Post Your Black and Whites Photos!!
- Thread starter Dave_W
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Slipperman
Senior Member
Slipperman
Senior Member
Clovishound
Senior Member
I was looking through some images from the last couple weeks or so. I ran across one that was a variation on an image that I had edited, but had some critical differences. I edited it and came up with this:
After looking at it further I decided to try a tighter crop.
I am amazed that I could crop this image that severely. The first one was a pretty heavy crop to start with. I had my 24-70 on the camera when I saw this small flock of pelicans fly overhead. I grabbed a couple shots with the longest focal length available. I guess the fact that there isn't a lot of detail in the shot helps, but I still find myself impressed with the resolution of the new Z7ii.
This is the original full sized image.
After looking at it further I decided to try a tighter crop.
I am amazed that I could crop this image that severely. The first one was a pretty heavy crop to start with. I had my 24-70 on the camera when I saw this small flock of pelicans fly overhead. I grabbed a couple shots with the longest focal length available. I guess the fact that there isn't a lot of detail in the shot helps, but I still find myself impressed with the resolution of the new Z7ii.
This is the original full sized image.
Slipperman
Senior Member
Slipperman
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Slipperman
Senior Member
Slipperman
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Blue439
New member
I don’t do a lot of black-and-white as it does not seem to come naturally to me, but when I set my mind to it, I am often surprised and happy about the result, and it seems other people sometimes are too. It is easier for me to think religious architecture in black-and-white terms as my mentor for that kind of photography was a Benedictine monk, himself an extremely talented black-and-white photographer who founded the Zodiaque publishing house which, for half a century between 1950 and 2000, published dozens of books on Romanesque architecture and art. Those books are all out of print now, but they have achieved textbook status with most universities worldwide, and you can find them secondhand, for example on Ebay: Romanesque Holy Land here, Romanesque Auvergne there, or Romanesque Burgundy. Can you believe all those books were printed by monks in an abbey, deep into Burgundy?
Anyway, having been taught by Dom Angelico, as such was his name in brotherhood, it seems natural that I find it easier to “see” churches in black-and-white. Because that is easier, I sometimes strive to apply myself to B & W photography in very different domains, and so I will, if you allow me, present some of those mixed attempts in this thread, hoping that you will like what you see and that you will not get too bored.
I do not remember where this first photo was taken, but I know it was not in London, even though it has that distinctive flair about it... which is why I took it, of course. So, if there are any film buffs among you, this landscape (for want of a better word) will even give you the reason why I chose this dumb forum callsign, “Blue439” —which is not dumb at all after all!
Nikon D3, Nikkor 24-70mm ƒ/2.8 G, circa 2021. No more info available, sorry!
The next one is a dramatic view of a dramatic place: the ruined Mediæval castle of Arlempdes in Auvergne (central France). The little castle chapel, dedicated to Saint James and built around 1050, has been carefully restored with, mostly, original stones.
Nikon Z7, Nikkor Z 85mm ƒ/1.8 S lens, 1/125 sec., ƒ/8, ISO 64.
Anyway, having been taught by Dom Angelico, as such was his name in brotherhood, it seems natural that I find it easier to “see” churches in black-and-white. Because that is easier, I sometimes strive to apply myself to B & W photography in very different domains, and so I will, if you allow me, present some of those mixed attempts in this thread, hoping that you will like what you see and that you will not get too bored.
I do not remember where this first photo was taken, but I know it was not in London, even though it has that distinctive flair about it... which is why I took it, of course. So, if there are any film buffs among you, this landscape (for want of a better word) will even give you the reason why I chose this dumb forum callsign, “Blue439” —which is not dumb at all after all!
Nikon D3, Nikkor 24-70mm ƒ/2.8 G, circa 2021. No more info available, sorry!
The next one is a dramatic view of a dramatic place: the ruined Mediæval castle of Arlempdes in Auvergne (central France). The little castle chapel, dedicated to Saint James and built around 1050, has been carefully restored with, mostly, original stones.
Nikon Z7, Nikkor Z 85mm ƒ/1.8 S lens, 1/125 sec., ƒ/8, ISO 64.
Blue439
New member
Hmm... no film buffs around here, then? All right, maybe some other day...
Now, I mentioned above Dom Angelico, and today I will show him to you. First, below is a “profile” photo of the façade of the Romanesque cathedral in Angoulême, a midsize city in central-western France you probably never heard of, and that’s OK. The cathedral is architecturally astounding but not particularly from this viewpoint. I chose it only to emulate an old snapshot from the 1960s, which I will show and explain below.
Nikon Z7, Nikkor 19mm ƒ/4 PC-E tilt-shift lens, FTZ adapter, Gitzo tripod, Benro geared head.
