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

[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!

[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...

[Greg B]

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

MHD

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

cheers

[Raydar]

Good Q Greg

Great choice MHD

Cheers
Ray

[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!

[W00DY]

Can I see an example of IR

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

[MHD]

nope.. not done in PS (well except for CB and levels)

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

[Greg B]

Can I see an example of IR

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

[xerubus]

IR is fine as long as it's black and white

example of IR here:

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

[W00DY]

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?

[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.

[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.

[MHD]

Submissions are now open at
http://potofgrass.ath.cx/gallery/challenge2

[Raydar]

Here we go!!!!!!!

Cheers
Ray

[birddog114]

Gentleman! start your engine!!!!!

[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

[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.

[birddog114]

Dargan,
Here you go:
http://forum.d70users.com/viewtopic.php ... hlight=b+w

[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)

[Onyx]

I'm having SOOO much trouble just knowing where to start! Where's everyone else's inspiration coming from?

[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...

[W00DY]

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

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

[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".

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

[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.

[Raydar]

I think the official meteorological term is "pissing down".

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

Cheers
Ray

[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?

[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

[darb]

im visiting http://potofgrass.ath.cx/gallery/challenge2 but it seems I cant submit any pics, it shows 0 items.

[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...

[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!)

[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

[MHD]

I can... no one else can (Unless I have overlooked something!)

[darb]

so even when logged in you cant see other peoples photos?

[MHD]

no one has submitted yet! Closing date is at the end of the month (7pm)

[MHD]

I dont expect people to start submitting until about the last week

[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.

[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.

[darb]

which leads me to think ... can you manipulate exif data? ive never heard of a tool that allows it?

[MHD]

emacs

[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!

[gstark]

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.

[Greg B]

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.

[MHD]

yes but you might need to do it to remove the comment tag though... (which is what darb was refering to)

[xerubus]

emacs

bah!!!! vi all the way

[gstark]

emacs

bah!!!! vi all the way

Visual edlin!

<snicker>

[PlatinumWeaver]

PICO!

[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...

[Greg B]

yes but you might need to do it to remove the comment tag though... (which is what darb was refering to)

Yes. My mistake.

[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!

[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 !!!