monochrome

Experimenting with Topaz B&W Photoshop plug-in

Experimenting with Topaz B&W Photoshop plug-in

 

Black and White photography seems to be celebrating a come-back nowadays. The recent launch of the Leica M9 monochrome camera indicates that there is a strong interest in monochrome photography. However, to many photographers the color image is shoot first and then converted to bw using the image editor.  There are also many plug-ins for monochrome conversion available in the market. I tested several of them and found the Topaz B&W Effects very interesting. After installation the user is presented with a list of presets on the left side of the screen. For the following sample photos, I first selected one of the “Opalotype” presets and then fine tuned the resulting image with the settings on the right side of the screen. The settings can also be saved as a new preset.

 

 

 

 


Ammersee Bavaria

Ammersee Bavaria


An einem trüben Wintertag am Ammersee mit der Lochkamera unterwegs.

 

Weitere Lochkamerafotos:

Wide Angle Pinhole Photography on 6x12 Medium Format Roll Film
Wide Angle Pinhole Photography on 6x12 Medium Format Roll Film
Wide Angle Pinhole Photography on 6x12 Medium Format Roll Film
Wide Angle Pinhole Photography on 6x12 Medium Format Roll Film
Wide Angle Pinhole Photography on 6x12 Medium Format Roll Film
Wide Angle Pinhole Photography on 6x12 Medium Format Roll Film
Wide Angle Pinhole Photography on 6x12 Medium Format Roll Film
Wide Angle Pinhole Photography on 6x12 Medium Format Roll Film
Wide Angle Pinhole Photography on 6x12 Medium Format Roll Film
Wide Angle Pinhole Photography on 6x12 Medium Format Roll Film
Wide Angle Pinhole Photography on 6x12 Medium Format Roll Film
Wide Angle Pinhole Photography on 6x12 Medium Format Roll Film
Wide Angle Pinhole Photography on 6x12 Medium Format Roll Film
Wide Angle Pinhole Photography on 6x12 Medium Format Roll Film
Wide Angle Pinhole Photography on 6x12 Medium Format Roll Film
Wide Angle Pinhole Photography on 6x12 Medium Format Roll Film
Wide Angle Pinhole Photography on 6x12 Medium Format Roll Film
Wide Angle Pinhole Photography on 6x12 Medium Format Roll Film
Wide Angle Pinhole Photography on 6x12 Medium Format Roll Film
Wide Angle Pinhole Photography on 6x12 Medium Format Roll Film

Pinhole Panning mit dem Skink Pinhole Pancake

Pinhole Panning mit dem Skink Pinhole Pancake

Pinhole Panning mit dem Skink Pinhole Pancake

Was ist Panning, oder auch das “Mitziehen” in der Fotografie? Mit dieser Technik folgen Sie dem bewegten Objekt mit der Kamera und einer relativ langsamen Belichtungszeit. Ziel ist es, das Objekt vor einem verwischten Hintergrund scharf herauszustellen. Idealerweise wird dabei die Bewegung der Kamera der Geschwindigkeit und Bewegungsrichtung des Objekts angepasst. Das Fokussieren erfolgt dabei entweder über die Kameraautomatik oder durch manuelle, geschätzte Voreinstellung. Beim Fotografieren von sich fortbewegenden Menschen, erfolgt die Belichtung mit Zeiten zwischen 1/10 und 1/60 Sekunde. Bei der Lochkamerafotografie denkt man automatisch an lange Belichtungszeiten. Und diese in Kombination mit “Panning”? Ja, die aktuellen lichtstarken Digitalkameras mit erweitertem ISO Bereich und kurzer Brennweite machen dies möglich. Einfach den Skink Pinhole Pancake auf das Bajonett Ihrer Kamera montieren und die ISO Einstellung so justieren, daß die resultierende Belichtungszeit in den obengenannten Zeitrahmen passt. Dank der unbegrenzten Schärfentiefe des Lochkameraobjektivs entfällt hier das Fokussieren auf die Entfernung zum Objekt, Fokussieren Sie Ihre Aufmerksamkeit ganz auf das sich bewegende Motiv. Viel Spass damit!