And now, my pièce de résistance is this: in the exact same scene but from the 1960s, Dom Angelico was touring the area in preparation for a Zodiaque book to be published later, and to better examine and reconnoiter the enormous, high façade of the cathedral and the high sculpted tympanum he would have to photograph, he commandeered the tall ladder of the local firemen and climbed it fearlessly, his black Benedictine robes billowing around him... What a sight, and what an extraordinary monk!
Regretfully, Angelico passed away in 2018. He was, and still is, a great mentor and inspiration.
Now, I mentioned above Dom Angelico, and today I will show him to you. First, below is a “profile” photo of the façade of the Romanesque cathedral in Angoulême, a midsize city in central-western France you probably never heard of, and that’s OK. The cathedral is architecturally astounding but not particularly from this viewpoint. I chose it only to emulate an old snapshot from the 1960s, which I will show and explain below.
Nikon Z7, Nikkor 19mm ƒ/4 PC-E tilt-shift lens, FTZ adapter, Gitzo tripod, Benro geared head.
And now, my pièce de résistance is this: in the exact same scene but from the 1960s, Dom Angelico was touring the area in preparation for a Zodiaque book to be published later, and to better examine and reconnoiter the enormous, high façade of the cathedral and the high sculpted tympanum he would have to photograph, he commandeered the tall ladder of the local firemen and climbed it fearlessly, his black Benedictine robes billowing around him... What a sight, and what an extraordinary monk!
Regretfully, Angelico passed away in 2018. He was, and still is, a great mentor and inspiration.
Blue439
New member
And as I posted only one of mine above, I will, if you allow me, indulge and post a second one, completely out of my comfort zone. It took a conscious effort to go out that day in the Spring of 2021 (not far from the house, I think we were still under COVID restrictions back then) and photograph landscapes in black-and-white...
Nikon Z7, Nikkor Z 85mm ƒ/2.8 S lens.
Nikon Z7, Nikkor Z 85mm ƒ/2.8 S lens.
Blue439
New member
My two black-and-white photographs of the day are ruins, and about the second one I have a fun story to tell.
The first one was taken in Sardinia, a large Italian island in the Mediterranean Sea —not Sicily, the other one.
I love Sardinia. I went there several times as a teenager to a Club Med resort that was, back then in the 1970s and until the early 2000s, located on the small island of Caprera, then I went back several times as an adult, on my sailboat or on other people’s, by plane or by car, alone or with wife and family. I have visited the island extensively and know it fairly well by now. It is a paradise, from white sand and emerald water beaches to old abandoned mines, high mountains and breathtaking vistas... with, of course, the obvious advantage of Italian cuisine everywhere. I love seafood and pasta!
Anyway, it was on one of those photo trips in March 2019 that I found this lovely ruined Romanesque church at the far end of a deep, silent vale. There was no one else there, and I respectfully took a few photographs. I have another one, showing the apse of the church, which I will post some other day.
Nikon Z7, Nikkor F 19mm ƒ/4 PC-E tilt-shift lens, FTZ adapter. Gitzo tripod, Benro geared head. NiSi S5 filter holder and Ø150–mm circular polarizing filter.
The next photo was taken but a few months before, in October 2018. I had just retired from work a few weeks before, and as my wife was still working, I left home alone for a tour of Normandy which included a visit of the ruins of the astounding Benedictine abbey church of Jumièges, dubbed “the most gorgeous ruins in France” —and certainly they are most impressive, although I know a few other sites that would dispute the claim.
Now, as I advance in age at the unfortunate but standard rate of 24 hours per diem, I appreciate my creature comforts as much as the next man; nevertheless, I had done a very careful and detailed research in advance and found a little hotel in Jumièges, way below my usual standards, but seemingly ideally located right across the narrow street and the perimeter wall of the abbey. I had studied satellite photos and Google Street photos and it seemed that one of their rooms on the top floor (well, the only floor, really, above the ground floor) would allow me to have a perfect view of the façade of the enormous church directly above that otherwise impassable enclosure wall. A phone call with the hotel owner confirmed my hopes and secured me the room without difficulty: there wasn’t much competition in October!
Of course, the hotel had no restaurant, the room was minuscule, the bed mediocre and the bathroom was 5 meters away down the corridor, and more generally, everything was shut down in the village. In October, some things would only be open during the week-end, and of course this wasn’t a week-end, I had planned it that way. So, I bought a couple of sandwiches and drinks on the way, and was duly rewarded by the expected magnificent view through my narrow window. I had barely enough room to set up the tripod. I composed the frame, set the shift on the lens, focused it, and when all was ready, I began to munch on my sandwiches until the light became just right.
Then, the miracle happened.
With, who knows? a little nudge from The Great Assistant in the Sky, as I like to call Him, a flight of pigeons suddenly appeared and started to circle the two enormous and tall towers of the abbey church. I only had to wait patiently for the right moment, when they would align themselves just so... and in that instant of grace I pressed the shutter. The result is not too bad photographically, and as a personal memory it will be with me forever.
