Tip of the Month
Silver Efex Pro for Black and Whites
December 2010
ISO 2000 can produce noise, but converting to
black n white salvaged an otherwise mediocre capture.
Before you read on, Gary Farber from Hunt's Photo is offering a special on
Silver Efexs at a special holiday price of $99.99 (reg. $144.95) - contact Gary at digitalguygary@wbhunt.com
On safari, like our recent Kenya Photo Safaris, or on photo tours, Mary and I are often asked what ISO we’re using, or what our participants should be using for a particular situation. Often, we’re shooting wildlife, and this year, in Kenya, many of our afternoons were overcast, and within an hour of sunset the light was often fairly dim. Our answer to the question of ISO is always to use the highest ISO you can get away with, without compromising too much to grain or softness or, most particularly, to noise. Our reasoning – you can always deal with the noise issue by converting an image to black and white, where the color artifacts virtually disappear, but you can’t do anything about a soft picture caused by motion of the subject or camera movement.
Although I’d known of Nik Software’s Silver Efex Pro Black and White Conversion software for years, and had heard rave reviews from my friends and my digital instructors for our Photoshop courses, I hadn’t tried it. I didn’t do many prints, so I didn’t see the need, despite my advocating black and white conversions for circumventing noise.
However, after one of our participants on our first safari displayed some really nifty black and whites, and other artsy images, I decided it was time to put preaching into practice. On several occasions, I tried making conversions via two methods. First, at did my very best to simply use Photoshop’s RAW converter and the Gray Scale mode, where different colors can be manipulated to fine tune the gray scale conversion. I’ll grant you I’m not an expert at this, so my conversions may not have been the best, or as skillful as someone with more taste, talent, or expertise. Nonetheless, I thought they looked pretty good.
Next, I tried doing the same image file via Nik software’s Silver Efex Pro. At a recent PSA convention where I spoke, a representative from Nik demonstrated their various products, and I was impressed and intrigued. I was shown so much that I can’t even recall, two months later, whether I’d been given a demo of Silver Efex Pro, but from the other demos I got the general feel for how it would work. So I tried it.
I made my black and white conversions by the seat of my pants, if you will, without the benefit of the on-line tutorials one can watch, or the user groups you can participate in, but even without help the results were striking. As a test, I showed several participants comparison images, asking their preference, and without telling them which method I used for each. Without fail, the Silver Efex Pro image was chosen. Later, when we did a group show of images we made on the trip I included, anonymously, a few of these black-and-whites, and again, the group acceptance was universal. They loved them!
While black-and-whites certainly have tremendous merit inherently, as a wildlife shooter I’ve always thought, and shot, in terms of color. I’m rethinking that, now, and, as I write this in Nairobi hours before we depart for home, I’m anxious to check out Nik’s instructional videos and to make some black-and-white prints from the trip.
Check it out for yourself – you can download a free trial by visiting the Nik website.
Previous Tips, July 2009 onward
How and What We Pack for Trips
Canon Digital Learning Center
The Movie Mode with the Canon Mark IV
Batch Renaming in Bridge and CS5
Alternate Uses of some Bogen Products
Hoodman Products
Using High ISO and Live View for Focusing in Dim Light
Art Print Scams for Hungry Photographers
Hungry Vultures ruin vehicles in the Everglades
Use a Short Lens for Depth of Field
Get Professional Help!
Mini-Molar Bag
Access America Trip Insurance
Bogen Base for Macro Work
Archived Tips of the Month
prior to July 2009
Most of my original Tips of the Month for the last several
years are available through this link. The 'look' is from my
original web site, although if I ever have enough time I might redo these pages to match the new web site But that's not a high priority.
Tip of the Month
Silver Efex Pro for Black and Whites
December 2010
ISO 2000 can produce noise, but converting to
black n white salvaged an otherwise mediocre capture.
Before you read on, Gary Farber from Hunt's Photo is offering a special on
Silver Efexs at a special holiday price of $99.99 (reg. $144.95) - contact Gary at digitalguygary@wbhunt.com
On safari, like our recent Kenya Photo Safaris, or on photo tours, Mary and I are often asked what ISO we’re using, or what our participants should be using for a particular situation. Often, we’re shooting wildlife, and this year, in Kenya, many of our afternoons were overcast, and within an hour of sunset the light was often fairly dim. Our answer to the question of ISO is always to use the highest ISO you can get away with, without compromising too much to grain or softness or, most particularly, to noise. Our reasoning – you can always deal with the noise issue by converting an image to black and white, where the color artifacts virtually disappear, but you can’t do anything about a soft picture caused by motion of the subject or camera movement.
