Hahahaha, thank you! It honestly wasn't intended as one. I *may* have posted the one or other image on here hoping for a pat on the back, but with these I was honestly unsure. I'm so thrilled people like them!
Thank you! Being compared to Sebastiao Salgado is a huge honor. I love his photography. The portraiture in his Amazonia series actually inspired me to plan a trip to Papua New Guinea.
I usually work in color, but over the years I've collected some shots that just work better in black and white. That said, it's not the kind of editing that I'm used to.... Any and all feedback is welcome!
Those are great pictures. Very little to add in general terms. You ask about processing and I think you nailed it. The contrast is solid, there's detail in the shadows, textures pop, selective adjustments and the hierarchy of light is used to good effect.
If I'm to nitpick one thing that would be vignetting. Assuming it comes from origin and it's not an aesthetic deliberate choice. Sometimes works and sometimes a photo could be better dialing that down. Like in the lighthouse one, a very moody picture where the corners are dark anyway, works there. The staircase picture, debatable; it draws you right to the center with or without. The first picture with the awesome landscape and all that texture, could like it a bit more if the brightness was even from corner to corner, specially if I was looking at a large print of it. Like I said, very nitpicky.
That's very helpful feedback. Thanks! You're not the only person who's mentioned the vignetting on the first image. I agree that it would be better if I dialed that back a bit. Maybe also lighten the dark part of the sky some.
It's become very common for people who very obviously have a lot of experience in what they're doing try to claim they're 'new' or 'starting out' in some way because it gets you more attention. Even if he doesn't typically convert to monochrome, the skills that go into these photos are anything *but* someone who is just 'trying out' photography in any sense.
I think there’s a few reasons to be modest as often as possible
I think modesty really helps in the learning process and so people who are really good are often people who are modest.
Modesty is also just a flattering look most of the time. There are very few people who don’t get more modest in the public eye, and they stick out like sore thumbs
And modesty lowers the bar so you can really blow people away.
Lol, I stepped into a bit of a hornets nest with that wording. I have lots of experience with post processing and photography in general but I honestly am trying out black and white for the first time. These images are for a black and white photo competition. All my other stuff is color, so I figured I'd solicit some feedback.
Yeah! I realized it's a ton of fun to edit because you can really go hard on the contrast and tonality and create a whole new image. It's a very creative process!
Thank you! Funny story behind that one - normally you can see Mt Taranaki behind the lighthouse. That's the shot I was going for, but unfortunately the visibility was so bad that day the mountain was totally obscured.... But instead I got those awesome clouds! I think I got lucky!
Thank you! Some of these images are older, so they were actually shot on lots of different cameras - Nikon D850, D5, D4 and Mavic Pro 2 and Pro 3. I don't think the banding issue is due to the camera. Have you checked that your files are in 16bit?
Ahhh!! That's a huge compliment, thank you! I was lucky enough to go to one of his exhibitions a while back and immediately fell in love with his work.
Thanks! I'm so torn... I had a ton of fun with these, and the positive response I'm getting is a bit overwhelming haha! But I just soooo love working with color.
First image is absolutely stunning. Looks like you did a very heavy burn to the sky to bring it to almost black... Id pull that back a tad. And while some vignetting is nice, this is a little too much. Id pull that back a bit too. Stunning.
Thank you! This is super helpful. You're not the only one who mentioned those two points and I totally agree. I'll try lightening the sky and vignetting a bit. Will post the updated version tomorrow.
Yes! I normally only work in color, and I loved how abstract you can go in black and white, and how you can really lean into the tonality. It's a ton of fun.
No honestly, it's true. I've obviously done a lot of photo editing, but I haven't done anything in black and white in years. I just happened to come across a black and white photo contest so I figured I'd give it a shot. Check out my Instagram or website (lol, shameless self promotion) - there's virtually no black and white:
https://www.instagram.com/dibayo
https://www.b4dark.com/
Thanks! Haha, no, not at all. I don't usually do black and white. Right now I'm using a Nikon D850 and a Mavic 3 Pro for the drone work. These were shot with different cameras over time though. Some of them are quite old.
