pm
by xerubus
MHD wrote:emacs

:P


bah!!!! vi all the way :)

PostPosted: Wed Nov 10, 2004 5:49 pm
by gstark
xerubus wrote:
MHD wrote:emacs

:P


bah!!!! vi all the way :)


Visual edlin!

<snicker>

PostPosted: Wed Nov 10, 2004 8:24 pm
by PlatinumWeaver
PICO!

PostPosted: Wed Nov 10, 2004 9:26 pm
by xerubus
This is going to turn into an editor war.. and then a distro war...

the only answer is VI .... pico is only good for pine :)

Looking forward to seeing some submissions for this challenge... should be very interesting...

PostPosted: Thu Nov 11, 2004 9:51 am
by Greg B
MHD wrote:yes but you might need to do it to remove the comment tag though... (which is what darb was refering to)


Yes. My mistake.

:)

PostPosted: Mon Nov 15, 2004 6:04 pm
by MHD
Ok!!

So we are half way through the month!!!

We have 28 registered users and some AWESOME prizes!

So get those creative juices rolling as this one is going to be tight!

PostPosted: Mon Nov 15, 2004 7:27 pm
by Mj
Yep... no need to remind us!!!
Been searching hi and lo for a subject out there in black & white.
There's just sooo much colour in the world !!!