Although I’d known of Nik Software’s Silver Efex Pro Black and White Conversion software for years, and had heard rave reviews from my friends and my digital instructors for our Photoshop courses, I hadn’t tried it. I didn’t do many prints, so I didn’t see the need, despite my advocating black and white conversions for circumventing noise.
However, after one of our participants on our first safari displayed some really nifty black and whites, and other artsy images, I decided it was time to put preaching into practice. On several occasions, I tried making conversions via two methods. First, at did my very best to simply use Photoshop’s RAW converter and the Gray Scale mode, where different colors can be manipulated to fine tune the gray scale conversion. I’ll grant you I’m not an expert at this, so my conversions may not have been the best, or as skillful as someone with more taste, talent, or expertise. Nonetheless, I thought they looked pretty good.
Next, I tried doing the same image file via Nik software’s Silver Efex Pro. At a recent PSA convention where I spoke, a representative from Nik demonstrated their various products, and I was impressed and intrigued. I was shown so much that I can’t even recall, two months later, whether I’d been given a demo of Silver Efex Pro, but from the other demos I got the general feel for how it would work. So I tried it.
I made my black and white conversions by the seat of my pants, if you will, without the benefit of the on-line tutorials one can watch, or the user groups you can participate in, but even without help the results were striking. As a test, I showed several participants comparison images, asking their preference, and without telling them which method I used for each. Without fail, the Silver Efex Pro image was chosen. Later, when we did a group show of images we made on the trip I included, anonymously, a few of these black-and-whites, and again, the group acceptance was universal. They loved them!
While black-and-whites certainly have tremendous merit inherently, as a wildlife shooter I’ve always thought, and shot, in terms of color. I’m rethinking that, now, and, as I write this in Nairobi hours before we depart for home, I’m anxious to check out Nik’s instructional videos and to make some black-and-white prints from the trip.
Check it out for yourself – you can download a free trial by visiting the Nik website.
Previous Tips, July 2009 onward
How and What We Pack for Trips
Canon Digital Learning Center
The Movie Mode with the Canon Mark IV
Batch Renaming in Bridge and CS5
Alternate Uses of some Bogen Products
Hoodman Products
Using High ISO and Live View for Focusing in Dim Light
Art Print Scams for Hungry Photographers
Hungry Vultures ruin vehicles in the Everglades
Use a Short Lens for Depth of Field
Get Professional Help!
Mini-Molar Bag
Access America Trip Insurance
Bogen Base for Macro Work
Archived Tips of the Month
prior to July 2009
Most of my original Tips of the Month for the last several
years are available through this link. The 'look' is from my
original web site, although if I ever have enough time I might redo these pages to match the new web site But that's not a high priority.
Tip of the Month
Silver Efex Pro for Black and Whites
December 2010
ISO 2000 can produce noise, but converting to
black n white salvaged an otherwise mediocre capture.
Before you read on, Gary Farber from Hunt's Photo is offering a special on
Silver Efexs at a special holiday price of $99.99 (reg. $144.95) - contact Gary at digitalguygary@wbhunt.com
On safari, like our recent Kenya Photo Safaris, or on photo tours, Mary and I are often asked what ISO we’re using, or what our participants should be using for a particular situation. Often, we’re shooting wildlife, and this year, in Kenya, many of our afternoons were overcast, and within an hour of sunset the light was often fairly dim. Our answer to the question of ISO is always to use the highest ISO you can get away with, without compromising too much to grain or softness or, most particularly, to noise. Our reasoning – you can always deal with the noise issue by converting an image to black and white, where the color artifacts virtually disappear, but you can’t do anything about a soft picture caused by motion of the subject or camera movement.
Although I’d known of Nik Software’s Silver Efex Pro Black and White Conversion software for years, and had heard rave reviews from my friends and my digital instructors for our Photoshop courses, I hadn’t tried it. I didn’t do many prints, so I didn’t see the need, despite my advocating black and white conversions for circumventing noise.
