Opinions welcome

[bugmeister]

This lovely lady was sheltering from the sun today and just happened to be nicely framed in a doorway and allowed me to take a number of pictures.

 

Talking to her, it turns out that she has a liking for black and white, having dabbled in a darkroom in the past, but that blue dress really didn't convert well, no matter which method I used so one picture ended up with a tone.

 

Here are three slightly different pictures from the sequence, all handled differently and I would welcome any and all comments.(although obviously not comments about the lady)

 

 

 

[annie]

She and her dress are far too pretty for mono for my taste. 

 

I'm loving shot 2...She is stunning, such lovely smiley eyes...

 

Colour for me on these.

[colinb]

Mr Bugs sir - do you wish us to post any variations or edits as you have 'No' checked?

[bugmeister]

Mr Bugs sir - do you wish us to post any variations or edits as you have 'No' checked?

On these, if you wish to then yes and thanks Colin. Suggestions would also be welcome but I would need to be able to do the work on my computer on the full size pictures to call them mine when I see her next.

[colinb]

On these, if you wish to then yes and thanks Colin. Suggestions would also be welcome but I would need to be able to do the work on my computer on the full size pictures to call them mine when I see her next.

 

I'm assuming here you are familiar and able to use layers?

 

I will say the middle colour picture is great but as the Lady is asking for B/W...

 

I have used top sepia layer (very light sepia compared to your edit) and a bottom black and white layer, erased through the sepia on just the Lady to give her some contrast from the rest of the scene. I do think her dress works better in BW than sepia which has made it look a little dreary?

 

next question is what software are you using ? if you can't use layers are you able to reduce the sepia colour more to BW?

 

Click image to view large

[JohnP]

 

 

I'm loving shot 2...She is stunning, such lovely smiley eyes...

 

Eyes!!!  what about the legs in No1???

 

You know my thoughts about B&W... poo!!!

[bugmeister]

Very subtle, Colin, and it works well.  I have a choice of software..   Photoshop CS2 and CS6, Gimp, Paint.net, so I should be able to work out the method. Many thanks for the suggestion

Eyes!!!  what about the legs in No1???

 

You know my thoughts about B&W... poo!!!

Maybe I'd better not post the picture of her seams then

[Leon]

I like the images, but NOT the B&W's....

[bugmeister]

I like the images, but NOT the B&W's....

Thank you.

 

Incidentally, Is the colour preference a general thing or just on these?

[Leon]

Thank you.

 

Incidentally, Is the colour preference a general thing or just on these?

for me, I prefer colour 99% of the time, I have been known to convert the odd portrait but not many..

[annie]

I do like some B & W ............but not on these.

 

I am sticking with shot two in colour...

[NannyFerret]

I don't often do black and white myself, but I do like Colin's edit and als the Sepia.
I also love the bright colours in the originals, but I think the Sepia and B&W are more in keeping with the era.

[Terry]

Definitely the colour for me

[FUJI]

A balanced view here.

Her twinkly smile and colourful dress make for an excellent colour version......but......as the clothes she is wearing come from an era of almost total black and white photographs and films, mono to me, .....( an oldie who remembers these things) ....is perfect too.

If the subject, or Bugsy want a record of what his camera saw, then the colour versions are perfect.......but......if the lady wants to see herself as a true 1940s lass, then mono is the way to go.......unless of course she is reenacting being a Hollywood Star.......in that case, she would be in Technicolour ;-)

I really like both versions.

FUJI

[ChrisLumix]

Yes, definitely colour here. Like Annie, I go for #2