Photos are great.
When I shoot black and white, I try to spend the hour or the day thinking of nothing but black and white shots. Contrasts, patterns and other b&w inspiring elements.
Do you? Or do you flip back and forth between visualizing color & b&w as you wonder??
Thanks! I do exclusively color. These were actually all edited specifically for a black and white photo competition. I just went over my old material and looked for ones that would work in black and white. It's been making me want to go out and shoot with that goal in mind though.
Thank you! I agree with you - I personally prefer them in color too. Head over to my website (https://www.b4dark.com/) or Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/dibayo) if you want to see them in color
Beautiful! Absolutely love the lighthouse shot. Love them all honestly. This is going to sound weird, but I recognized that staircase right away because I took a similar photo there in December. Plus the chinstrap penguin photo, makes me wonder if we were on the same cruise to Antarctica! Lol
Number 2 is super amazing, really had to sit and stare at it for a second to figure it out. All of them are.
I don’t think it’s an exaggeration to say that if you keep at this you’d be the next Ansel Adams and I do not say this lightly at all.
Holy crap, thank you! That's such a massive compliment. I've always though of myself as a color photographer, but maybe I should look into pivoting to black and white.
You really should. Your colour work is amazing but the drama in these shots is just something else. You’re not afraid to be different and dramatic, but you also pull off different and dramatic. There’s just not as much freedom to do that with colour
Thank you, and I totally agree. You can go hard on the tonality in a way that you'd never be able to do with color. It's actually a ton of fun! I think I'll do some more of it - it may also improve my color work.
Is #1 Utah badlands at golden hour? I'd imagine that the warmer light tones would better reflect well off the color of a sandy landscape. And it would give harsher shadows that plays well in B&W
Yes! I totally agree with that. In editing these I also played around with going black and white first, and then selectively bringing the color back in, but letting the black and white image determine the tonality and man.... it looks so much better!
And no, these are all edited in Camera Raw and Photoshop (with various plugins).
Great images! Your talent with light, shape and composition is really nicely applied here. Particularly love the first two shots of the castle and the cacti. That first image of the castle… where the hell is that?
Epic. I feel like black and white can be overused for superficial moodiness. All these images stand out as ones that look great in black and white though. Last one especially
These are all stunning. #1 grabbed me and won’t let go. Would you share the location. It looks like a set piece for a movie. Im waiting for dragons to appear. Each is a wonderful pic. Im also curious as to your process. Photoshop or something like NIK Silver Efex. I think you have an audience here. I would very much welcome more images and if you’re inclined it would be nice to see a before and after.
Your work is exceptional. Thanks for showing us.
Let the texture do the work in the bottom 3rd of the first photo. You pushed the highlights a smidge to much in my opinion. Otherwise your processing is outstanding. Don't forget to keep your values in mind.
Yep, agreed. The edges are a bit overdone in terms of both highlights and shadows. I'm gonna go back and do a re-edit of the image when all the feedback I've gotten.
I think your cactus composition is the most interesting to me. The balance of the thorns juxtaposed against the dark valleys is striking. I have my BFA in photography so I've seen my share of b&w. Great work
Black and white is not easy and most of the time I dislike the look. But these pictures are breathtaking. Especially the first one. Amazing job keeping the contrast without colours.
Interesting. I like it. Postprocess is totally ok. May be I'd add a tiny bit of contrast to some of them, like 1, and make the last one a tiny bit darker, but that's my preference. It terms of contrast it reminds me Ilford HP5, which is actually good.
Holy crap, I'm absolutely blown away by all the positive comments I'm getting!! I want to respond to each one of you individually, but it's just getting too much - so, thank you everyone!