However, after one of our participants on our first safari displayed some really nifty black and whites, and other artsy images, I decided it was time to put preaching into practice. On several occasions, I tried making conversions via two methods. First, at did my very best to simply use Photoshop’s RAW converter and the Gray Scale mode, where different colors can be manipulated to fine tune the gray scale conversion. I’ll grant you I’m not an expert at this, so my conversions may not have been the best, or as skillful as someone with more taste, talent, or expertise. Nonetheless, I thought they looked pretty good.
Next, I tried doing the same image file via Nik software’s Silver Efex Pro. At a recent PSA convention where I spoke, a representative from Nik demonstrated their various products, and I was impressed and intrigued. I was shown so much that I can’t even recall, two months later, whether I’d been given a demo of Silver Efex Pro, but from the other demos I got the general feel for how it would work. So I tried it.
I made my black and white conversions by the seat of my pants, if you will, without the benefit of the on-line tutorials one can watch, or the user groups you can participate in, but even without help the results were striking. As a test, I showed several participants comparison images, asking their preference, and without telling them which method I used for each. Without fail, the Silver Efex Pro image was chosen. Later, when we did a group show of images we made on the trip I included, anonymously, a few of these black-and-whites, and again, the group acceptance was universal. They loved them!
While black-and-whites certainly have tremendous merit inherently, as a wildlife shooter I’ve always thought, and shot, in terms of color. I’m rethinking that, now, and, as I write this in Nairobi hours before we depart for home, I’m anxious to check out Nik’s instructional videos and to make some black-and-white prints from the trip.
Check it out for yourself – you can download a free trial by visiting the Nik website.
Previous Tips, July 2009 onward
How and What We Pack for Trips
Canon Digital Learning Center
The Movie Mode with the Canon Mark IV
Batch Renaming in Bridge and CS5
Alternate Uses of some Bogen Products
Hoodman Products
Using High ISO and Live View for Focusing in Dim Light
Art Print Scams for Hungry Photographers
Hungry Vultures ruin vehicles in the Everglades
Use a Short Lens for Depth of Field
Get Professional Help!
Mini-Molar Bag
Access America Trip Insurance
Bogen Base for Macro Work
Archived Tips of the Month
prior to July 2009
Most of my original Tips of the Month for the last several
years are available through this link. The 'look' is from my
original web site, although if I ever have enough time I might redo these pages to match the new web site But that's not a high priority.
Tip of the Month
Silver Efex Pro for Black and Whites
December 2010
ISO 2000 can produce noise, but converting to
black n white salvaged an otherwise mediocre capture.
Before you read on, Gary Farber from Hunt's Photo is offering a special on
Silver Efexs at a special holiday price of $99.99 (reg. $144.95) - contact Gary at digitalguygary@wbhunt.com
On safari, like our recent Kenya Photo Safaris, or on photo tours, Mary and I are often asked what ISO we’re using, or what our participants should be using for a particular situation. Often, we’re shooting wildlife, and this year, in Kenya, many of our afternoons were overcast, and within an hour of sunset the light was often fairly dim. Our answer to the question of ISO is always to use the highest ISO you can get away with, without compromising too much to grain or softness or, most particularly, to noise. Our reasoning – you can always deal with the noise issue by converting an image to black and white, where the color artifacts virtually disappear, but you can’t do anything about a soft picture caused by motion of the subject or camera movement.
Although I’d known of Nik Software’s Silver Efex Pro Black and White Conversion software for years, and had heard rave reviews from my friends and my digital instructors for our Photoshop courses, I hadn’t tried it. I didn’t do many prints, so I didn’t see the need, despite my advocating black and white conversions for circumventing noise.
However, after one of our participants on our first safari displayed some really nifty black and whites, and other artsy images, I decided it was time to put preaching into practice. On several occasions, I tried making conversions via two methods. First, at did my very best to simply use Photoshop’s RAW converter and the Gray Scale mode, where different colors can be manipulated to fine tune the gray scale conversion. I’ll grant you I’m not an expert at this, so my conversions may not have been the best, or as skillful as someone with more taste, talent, or expertise. Nonetheless, I thought they looked pretty good.
Next, I tried doing the same image file via Nik software’s Silver Efex Pro. At a recent PSA convention where I spoke, a representative from Nik demonstrated their various products, and I was impressed and intrigued. I was shown so much that I can’t even recall, two months later, whether I’d been given a demo of Silver Efex Pro, but from the other demos I got the general feel for how it would work. So I tried it.