 

 

Pinhole Panning with the Skink Pinhole Pancake

What is panning in photography? The idea is that you follow your moving subject with the camera using a relatively slow shutter speed. The aim is to render the subject sharp against a blurred background. Ideally the movement of the camera is matching the speed and direction of the subject. Focussing is done either by the auto focus tracking of your camera or by manual, estimated focus setting. When taking pictures of moving people, the typical exposure time ranges between 1/10 and 1/60 seconds. Pinhole photography is all about long exposure times. Now, how about pinhole panning? Yes, current light-sensitive digital camera models with a extended ISO range and a shorter focal length make it now possible. Just mount the Skink Pinhole Pancake on your camera and adjust the ISO value to allow exposure times in the above mentioned range. Thanks to the pancake’s unlimited depth of field, there is no need to focus the distance. You are free to focus your attention the the moving subject. Have fun!

 

 

Tanjung Bidara boulders – Skink Pinhole Pancake

Tanjung Bidara boulders – Skink Pinhole Pancake

Felsen am Strand von Tanjung Bidara

Wir sind wieder in Tanjung Bidara, in einem freundlichen kleinen Fischerdorf an der Strasse von Malakka. Sicherlich waren kreative Urkräfte am Werk als einst eine “handvoll” runder Steinbrocken an diesem einst tektonisch aktivem Küstenabschnitt verteilt wurden. Die Riesenfelsen haben wir früher schon oft fotografiert und mithilfe von Graufiltern von dem Hintergrund der bewegten See herausgestellt. Heute haben wir die mysteriösen Felsen von Tanjung Bidara gleich mit dem Lochkameraobjektiv fotografiert. Je nach Tageslicht und gewünschtem Effekt können die zwischen einer Sekunde und einer Minute variierenden Belichtungszeiten kreativ genutzt werden um das Spiel der Meereswellen aufzuzeichnen oder auch ganz auszublenden. Leider ist die schönste Zeit, vor und nach dem Sonnenuntergang viel zu kurz um alle möglichen Perspektiven auszuprobieren – ein Grund mehr, wiederzukommen.

Boulders on the beach of Tanjung Bidara

Again we are visiting Tanjung Bidara, a small friendly fishing village on the Straits of Malacca. Certainly, there were some creative primal forces at work, when a “handful” of round boulders were placed on this once tectonically active stretch of the coast. We have taken photos of those huge boulders before and, with the help of ND filters, managed to isolate them from the background of the moving waters of the sea. Today we used a pinhole lens right away to photograph the mysterious rocks of Tanjung Bidara. Depending on the intensity of light and desired effect, the exposure times vary between one second and one minute, which can be explored creatively to record the flow of the waves or hide them altogether. Unfortunately the time of the golden light, when the sun is setting, is far too short to try all possible perspectives – another reason to return.

 

 

Tanjung Bidara boulders - Skink Pinhole Pancake

Tanjung Bidara boulders - Skink Pinhole Pancake

Tanjung Bidara boulders - Skink Pinhole Pancake

Tanjung Bidara boulders - Skink Pinhole Pancake

Tanjung Bidara boulders - Skink Pinhole Pancake

Tanjung Bidara boulders - Skink Pinhole Pancake

Tanjung Bidara boulders - Skink Pinhole Pancake

Tanjung Bidara boulders - Skink Pinhole Pancake

Tanjung Bidara boulders - Skink Pinhole Pancake

Tanjung Bidara boulders - Skink Pinhole Pancake

Tanjung Bidara boulders - Skink Pinhole Pancake

Tanjung Bidara boulders - Skink Pinhole Pancake

Tanjung Bidara boulders - Skink Pinhole Pancake

Tanjung Bidara boulders - Skink Pinho(1)

Tanjung Bidara boulders - Skink Pinhole Pancake

Lotus Pond – Leica pinhole with Ilford SFX 200

The Ilford SFX 200 black and white film with extended red sensitivity up to 740nm is one of the most popular near infrared films. When used without filter it performs like a standard medium speed monochrome film.
If you want to be creative, you must try it with a dark red filter. Blue skies can be rendered black and, depending on the light intensity, vegetation appears almost white.
And yes, it also works with pinhole lenses ! This shot was taken at a lotus pond in bright sunshine.

Camera: Leica type Rangefinder
Lens: Wide Angle Skink Pinhole Pancake
Pinhole: 0.2mm
Film: Ilford SFX200
Filter: IR filter insert for Skink Pinhole Pancake (89B / R72)
Exposure time: approx. 3 seconds at noon
Manipulation: added sepia toning in Photoshop

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