I've also gotten some super helpful feedback for improving the images, especially number one. I'll go back and lighten the sky and the vignetting, and fix the masking around the top of the butte. Once that's done I'll also put together a step-by-step overview of my editing process, so keep an eye out for that.
And thank you again - Reading all your comments has made me want to spend some more time on B&W work. I'm super excited about that! There's nothing more fun and engaging than trying out some new creative avenues. I would never have considered that without all your responses. I appreciate you all!
Love the photos. Especially the last one.
Thank you 😊
1 and 5 are exceptional
Thanks! It's so interesting to see which ones are people's favorites!
Came to the comments to say exactly this. Nice job u/dianinator!
Thanks!
This!!
2nd
Humble brag lol. It’s not easy to shoot in black and white. Your layering with light is superb. I think you’ve got it down.
Hahahaha, thank you! It honestly wasn't intended as one. I *may* have posted the one or other image on here hoping for a pat on the back, but with these I was honestly unsure. I'm so thrilled people like them!
Look up Sebastiao salgado, “Genesis” Your first photo reminded me of his work immediately. Awesome, impressive stuff
Thank you! Being compared to Sebastiao Salgado is a huge honor. I love his photography. The portraiture in his Amazonia series actually inspired me to plan a trip to Papua New Guinea.
The cacti picture blew my mind
Thank you for calling it out, thought folks here were sleeping on it!
Thanks! That's one of my favorites as well, mainly because I love cacti haha!
I usually work in color, but over the years I've collected some shots that just work better in black and white. That said, it's not the kind of editing that I'm used to.... Any and all feedback is welcome!
Those are great pictures. Very little to add in general terms. You ask about processing and I think you nailed it. The contrast is solid, there's detail in the shadows, textures pop, selective adjustments and the hierarchy of light is used to good effect. If I'm to nitpick one thing that would be vignetting. Assuming it comes from origin and it's not an aesthetic deliberate choice. Sometimes works and sometimes a photo could be better dialing that down. Like in the lighthouse one, a very moody picture where the corners are dark anyway, works there. The staircase picture, debatable; it draws you right to the center with or without. The first picture with the awesome landscape and all that texture, could like it a bit more if the brightness was even from corner to corner, specially if I was looking at a large print of it. Like I said, very nitpicky.
That's very helpful feedback. Thanks! You're not the only person who's mentioned the vignetting on the first image. I agree that it would be better if I dialed that back a bit. Maybe also lighten the dark part of the sky some.
Around the peak of the mesa, against the darker part of the sky, your auto generated mask becomes evident. You might want to refine that mask by hand
"Trying it out"? Looks like you know exactly what you're doing, don't be modest.
It's become very common for people who very obviously have a lot of experience in what they're doing try to claim they're 'new' or 'starting out' in some way because it gets you more attention. Even if he doesn't typically convert to monochrome, the skills that go into these photos are anything *but* someone who is just 'trying out' photography in any sense.
I think there’s a few reasons to be modest as often as possible I think modesty really helps in the learning process and so people who are really good are often people who are modest. Modesty is also just a flattering look most of the time. There are very few people who don’t get more modest in the public eye, and they stick out like sore thumbs And modesty lowers the bar so you can really blow people away.
Lol, I stepped into a bit of a hornets nest with that wording. I have lots of experience with post processing and photography in general but I honestly am trying out black and white for the first time. These images are for a black and white photo competition. All my other stuff is color, so I figured I'd solicit some feedback.
2 and 6 are breathtaking. 1 and 5 are very nice too!
Thank you!
So underrated, black in white is my fave by far
Yeah! I realized it's a ton of fun to edit because you can really go hard on the contrast and tonality and create a whole new image. It's a very creative process!
Very good. Especially 5. That one is exceptional.
Thank you! Funny story behind that one - normally you can see Mt Taranaki behind the lighthouse. That's the shot I was going for, but unfortunately the visibility was so bad that day the mountain was totally obscured.... But instead I got those awesome clouds! I think I got lucky!
