Art filters have real value even to an experienced photographer

[razorfish]

Since going digital, I was never able to make good b&w images. Now the E-P1 does it for me.

To me, the art filters have great value and I use them all the time. I always used to post-process from raw because jpegs from my digital cameras never looked optimal. Now I rarely ever touch the raw files. Don't need to, because jpegs with the appropriate art filters applied usually look better than anything I could hope to develop in post process.

The b&w is the most valuable because it lets me create a true b&w look I could never create even in Photoshop. But I also use the soft focus a lot, especially for portraits, and the pinhole is very versatile and can be used in many situations though results vary.

Here are some samples with the b&w filter:

 

[Anfy]

Beautiful pictures.

I hope Olympus will upgrade the E-P1 with the two additional art filters E-P2 possesses (especially the cross-process). We might start a petition

Ciao!!!

To me, the art filters have great value and I use them all the time.

--
Me a silly guy

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[Brian Mosley]

But there's no way I can reproduce the cool grain effect this art filter provides.

These are great - especially your last shot. The B&W grainy art filter is one of my 2 favourites - pinhole being the other one.

Thanks for sharing

Brian
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[BJN]

Whatever works for you is great, but taking canned effects from the camera has the same drawbacks as any automated process that you give up control to.

There is a value to shooting raw with black and white filters enabled. Helps with seeing a scene in monochrome.

There are plenty of ways to create grain effects, Olympus has no magic formula. And custom developing your black and white conversion allows you to choose color filter equivalents and contrast along with controlling the other parameters of your image.

If you want to leave the darkroom work to a couple of Olympus filters, that's fine, but it's no different than shooting film and letting a lab technician do your black and white printing for you.

--
BJ Nicholls
SLC, UT

 

[StillHaveMyDiana]

Is it only me, or do these pictures all have too much contrast?

 

[DriftForge]

If you want to leave the darkroom work to a couple of Olympus filters, that's fine, but it's no different than shooting film and letting a lab technician do your black and white printing for you.

Actually there is a significant advantage that post processing can never give - you can see the effect of the art filter and adjust the way you take the shot before you take it. You don't have to infer what it will look like, which makes composing a B&W image that much easier to get correct.

 

[digitalDork]

...the way the reflections in the child's eyes have not been degraded by the grain effect is really impressive.

I think if I tried to do this in PhotoShop without masking the eyes I'd end up with much less effective results.

Thanks for sharing.
dD.

 

[Gakuranman]

I'd love the E-P1 to get the two new art filters, but somehow I can't see it happening

I hope Olympus will upgrade the E-P1 with the two additional art filters E-P2 possesses (especially the cross-process). We might start a petition

Ciao!!!

To me, the art filters have great value and I use them all the time.

--
Me a silly guy

http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1041&message=32483228

--
http://gakuranman.com

 

[Bobo Hodls]

But there's no way I can reproduce the cool grain effect this art filter provides.

You should give Nik's Silver Efex Pro a trial run. Really.

--
...Bob, NYC

'Well, sometimes the magic works. . . Sometimes, it doesn't.' - Little Big Man

http://www.bobtullis.com

 

[ambercool]

There is a true value for some to not spend time in Photoshop and editing while still getting what they want. There are lots of artists who went from painting with a traditional brush to using a computer. There are no drawbacks to that; their goal was just to paint. Drawbacks only exist for those who need those drawbacks.

Whatever works for you is great, but taking canned effects from the camera has the same drawbacks as any automated process that you give up control to.

There is a value to shooting raw with black and white filters enabled. Helps with seeing a scene in monochrome.

There are plenty of ways to create grain effects, Olympus has no magic formula. And custom developing your black and white conversion allows you to choose color filter equivalents and contrast along with controlling the other parameters of your image.

If you want to leave the darkroom work to a couple of Olympus filters, that's fine, but it's no different than shooting film and letting a lab technician do your black and white printing for you.

--
BJ Nicholls
SLC, UT

--
-Viet
http://ambercool.smugmug.com
http://www.ambercool.com

 

[Brian Mosley]

Hi Bob,

But there's no way I can reproduce the cool grain effect this art filter provides.

You should give Nik's Silver Efex Pro a trial run. Really.

Really, I have what I need already in the camera... or I could purchase the following to get grain effects :

Lightroom 2 : $383.47
Silver Efex Pro : $199.95

Total : $583.42

Thanks for the suggestion, it shows the value of art filters.

Cheers

Brian
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[rrr_hhh]

Since going digital, I was never able to make good b&w images. Now the E-P1 does it for me.

To me, the art filters have great value and I use them all the time. I always used to post-process from raw because jpegs from my digital cameras never looked optimal. Now I rarely ever touch the raw files. Don't need to, because jpegs with the appropriate art filters applied usually look better than anything I could hope to develop in post process.

The b&w is the most valuable because it lets me create a true b&w look I could never create even in Photoshop. But I also use the soft focus a lot, especially for portraits, and the pinhole is very versatile and can be used in many situations though results vary.

