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Is Dynamic B&W just a bit TOO dynamic?

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Bimberiman

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I really like the instant punch of Dynamic B&W but sometimes I wonder if it's a little too much as in this picture. Should I want more detail in the eye or would I loose impact?



What do others think? Should Dynamic B&W be toned down a bit? Are we all liking it because we're sick of flat looking B&W images but after a while it'll wear thin?

Most of the images in this gallery ( http://www.pbase.com/ralphandkylie/panasonic_lx3 ) are Dynamic B&W but I'm not sure if it's just a phase I'm going through or a bandwagon I've jumped on.

Ralph

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I think different subjects work for either high or lower contrast b&w. Looking at the dynamic b&w at default settings, for me it's too contrasty, esp notable are the blacks, whilst some crushed blacks can work very well for mono, they are a bit too dark for my own tastes.

I would drop the contrast setting down a tad myself.

I suspect if you shot every pic with the dynamic b&w, you might get sick of it. Take every subject on it's own, a more natural and less contrasty mono image can work great too, bit of variation never hurts.
 
I turn down the contrast because if I don't I lose too much shadow detail.
Experiment to see what works best for what you want.
I also turn down the noise reduction to -2.
Here's a full-sized picture with those settings:
http://www.pbase.com/isabel95/image/104917661
Isabel
--

'There are no rules for good photographs; there are only good photographs.' Ansel Adams
http://www.pbase.com/isabel95
http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/Digipets/ (not only for pet photography!)
http://www.flickriver.com/photos/98292634@N00
 
Since the LX3 camera came into prominence I've seen loads of B&W shot in the Dynamic B&W setting .. and generally I have to say that very many I do think look good pics.

But my own feeling is very much that if you DO want a good B&W pic.. there is a lot to be said for shooting in color but then using what can be very excellent and comprehensive Plug-ins to convert to B&W (this of course does tend to assume that you have either Photoshop or any other editor that will take PS Plug-ins .. because there really are some few VERY excellent Plug-ins to do this - AND with those you get a wonderful choice of B&W effect .. just as you want it - NOT the 'set' end-product that 'Dynamc' will give.

To do this of course I might add that probably for best results you need to 'learn' to 'see' a pic that although you will shoot in color - you know conciously that it is intended to be converted to a B&W exactly as you want it.

Maybe the blessing in disguise is that this way , you can likely always end up anyway with a good color pic - even if it never satisfies you when converted !!

--
eric-UK

 
backing off the contrast setting in-camera some, retaining more details in the shadows. You can always boost the contrast, or darken the shadows, in PP as necessary instead, and this allows you more flexibility to adjust the shot once it's viewed in a larger format.

My own preference, as a RAW shooter, is for conversion in PP, which gives you the full range of possibilities.

Tim
--
http://mainetim.zenfolio.com/
 
Harald Heim's B/W Styler is a very versatile plugin that can give some extraordinary results. I highly recommend it - download a trial here:
http://www.thepluginsite.com/products/photowiz/index.htm

and I just noted he now has it for the Mac as well. I also like his FocalBlade sharpening plug-in which has a soft effect as well.

Isabel

--

'There are no rules for good photographs; there are only good photographs.' Ansel Adams
http://www.pbase.com/isabel95
http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/Digipets/ (not only for pet photography!)
http://www.flickriver.com/photos/98292634@N00
 
Me Too! I am beginning to suspect that it's easier to shoot one of the other B&W choices or for that matter shoot three at the same time and then pick the one I want. If I tweak the dynamic it starts to look like the smooth etc...?? Just my take on it. I really like the punch of the dynamic B&W!
p.s. your B&W cathedral is magnificent! :-)
--
DP Review - Where else?



Old Jim ;-)
 
.. so far as PS Plug-ins are concerned .. the B&W Styler and also the Power Retouche set which contains a lot of things, but an excellent B&W one , are those that I don't think I'd really want to be without.

Two quite differently working , but giving an enormous range of control for a conversion.

--
eric-UK

 
Now THAT , you see, is probably a good example of where the Dynamic may be a less good choice.

It has 'impact' but don't you think that it has taken a bit too much 'detail' out of the large area of the pews in the pic ?

A PS Plug-in would give a great range of control on a scene such as that , bring up slightly the pew detail .. at least have it much less total dark , and I think this is a good example of where the Dynamic alone can be TOO much...
Just my opinion and as I see it...

--
eric-UK

 
You are right about being able to show details but that's not what I like about this picture. The dark pews lead my attention to the beauty of the upper parts of the building which is magnificently rendered in my opinion.
--
DP Review - Where else?



Old Jim ;-)
 
I think we'll always be able to get the best results using some software or plugin, which is why I always shoot jpeg + raw but, for me at least, the main point of a setting like Dynamic B&W is that we don't have to spend the time later getting a good result. If we can get a jpeg straight out of the camera that we're happy with then we're, well, happy!

I think I'll try taking down the contrast one notch on Dynamic B&W and see how I go.

As an aside, I feel a bit silly talking about not wanting to spend the time doing pp when compared to the time I used to spend in the darkroom playing with paper grades, dodging and burning, waiting for developing, fixing etc etc any processing I do on the computer is SO FAST. I guess these days we're in a rush for everything.

Ralph
 
Bimberiman said:
I think we'll always be able to get the best results using some
software or plugin, which is why I always shoot jpeg + raw but, for
me at least, the main point of a setting like Dynamic B&W is that we
don't have to spend the time later getting a good result. If we can
get a jpeg straight out of the camera that we're happy with then
we're, well, happy!

I think I'll try taking down the contrast one notch on Dynamic B&W
and see how I go.

As an aside, I feel a bit silly talking about not wanting to spend
the time doing pp when compared to the time I used to spend in the
darkroom playing with paper grades, dodging and burning, waiting for
developing, fixing etc etc any processing I do on the computer is SO
FAST. I guess these days we're in a rush for everything.

Ralph
Click to expand...
Yes Ralph , I think that's a very good example of the change of mind we seem to have nowadays since digital made such a big difference.

It's well worth I think reminding ourselves occasionally ,, as I DO maintain that we have got into a lot of lazy ways .. and maybe as importantly , a rather wrong thinking about cameras.. such as the seemly belief that some of the good compacts can be , or should be , every bit as good as a little dSLR .. it just isn't so .. and that is where perhaps a good use of such as PS is really needed, rather than the way that just a camera setting will do it all ...

--
eric-UK

 
Lower your in-camera contrast setting. I have also found that many scenes shot in the dynamic B&W mode look better if you set your exposure compensation to +1/3.

--
Bill McClung (a.k.a. 'NC BILL')
Image galleries at http://www.pbase.com/nc_bill

'Every other artist begins with a blank canvas, a piece of paper.....the photographer begins with the finished product.' --- Edward Steichen
 
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