Nikon D850, Nikkor F 19mm ƒ/4 PC-E tilt-shift lens, Gitzo tripod, Leofoto VH-30R two-way panoramic head.
The first one was taken in Sardinia, a large Italian island in the Mediterranean Sea —not Sicily, the other one.
I love Sardinia. I went there several times as a teenager to a Club Med resort that was, back then in the 1970s and until the early 2000s, located on the small island of Caprera, then I went back several times as an adult, on my sailboat or on other people’s, by plane or by car, alone or with wife and family. I have visited the island extensively and know it fairly well by now. It is a paradise, from white sand and emerald water beaches to old abandoned mines, high mountains and breathtaking vistas... with, of course, the obvious advantage of Italian cuisine everywhere. I love seafood and pasta!
Anyway, it was on one of those photo trips in March 2019 that I found this lovely ruined Romanesque church at the far end of a deep, silent vale. There was no one else there, and I respectfully took a few photographs. I have another one, showing the apse of the church, which I will post some other day.
Nikon Z7, Nikkor F 19mm ƒ/4 PC-E tilt-shift lens, FTZ adapter. Gitzo tripod, Benro geared head. NiSi S5 filter holder and Ø150–mm circular polarizing filter.
The next photo was taken but a few months before, in October 2018. I had just retired from work a few weeks before, and as my wife was still working, I left home alone for a tour of Normandy which included a visit of the ruins of the astounding Benedictine abbey church of Jumièges, dubbed “the most gorgeous ruins in France” —and certainly they are most impressive, although I know a few other sites that would dispute the claim.
Now, as I advance in age at the unfortunate but standard rate of 24 hours per diem, I appreciate my creature comforts as much as the next man; nevertheless, I had done a very careful and detailed research in advance and found a little hotel in Jumièges, way below my usual standards, but seemingly ideally located right across the narrow street and the perimeter wall of the abbey. I had studied satellite photos and Google Street photos and it seemed that one of their rooms on the top floor (well, the only floor, really, above the ground floor) would allow me to have a perfect view of the façade of the enormous church directly above that otherwise impassable enclosure wall. A phone call with the hotel owner confirmed my hopes and secured me the room without difficulty: there wasn’t much competition in October!
Of course, the hotel had no restaurant, the room was minuscule, the bed mediocre and the bathroom was 5 meters away down the corridor, and more generally, everything was shut down in the village. In October, some things would only be open during the week-end, and of course this wasn’t a week-end, I had planned it that way. So, I bought a couple of sandwiches and drinks on the way, and was duly rewarded by the expected magnificent view through my narrow window. I had barely enough room to set up the tripod. I composed the frame, set the shift on the lens, focused it, and when all was ready, I began to munch on my sandwiches until the light became just right.
Then, the miracle happened.
With, who knows? a little nudge from The Great Assistant in the Sky, as I like to call Him, a flight of pigeons suddenly appeared and started to circle the two enormous and tall towers of the abbey church. I only had to wait patiently for the right moment, when they would align themselves just so... and in that instant of grace I pressed the shutter. The result is not too bad photographically, and as a personal memory it will be with me forever.
Nikon D850, Nikkor F 19mm ƒ/4 PC-E tilt-shift lens, Gitzo tripod, Leofoto VH-30R two-way panoramic head.
Last edited:
blackstar
Senior Member
So you used the Nikkor F 19mm ƒ/4 PC-E tilt-shift lens for both photos (with different bodies). I assume you shot vertical pano for the 2nd image (how many shots?), but I am not sure you did horizontal pano for the 1st one? And if you took multi-shots for the 2nd, did you shoot from up (with birds) to bottom (ground)? I appreciate your sharing.My two black-and-white photographs of the day are ruins, and about the second one I have a fun story to tell.
The first one was taken in Sardinia, a large Italian island in the Mediterranean Sea —not Sicily, the other one.
I love Sardinia. I went there several times as a teenager to a Club Med resort that was, back then in the 1970s and until the early 2000s, located on the small island of Caprera, then I went back several times as an adult, on my sailboat or on other people’s, by plane or by car, alone or with wife and family. I have visited the island extensively and know it fairly well by now. It is a paradise, from white sand and emerald water beaches to old abandoned mines, high mountains and breathtaking vistas... with, of course, the obvious advantage of Italian cuisine everywhere. I love seafood and pasta!
Anyway, it was on one of those photo trips in March 2019 that I found this lovely ruined Romanesque church at the far of a deep, silent vale. There was no one else there, and I respectfully took a few photographs. I have another one, showing the apse of the church, which I will post some other day.
Nikon Z7, Nikkor F 19mm ƒ/4 PC-E tilt-shift lens, FTZ adapter. Gitzo tripod, Benro geared head. NiSi S5 filter holder and Ø150–mm circular polarizing filter.