I made my black and white conversions by the seat of my pants, if you will, without the benefit of the on-line tutorials one can watch, or the user groups you can participate in, but even without help the results were striking. As a test, I showed several participants comparison images, asking their preference, and without telling them which method I used for each. Without fail, the Silver Efex Pro image was chosen. Later, when we did a group show of images we made on the trip I included, anonymously, a few of these black-and-whites, and again, the group acceptance was universal. They loved them!
While black-and-whites certainly have tremendous merit inherently, as a wildlife shooter I’ve always thought, and shot, in terms of color. I’m rethinking that, now, and, as I write this in Nairobi hours before we depart for home, I’m anxious to check out Nik’s instructional videos and to make some black-and-white prints from the trip.
Check it out for yourself – you can download a free trial by visiting the Nik website.
Previous Tips, July 2009 onward
How and What We Pack for Trips
Canon Digital Learning Center
The Movie Mode with the Canon Mark IV
Batch Renaming in Bridge and CS5
Alternate Uses of some Bogen Products
Hoodman Products
Using High ISO and Live View for Focusing in Dim Light
Art Print Scams for Hungry Photographers
Hungry Vultures ruin vehicles in the Everglades
Use a Short Lens for Depth of Field
Get Professional Help!
Mini-Molar Bag
Access America Trip Insurance
Bogen Base for Macro Work
Archived Tips of the Month
prior to July 2009
Most of my original Tips of the Month for the last several
years are available through this link. The 'look' is from my
original web site, although if I ever have enough time I might redo these pages to match the new web site But that's not a high priority.
Tip of the Month
Silver Efex Pro for Black and Whites
December 2010
ISO 2000 can produce noise, but converting to
black n white salvaged an otherwise mediocre capture.
Before you read on, Gary Farber from Hunt's Photo is offering a special on
Silver Efexs at a special holiday price of $99.99 (reg. $144.95) - contact Gary at digitalguygary@wbhunt.com
On safari, like our recent Kenya Photo Safaris, or on photo tours, Mary and I are often asked what ISO we’re using, or what our participants should be using for a particular situation. Often, we’re shooting wildlife, and this year, in Kenya, many of our afternoons were overcast, and within an hour of sunset the light was often fairly dim. Our answer to the question of ISO is always to use the highest ISO you can get away with, without compromising too much to grain or softness or, most particularly, to noise. Our reasoning – you can always deal with the noise issue by converting an image to black and white, where the color artifacts virtually disappear, but you can’t do anything about a soft picture caused by motion of the subject or camera movement.
Although I’d known of Nik Software’s Silver Efex Pro Black and White Conversion software for years, and had heard rave reviews from my friends and my digital instructors for our Photoshop courses, I hadn’t tried it. I didn’t do many prints, so I didn’t see the need, despite my advocating black and white conversions for circumventing noise.
However, after one of our participants on our first safari displayed some really nifty black and whites, and other artsy images, I decided it was time to put preaching into practice. On several occasions, I tried making conversions via two methods. First, at did my very best to simply use Photoshop’s RAW converter and the Gray Scale mode, where different colors can be manipulated to fine tune the gray scale conversion. I’ll grant you I’m not an expert at this, so my conversions may not have been the best, or as skillful as someone with more taste, talent, or expertise. Nonetheless, I thought they looked pretty good.
Next, I tried doing the same image file via Nik software’s Silver Efex Pro. At a recent PSA convention where I spoke, a representative from Nik demonstrated their various products, and I was impressed and intrigued. I was shown so much that I can’t even recall, two months later, whether I’d been given a demo of Silver Efex Pro, but from the other demos I got the general feel for how it would work. So I tried it.
I made my black and white conversions by the seat of my pants, if you will, without the benefit of the on-line tutorials one can watch, or the user groups you can participate in, but even without help the results were striking. As a test, I showed several participants comparison images, asking their preference, and without telling them which method I used for each. Without fail, the Silver Efex Pro image was chosen. Later, when we did a group show of images we made on the trip I included, anonymously, a few of these black-and-whites, and again, the group acceptance was universal. They loved them!
While black-and-whites certainly have tremendous merit inherently, as a wildlife shooter I’ve always thought, and shot, in terms of color. I’m rethinking that, now, and, as I write this in Nairobi hours before we depart for home, I’m anxious to check out Nik’s instructional videos and to make some black-and-white prints from the trip.
Check it out for yourself – you can download a free trial by visiting the Nik website.
