Black & White World 2.0 goes live

I am thrilled to announce that at 6:00 PM, Dec. 31, 2007, Black & White World was officially relaunched.

Complete with a new design, an equal emphasis on film and digital-based photography, as well as videos, a daily-updated news feed, and this blog, Black & White World is ready to move forward with exciting new content that will be introduced in the coming weeks and months.

The first thing that viewers will see is a featured photo, which will change often. Visitors are invited to nominate their own images or those of others; details are on the site.

As Black & White World enters its 12th year on the web, I look forward to sharing the wonderful world of monochrome!

Visit the new Black & White World!

Black & White World 2.0 goes live

A moment of silence, please

Let us pause now as we remember Kodak HIE black-and-white infrared film.

You can still buy some at Adorama, but production has stopped despite a campaign to keep it going.

From the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle:

(December 30, 2007) — The human eye cannot see infrared radiation, but the camera lens can. And in infrared photos, grass, clouds and tree leaves can glow with the intensity of bright sunshine reflecting off snow, in stark contrast to the darker tree trunks, rocks and sky around them.

However, the industry-leading film that usually makes those shots happen, Eastman Kodak's HIE-135, is about to come to an end.

Kodak, citing declining sales of the product, plans to quit manufacturing and distributing the infrared film after this year.

Read the rest of the obituary.

A moment of silence, please

Another sneak peek...

The countdown continues! Sometime in the next 24-48 hours, Black & White World will relaunch!

Here's a quick look at the homepage (at least I THINK it's going to be the homepage...)

Another sneak peek...

Wilhelm: Canon Pixma Photo Paper Lasts 300+ Years

Wilhelm Research, which tests various print media both photographic and digital to see how long they last before they start to change color and/or fade away, has published its test results for black-and-white prints made with the Canon Pixma Pro 9500 and Canon Lucia pigment inks. The clear winner was Canon Photo Paper Plus Semi-Gloss, which under acellerated light and humidity testing is expected to last at least 300 years.

When printed using standard Canon inkjet inks, the same paper tested to last 104 years. In both cases, the results were based on photos displayed framed under glass. When stored in darkness their longevity goes up. When left out in the open, they fade sooner.

It's a worthwhile read if you are interested in making your own inkjet prints.

Download the PDF file.

Wilhelm: Canon Pixma Photo Paper Lasts 300+ Years

Break the tie!

I live in a small town, where a mayoral vote may generate 7-800 votes. So I'm used to small turnouts. But our poll (see below right), which has been running for about 2 months, has generated nearly 7 votes.

I'm overwhelmed.

Really, though, I understand and that's OK. I haven't been publicizing this blog much, and I know the shirt I'm currently wearing has had more views than this blog. This will soon change with the relaunch of Black & White World and the publicity blitz that will accompany it.

In the meantime, if you haven't already voted, please do so. Film, a mix, and digital choices are in a three-way tie as of this writing. Let's get something going! (Also, you can help build up this site by using the "Tell A Friend" form at the top right. Thanks!)

Break the tie!

Analog is dead, bla bla bla...

Is there any reason why we still need to read this sort of stuff? I thought we'd already moved beyond the analog/digital photography thing. Oh, right. This dead horse has been exhumed so this guy can sell his scanning services. Oh the pressure--we MUST scan every filim image we've got, before they fade away!

A hilarious excerpt from the press release:

"If you are plugged-in to the lightning-fast changes in technology, you know your collection of vinyl albums, VHS cassettes and printed pictures must be digitally converted before it fades away.

“Analog is dead. Now, the race is on to digitally convert generations of favorite memories super-fast and inexpensively,” explained Mitch Goldstone, a speaker at the 2008 International Consumer Electronics Show [CES ®]."

1. Whatever digital file format you'll scan your images to is likely to be rendered obsolete before your images start fading (especially B&W images that are archivally processed. So, no worries, mate.

2. Notice he's being quoted in the past tense for a future event (CES starts on Jan. 7).

The service, which will scan a box of photos for $99.95, seems reasonable enough. But why manufacture such urgency? Oh wait, I remember now. Profits!

Read all the sordid details.

Analog is dead, bla bla bla...

I'm torn, and need your help

The Black & White World redesign is moving along, but I'm torn between two very different approaches to the homepage design.

This one is similar to how the interior pages will look. Too busy?

This one is a more minimalist approach. Is less more? I'm leaning towards this version. What do you think? Please leave a comment in the next couple of days. (Yes I know some of the links aren't working yet.)

I'm torn, and need your help

Color or B&W?

Sometimes, color is the way to go, sometimes B&W is the obvious choice. But sometimes it isn't so straightforward and you need to make a creative judgement call. Here's an article I wrote recently for Adorama that uses an example, part of the 100 in 100 series.

Color or B&W?

Ready for Prime Time

For years I've advocated thumbing one's nose (not literally) at zoom lenses and sticking with primes (i.e., lenses with fixed focal lengths.) I'm glad to see a fellow blogger named "blockhead" agrees. An excerpt from her(?) blog entry:

"...when you have a prime lens attached to your SLR camera you really have to think about your composition. Not being able to zoom in and out on a whim really makes you focus on the elements in your photo..."

I agree wholeheartedly.

Read the entire post.

Ready for Prime Time

A Teaser...

Yes, I know, I know: Black and White World looks ugly, busy, and out of date. In my limited free time I've been busily changing that and hope to debut the new version right after New Year's.