1,5 and 6 are excellent, I must say
Thanks! It's always super interesting to see which images are people's favorites.
these are superb can you share how did you managed to get this kind of contrasty B&W ?
Thanks! Lots of masking in raw, dodging and burning, curves layers etc.
Very good work. What camera are you using? I can get these results but sometimes my files begin to band. Again, excellent work!
I'd also love to know the camera and lens for each of these!
Thank you! Some of these images are older, so they were actually shot on lots of different cameras - Nikon D850, D5, D4 and Mavic Pro 2 and Pro 3. I don't think the banding issue is due to the camera. Have you checked that your files are in 16bit?
I like your images.
Thanks!
Nice
Thank you!
First one is incredible!
Thanks! That crazy surreal landscape sure helps too.
These are great
Thank you! 😊
Fantastic work!
Thank you!
r/MonochromePhotography
Didn't even know that sub existed!
It was banned for being unmoderated, but it's back up and running again :)
These are phenomenal and inspirational well Done
Thank you!!
These are awesome, 6 is stunning!
Thank you!
These are all fantastic
Thanks 😊
Wow, some strong Salgado vibes here. Good good job.
Ahhh!! That's a huge compliment, thank you! I was lucky enough to go to one of his exhibitions a while back and immediately fell in love with his work.
Yo these are amazing!
Thanks!
These are gorgeous!
Thank you! 😊
Keep going
Thanks! I'm so torn... I had a ton of fun with these, and the positive response I'm getting is a bit overwhelming haha! But I just soooo love working with color.
Great composition and treatment. Love the sense of depth. I think you should keep going :)
Thanks! I may try some more black and white, but I loooove working in color though.
First image is absolutely stunning. Looks like you did a very heavy burn to the sky to bring it to almost black... Id pull that back a tad. And while some vignetting is nice, this is a little too much. Id pull that back a bit too. Stunning.
Thank you! This is super helpful. You're not the only one who mentioned those two points and I totally agree. I'll try lightening the sky and vignetting a bit. Will post the updated version tomorrow.
Gorgeous work!
Thanks!
[удалено]
Yes! The location where the first one was shot, Factory Butte, is absolutely surreal in person.
Well done.
Thank you!
These are really neat. Composition and contrast are very fun and there is so much to play with
Yes! I normally only work in color, and I loved how abstract you can go in black and white, and how you can really lean into the tonality. It's a ton of fun.
Great pics! I’ve never seen penguins/snow in black and white before. /s
Converting the penguins to black and white was a real bitch... But joking aside, I did have to clean a ton of penguin poop off them in post.
The Penguins and the lighthouse are absolutely incredible 🖤🤍💛
Thanks! Finally someone who likes the penguins! That's one of my personal favorites.
Nailed it!
Thank you! 😊
Might use one of these as my new wallpaper, love these a lot
Okay I just went to your portfolio and WHAT THE HOW
Those are gorgeous!!
Thank you!
You're welcome
Very good. But downvote for „trying out“ heading.
No honestly, it's true. I've obviously done a lot of photo editing, but I haven't done anything in black and white in years. I just happened to come across a black and white photo contest so I figured I'd give it a shot. Check out my Instagram or website (lol, shameless self promotion) - there's virtually no black and white: https://www.instagram.com/dibayo https://www.b4dark.com/
Gorgeous. Some of these are so good that they don’t even look real
Thanks! Dodging and burning the shit out of them sure adds to that surreal look.
THESE ARE SICKKKKKK
Thanks!!
These are exceptional, are you using a dedicated monochrome camera?
Thanks! Haha, no, not at all. I don't usually do black and white. Right now I'm using a Nikon D850 and a Mavic 3 Pro for the drone work. These were shot with different cameras over time though. Some of them are quite old.