Previous Tips, July 2009 onward
How and What We Pack for Trips
Canon Digital Learning Center
The Movie Mode with the Canon Mark IV
Batch Renaming in Bridge and CS5
Alternate Uses of some Bogen Products
Hoodman Products
Using High ISO and Live View for Focusing in Dim Light
Art Print Scams for Hungry Photographers
Hungry Vultures ruin vehicles in the Everglades
Use a Short Lens for Depth of Field
Get Professional Help!
Mini-Molar Bag
Access America Trip Insurance
Bogen Base for Macro Work
Archived Tips of the Month
prior to July 2009
Most of my original Tips of the Month for the last several
years are available through this link. The 'look' is from my
original web site, although if I ever have enough time I might redo these pages to match the new web site But that's not a high priority.
Tip of the Month
Silver Efex Pro for Black and Whites
December 2010
ISO 2000 can produce noise, but converting to
black n white salvaged an otherwise mediocre capture.
Before you read on, Gary Farber from Hunt's Photo is offering a special on
Silver Efexs at a special holiday price of $99.99 (reg. $144.95) - contact Gary at digitalguygary@wbhunt.com
On safari, like our recent Kenya Photo Safaris, or on photo tours, Mary and I are often asked what ISO we’re using, or what our participants should be using for a particular situation. Often, we’re shooting wildlife, and this year, in Kenya, many of our afternoons were overcast, and within an hour of sunset the light was often fairly dim. Our answer to the question of ISO is always to use the highest ISO you can get away with, without compromising too much to grain or softness or, most particularly, to noise. Our reasoning – you can always deal with the noise issue by converting an image to black and white, where the color artifacts virtually disappear, but you can’t do anything about a soft picture caused by motion of the subject or camera movement.
Although I’d known of Nik Software’s Silver Efex Pro Black and White Conversion software for years, and had heard rave reviews from my friends and my digital instructors for our Photoshop courses, I hadn’t tried it. I didn’t do many prints, so I didn’t see the need, despite my advocating black and white conversions for circumventing noise.
However, after one of our participants on our first safari displayed some really nifty black and whites, and other artsy images, I decided it was time to put preaching into practice. On several occasions, I tried making conversions via two methods. First, at did my very best to simply use Photoshop’s RAW converter and the Gray Scale mode, where different colors can be manipulated to fine tune the gray scale conversion. I’ll grant you I’m not an expert at this, so my conversions may not have been the best, or as skillful as someone with more taste, talent, or expertise. Nonetheless, I thought they looked pretty good.
Next, I tried doing the same image file via Nik software’s Silver Efex Pro. At a recent PSA convention where I spoke, a representative from Nik demonstrated their various products, and I was impressed and intrigued. I was shown so much that I can’t even recall, two months later, whether I’d been given a demo of Silver Efex Pro, but from the other demos I got the general feel for how it would work. So I tried it.
I made my black and white conversions by the seat of my pants, if you will, without the benefit of the on-line tutorials one can watch, or the user groups you can participate in, but even without help the results were striking. As a test, I showed several participants comparison images, asking their preference, and without telling them which method I used for each. Without fail, the Silver Efex Pro image was chosen. Later, when we did a group show of images we made on the trip I included, anonymously, a few of these black-and-whites, and again, the group acceptance was universal. They loved them!
While black-and-whites certainly have tremendous merit inherently, as a wildlife shooter I’ve always thought, and shot, in terms of color. I’m rethinking that, now, and, as I write this in Nairobi hours before we depart for home, I’m anxious to check out Nik’s instructional videos and to make some black-and-white prints from the trip.
Check it out for yourself – you can download a free trial by visiting the Nik website.
Previous Tips, July 2009 onward
How and What We Pack for Trips
Canon Digital Learning Center
The Movie Mode with the Canon Mark IV
Batch Renaming in Bridge and CS5
Alternate Uses of some Bogen Products
Hoodman Products
Using High ISO and Live View for Focusing in Dim Light
Art Print Scams for Hungry Photographers
Hungry Vultures ruin vehicles in the Everglades
Use a Short Lens for Depth of Field
Get Professional Help!
Mini-Molar Bag
Access America Trip Insurance
Bogen Base for Macro Work
Archived Tips of the Month
prior to July 2009
Most of my original Tips of the Month for the last several
years are available through this link. The 'look' is from my
original web site, although if I ever have enough time I might redo these pages to match the new web site But that's not a high priority.