In the meantime, here's a sneak peak at the new look...

A Teaser...

Happy Boxing Day!

Shot during an unseasonably warm day in October at Sandy Hook beach, NJ. Yeah, I'd like to be there today!

But here's an interesting visual problem: The guy is standing vertically, the sand is horizontal, but the horizon is tilted. If I straightened the horizion, everything else would be thrown out of kilter. So...what would YOU do?

Happy Boxing Day!

12 days of Black and White

Given the date, I thought this little musical parody might be appropriate. A shout-out to Brian Auer at Epic Edits Weblog for the inspiration and links!

On the first day of Black and White
My Guru taught to me
The layers from channels thingie.

On the second day of Black and White,
My Guru taught to me,
Two Calculations
and the layers from channels thingie.

On the second day of Black and White,
My Guru taught to me,
Three Grayscales,
Two Calculations,
and the layers from channels thingie.

On the fourth day of Black and White,
My Guru taught to me,
Four In-Camera Modes,
Three Grayscales,
Two Calculations,
and the layers from channels thingie.

On the fifth day of Black and White,
My Guru taught to me,
Desaturate,
Four In-Camera Modes,
Three Grayscales,
Two Calculations,
and the layers from channels thingie.

On the sixth day of Black and White,
My Guru taught to me,
Hue-Saturation,
Desaturate,
Four In-Camera Modes,
Three Grayscales,
Two Calculations,
and the layers from channels thingie.


On the seventh day of Black and White,
My Guru taught to me,
CS-3 Adjustment,
Hue-Saturation,
Desaturate,
Four In-Camera Modes,
Three Grayscales,
Two Calculations,
and the layers from channels thingie.

On the eighth day of Black and White,
My Guru taught to me,
Eight Channel Mixers,
CS-3 Adjustment,
Hue-Saturation,
Desaturate,
Four In-Camera Modes,
Three Grayscales,
Two Calculations,
and the layers from channels thingie.

On the ninth day of Black and White,
My Guru taught to me,
Nine contrast thresholds,
Eight Channel Mixers,
CS-3 Adjustment,
Hue-Saturation,
Desaturate,
Four In-Camera Modes,
Three Grayscales,
Two Calculations,
and the layers from channels thingie.



On the tenth day of Black and White,
My Guru taught to me,
Ten PS Plug-Ins,
Nine contrast thresholds,
Eight Channel Mixers,
CS-3 Adjustment,
Hue-Saturation,
Desaturate,
Four In-Camera Modes,
Three Grayscales,
Two Calculations,
and the layers from channels thingie.

On the eleventh day of Black and White,
My Guru taught to me,
Eleven LAB Color methods,
Ten PS Plug-Ins,
Nine contrast thresholds,
Eight Channel Mixers,
CS-3 Adjustment,
Hue-Saturation,
Desaturate,
Four In-Camera Modes,
Three Grayscales,
Two Calculations,
and the layers from channels thingie.

On the twelfth day of Black and White,
My Guru taught to me,
Twelve Gradient Maps,
Eleven LAB Color methods,
Ten PS Plug-Ins,
Nine contrast thresholds,
Eight Channel Mixers,
CS-3 Adjustment,
Hue-Saturation,
Desaturate,
Four In-Camera Modes,
Three Grayscales,
Two Calculations,
and the layers from channels thingie.

12 days of Black and White

Mastering Digital Black and White: A Photographer’s Guide to High Quality Black-and-White Imaging and Printing (Digital Process and Print) (Paperback)

Blurb for a new book, Mastering Digital Black and White, by Amadou Diallo:


"The very nature of black and white photography places a premium on creative interpretation of the image. Advances in digital technology have expanded both the precision of imaging techniques and the interpretive possibilities for black and white imagery. Never before has such a wide array of tools been available to photographers who have a passion for black and white. Mastering Digital Black and White is written for these photographers. It serves not only as a comprehensive guide for creating black and white images and prints, but also examines the role of artistic craft in the imaging process. Learn how to employ your digital tools as extensions of your photographic vision. Read in-depth interviews with, and view images from, five accomplished photographers as they discuss their process and inspirations. Prepare to indulge your passion for gallery-quality black-and-white images in the digital darkroom. Additional supporting content for this book and a discussion forum for photographers and printmakers with a passion for black and white can be accessed at: www.masteringdigitalbwbook.com"

No, the author is not this Amadou Diallo!

Mastering Digital Black and White: A Photographer’s Guide to High Quality Black-and-White Imaging and Printing (Digital Process and Print) (Paperback)

Black And White Conversions In Camera Raw

"Believe it or not, Camera Raw is great for creating black-and-white conversions. Start by opening a RAW image, then lowering the Saturation to –100. Adjust the Exposure and Shadows sliders to create a nice contrasty image, then drag the Contrast slider to the right to give the image even more contrast. Now try all the different White Balance presets until you find the one that looks best for your particular conversion. You can even add sharpening if you like by clicking on the Detail tab and adjusting the Sharpness slider. And best of all, you can create a surprisingly good black-and-white image before it actually enters Photoshop CS2."

Source: Planet Photoshop

Black And White Conversions In Camera Raw

Hello again

So, I gave up on this blog because I didn't see any comments. I just found them while looking for something else.

So to those who have posted responses...thank you and sorry for not being on the ball.

I hereby give this blog the breath of life...starting with a new design. I'm baaaaack!

-M

Hello again