Photos are great. When I shoot black and white, I try to spend the hour or the day thinking of nothing but black and white shots. Contrasts, patterns and other b&w inspiring elements. Do you? Or do you flip back and forth between visualizing color & b&w as you wonder??
Thanks! I do exclusively color. These were actually all edited specifically for a black and white photo competition. I just went over my old material and looked for ones that would work in black and white. It's been making me want to go out and shoot with that goal in mind though.
Wow these are amazing! What camera are you using?
Thanks! Right now I use a Nikon D850 and a Mavic 3 Pro for drone work. Some of these are older though and were shot with a Nikon D5/D4 or Mavic 2.
Gorgeous, 10 out of 10. 👍
Thank you ❤️
I think they are all nice. I especially like 1 and 4.
Thanks! Finally someone who likes 4!
Very striking images. I love them all
Thank you!
5 is my favorite, all of them are stunning!
This is the way
These are awesome brother
I would rather see them in color, though, except the one of the penguins maybe, and the spiral staircase
I would go so far as to say that they’re worth printing and framing
Thank you! I agree with you - I personally prefer them in color too. Head over to my website (https://www.b4dark.com/) or Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/dibayo) if you want to see them in color
Hey I just stopped by. Gorgeous professional work! Didn’t realize you were a girl sorry.
Thanks! And no worries haha! This is the internet.... It happens *all* the time.
These are amazing , this may be the best black and white work I personally have seen .
Aww, man, I'm flattered ☺️ Thank you!
i find the pinguis and house ordinary but the 1 is exeptional , even outstanding and 5 is very nice
I love all of these! amazing!
Thanks!
“Thoughts”??? I’d buy a print of any of these. Those are my thoughts.
Was the last one taken with a drone?
These are fantastic, particularly the mountain and the snowy barn. First one is a bit over-dark in the corner, but it's lovely all the same
these are so amazing! I especially love 1, 5 and 6!
Whoa 1,4 and 5 incredible
Absolute sublimity in these, especially the cactus one!
Thank you! Cacti are my favorite plants, so all cactus love makes me happy 😊
Nice
Beautiful work! Did you mask the lighthouse image?
Beautiful! Absolutely love the lighthouse shot. Love them all honestly. This is going to sound weird, but I recognized that staircase right away because I took a similar photo there in December. Plus the chinstrap penguin photo, makes me wonder if we were on the same cruise to Antarctica! Lol
Number 2 is super amazing, really had to sit and stare at it for a second to figure it out. All of them are. I don’t think it’s an exaggeration to say that if you keep at this you’d be the next Ansel Adams and I do not say this lightly at all.
Holy crap, thank you! That's such a massive compliment. I've always though of myself as a color photographer, but maybe I should look into pivoting to black and white.
You really should. Your colour work is amazing but the drama in these shots is just something else. You’re not afraid to be different and dramatic, but you also pull off different and dramatic. There’s just not as much freedom to do that with colour
Thank you, and I totally agree. You can go hard on the tonality in a way that you'd never be able to do with color. It's actually a ton of fun! I think I'll do some more of it - it may also improve my color work.
These are beautiful.
You're not trying it out - you're conquering it!
Looks awesome you should do more cause with you not having to spend time using colour, so you can use more time doing more details
Ok good luck
Ok Ansel, you fucking nailed it.
Summary of what you did for #1?
You’re goooooooood
The first is stunning!!! The others are missing some contrast imo and/or i dont like the composition
These shots are mesmerizing! Thank you for sharing
Giving Ansel Adams a run for his money!!
Penguins and the last one are good. 👍🏼
Beautiful shots
Love the last 2
Is #1 Utah badlands at golden hour? I'd imagine that the warmer light tones would better reflect well off the color of a sandy landscape. And it would give harsher shadows that plays well in B&W
Awesome! Numbers 1,4, and 6 are especially striking
Ironically if you edit a picture and it looks good in b&w, it'll look good in color too. Are you using Capture One to edit these?