View attachment 408739
The next photo was taken but a few months before, in October 2018. I had just retired from work a few weeks before, and as my wife was still working, I left home alone for a tour of Normandy which included a visit of the ruins of the astounding Benedictine abbey church of Jumièges, dubbed “the most gorgeous ruins in France” —and certainly they are most impressive, although I know a few other sites that would dispute the claim.
Now, as I advance in age at the unfortunate but standard rate of 24 hours per diem, I appreciate my creature comforts as much as the next man; nevertheless, I had done a very careful and detailed research in advance and found a little hotel in Jumièges, way below my usual standards, but seemingly ideally located right across the narrow street and the perimeter wall of the abbey. I had studied satellite photos and Google Street photos and it seemed that one of their rooms on the top floor (well, the only floor, really, above the ground floor) would allow me to have a perfect view of the façade of the enormous church directly above that otherwise impassable enclosure wall. A phone call with the hotel owner confirmed my hopes and secured me the room without difficulty: there wasn’t much competition in October!
Of course, the hotel had no restaurant, the room was minuscule, the bed mediocre and the bathroom was 5 meters away down the corridor, and more generally, everything was shut down in the village. In October, some things would only be open during the week-end, and of course this wasn’t a week-end, I had planned it that way. So, I bought a couple of sandwiches and drinks on the way, and was duly rewarded by the expected magnificent view through my narrow window. I had barely enough room to set up the tripod. I composed the frame, set the shift on the lens, focused it, and when all was ready, I began to munch on my sandwiches until the light became just right.
Then, the miracle happened.
With, who knows? a little nudge from The Great Assistant in the Sky, as I like to call Him, a flight of pigeons suddenly appeared and started to circle the two enormous and tall towers of the abbey church. I only had to wait patiently for the right moment, when they would align themselves just so... and in that instant of grace I pressed the shutter. The result is not too bad photographically, and as a personal memory it will be with me forever.
Nikon D850, Nikkor F 19mm ƒ/4 PC-E tilt-shift lens, Gitzo tripod, Leofoto VH-30R two-way panoramic head.
View attachment 408740
Blue439
New member
Yes, I have been using tilt-shifts for some years. For wide-angles, I used the 24mm, then the 19mm came out towards end of 2016 or early 2017, I don’t remember exactly but I bought one almost right away... then lost it, if you can believe that, and had to buy a new copy. I used it with DSLRs, now with the mirrorless, even though the combination is heftier and bulkier than ever with the FTZ adapter (the version 2 is a bit more flush, but the gain is small). I hope Z-mount tilt-shifts will soon appear!
And no, the Jumièges photo with the birds is not a composite, but one single exposure. You wouldn’t have the intact EXIF if it were a panorama, the combining in Photoshop or PTGui eats up most of them.
And no, the Jumièges photo with the birds is not a composite, but one single exposure. You wouldn’t have the intact EXIF if it were a panorama, the combining in Photoshop or PTGui eats up most of them.
Blue439
New member
Despite being from the country of Doisneau and Cartier-Bresson, I am definitely not an adept of street photography... but sometimes, you get lucky! This was in one of the old trams in Lisbon, Portugal. Nikon D3, Nikkor 24-70mm ƒ/2.8 G lens.
... and this is the opposite of the Sardinia ruined church photo I posted yesterday. From this angle, you can see that the church had three naves, it was therefore quite large. Ruins of outbuildings are also visible to the right, which leads me to believe that there probably was a monastery there. I admit I never took the time to research it before, but I just did and it happens I am right. The church is named San Nicola di Silanis and it was donated in 1122 by a couple of local lords to the abbey of Monte Cassino, which was of course the home of Saint Benedict, founder of the Benedictine order in the 500s (see the Wikipedia page of San Nicola in English here).
Nikon Z7, Nikkor F 19mm ƒ/4 PC-E tilt-shift lens, FTZ adapter. Gitzo tripod, Benro geared head. NiSi S5 filter holder and Ø150–mm circular polarizing filter.
... and this is the opposite of the Sardinia ruined church photo I posted yesterday. From this angle, you can see that the church had three naves, it was therefore quite large. Ruins of outbuildings are also visible to the right, which leads me to believe that there probably was a monastery there. I admit I never took the time to research it before, but I just did and it happens I am right. The church is named San Nicola di Silanis and it was donated in 1122 by a couple of local lords to the abbey of Monte Cassino, which was of course the home of Saint Benedict, founder of the Benedictine order in the 500s (see the Wikipedia page of San Nicola in English here).
Nikon Z7, Nikkor F 19mm ƒ/4 PC-E tilt-shift lens, FTZ adapter. Gitzo tripod, Benro geared head. NiSi S5 filter holder and Ø150–mm circular polarizing filter.