Personnally, I hate the pinhole filter; I find it way too strong. If I want to add some darkness at the edge of a picture, I prefer to use the PT lense filter in PS. That way, you can controll the quantity of vignetting added.

Many of the filter are exessive in their effects IMO. But I like the B&W mode and the possibility to play with yellow/orange/red and green filters.

The grainy B&W art filter are often too pronounced too, although it depends upon the picture you have and the effect you are after. It seems to work better with less contrasty pictures. It won't change you up automatically in Mario Giacomelli.. but it is interesting to play with.

--
rrr_hhh

 

[cjeng]

Obviously this only works you shoot raw with art filters, use the EV adjustment and judge the LCD image until the highlights are the way you like it, and back on the computer with Master or Studio, change the graduation to auto.. it helps lifts up the deep shadows and you can end up with a more balanced photo.. OTOH in camera you can perform shadow adjustment repeatedly with the jpeg edit option..

cheers..
cj

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0lympus E3,E33O,E3OO,EP1
Panny LX2_& 3, FZ_28

 

[Ednaz]

Most black and white filters seem to be channeling Tri-X push processed to 800 or higher. Seems no one likes long tonal ranges and low grain... so much for Pan X...

 

[Ednaz]

Sometimes I wonder how so few photographers know his fantastic (and often somewhat weird, I have to admit) work. Just like you kind of had to be shooting the subjects he did to have that grainy push processed look work, I suspect that you'd have to be very selective in what you shot with the art filters.

I've gotten so careful anymore with working the subject and the light that having to think about "what filter would work for this... or should I not" when shooting would be one more thing, one too many perhaps. No art filter will fix a blown composition or improve an image where you didn't find the right way to capture the light. That's why I coughed up the $$ for Nik's full color efex pro suite - I can be very clear on post-processing when I sit in front of my computer screen.

Now, if you happened to BE Giacomelli, you'd just set your GF1 to black and white, never change it, because you'd be seeking out subjects that worked...

 

[Bobo Hodls]

I'm not dis-ing the Art filter - I do like in-camera mono settings from time to time. I was suggesting that for any camera, art filter or not, it's a heck of a program. That's all.

Money is always the bugaboo.

--
...Bob, NYC

'Well, sometimes the magic works. . . Sometimes, it doesn't.' - Little Big Man

http://www.bobtullis.com

 

[cmoney]

I used to love the E-P1's built in B&W art filter but I got a 30% off deal on Nik Silver efex and it's really great. The flexibility and all the different presets are amazing. I've even taken to redoing all the previous B&W photos I've done in the past.

 

[sean000]

I used to love the E-P1's built in B&W art filter but I got a 30% off deal on Nik Silver efex and it's really great. The flexibility and all the different presets are amazing. I've even taken to redoing all the previous B&W photos I've done in the past.

I agree... I purchased Silver Efex Pro earlier this year and I wonder what took me so long! I was pretty good at using various B&W techniques in Photoshop to get similar results, but the thing about Silver Efex is that it lets you try out so many different looks so quickly and easily. It's a real time saver and allows me to get a B&W look in minutes or even seconds that used to require much more tinkering. I too have used it to re-do some of my older B&W photos. The results are not always better... just different. I like the variety of looks Silver Efex allows me to play with. But mostly I think it has dramatically improved my B&W portraits. My B&W skills in Photoshop are excellent when it comes to landscapes, but portraits are more difficult in my opinion. I also find that the grain engine in Silver Efex does a nice job of masking digital noise and making it look more organic. I play with the size and amount of grain until I get the right combination of detail and grain... and I usually prefer doing this without applying any noise reduction whatsoever. The result is something that really does look like gritty high speed film.

The art filters of the EP1 certainly are impressive and look like a lot of fun, but apps like Nik's Silver Efex still give you more control.

 

[razorfish]

...for the kind words guys.

Yes, the highlights are clearly blown in the first three. I think that works very well here.

I'm sure many are able to create nice b&w in Photoshop. Thanks also to the one who pointed out the ability to fine-tune art filters in Master. Will definitely try that. It's the end result that matters, not how we get there. I prefer to use the art filters when I can. I certainly still want to post process at times, but I'm happy that it's no longer a necessity with every image.

 

[sean000]

...for the kind words guys.

Yes, the highlights are clearly blown in the first three. I think that works very well here.

Agreed. I often intentionally blow the highlights and go super-contrasty with some black & whites I make. This effect gives the scene a dramatic other-worldly look that compliments dramatic architecture in my opinion. I like this look a lot for black & white prints hanging on the wall. Nothing against a perfectly exposure, but sometimes I'd rather have art hanging on my wall instead of reality.

I'm sure many are able to create nice b&w in Photoshop. Thanks also to the one who pointed out the ability to fine-tune art filters in Master. Will definitely try that. It's the end result that matters, not how we get there. I prefer to use the art filters when I can. I certainly still want to post process at times, but I'm happy that it's no longer a necessity with every image.

Yeah... it looks like Olympus implemented the art filters very nicely in this camera. Even though I'm very good at Photoshop and I have extra tools like Silver Efex... I would still welcome the art filters. Definitely a plus for this camera.