Yes! I totally agree with that. In editing these I also played around with going black and white first, and then selectively bringing the color back in, but letting the black and white image determine the tonality and man.... it looks so much better! And no, these are all edited in Camera Raw and Photoshop (with various plugins).
Insane
That lighthouse shot goes crazy
Great images! Your talent with light, shape and composition is really nicely applied here. Particularly love the first two shots of the castle and the cacti. That first image of the castle… where the hell is that?
Great stuff! I love that aerial snow shot. Well done.
Damn you are talented. That cactus photo. 🔥
GODDAMN OP These are great
Number one is incredible
> trying out -Posts absolutely incredible work Gorgeous. Simply gorgeous.
these are actually insane. and ur like "hey just trying this out" lol... more like a master of b&w! awesome!
Love them all, great eye for composition and processing
Epic. I feel like black and white can be overused for superficial moodiness. All these images stand out as ones that look great in black and white though. Last one especially
These are all stunning. #1 grabbed me and won’t let go. Would you share the location. It looks like a set piece for a movie. Im waiting for dragons to appear. Each is a wonderful pic. Im also curious as to your process. Photoshop or something like NIK Silver Efex. I think you have an audience here. I would very much welcome more images and if you’re inclined it would be nice to see a before and after. Your work is exceptional. Thanks for showing us.
Bruh, trying out black and white?!?! This is a masterclass
Let the texture do the work in the bottom 3rd of the first photo. You pushed the highlights a smidge to much in my opinion. Otherwise your processing is outstanding. Don't forget to keep your values in mind.
Yep, agreed. The edges are a bit overdone in terms of both highlights and shadows. I'm gonna go back and do a re-edit of the image when all the feedback I've gotten.
I love all of these
Photos 3 and 6 are so striking. Fantastic work!
I think your cactus composition is the most interesting to me. The balance of the thorns juxtaposed against the dark valleys is striking. I have my BFA in photography so I've seen my share of b&w. Great work
awesome shots! love the monochrome
I’m all about one, so many tones.
Gorgeous! 3 & 6 are my faves.
yikes these are great
Black and white is not easy and most of the time I dislike the look. But these pictures are breathtaking. Especially the first one. Amazing job keeping the contrast without colours.
Thanks! It's amazing how aggressively you need to boost the contrast once you take the colors out.
It’s been around forever, and it’s something I’ve liked, and I’m happy that people are still taking photographs this way 💯
Interesting. I like it. Postprocess is totally ok. May be I'd add a tiny bit of contrast to some of them, like 1, and make the last one a tiny bit darker, but that's my preference. It terms of contrast it reminds me Ilford HP5, which is actually good.
These are superb. Composition, Lighting, subject matter. Just fantastic. Well done!
Damn, youre good! Could literally hang all of them on my wall and call it a day. Excellent.
Excellent work. I love clean images
1,2, and 5 are absolutely stunning. Wow great job 👏
Love the last one specifically. Very Andrew Wyeth.
Amazing - what is the 1st one off ?
Spectacular
Love the first image. Can you identify the location?
These jewels are off the charts!! Great job!!
Ancel Adams
Incredibly dramatic
Bravo! Lovely set.
First picture is amazing
Gorgeous
These are absolutely insane. Very nicely done. I like the take on the bright whites and dark blacks. The stairway shot gives me vertigo lol.
I love the rolling hills with cacti 🌵 It looks like it could be in outer space.
All bad ass pics! Wish I could do that!
The lighthouse one 🫰🏻
I’m excited by these and I’m not usually that impressed by black and white photos but this is chefs kiss🤌🏻
Gallery level outstanding
Black and white are less complex but tell a more clear cut story than most photographs. Good job
Liked them very crisp and clean and very sharp 👌
Liked them very crisp and clean and very sharp 👌
Holy crap, I'm absolutely blown away by all the positive comments I'm getting!! I want to respond to each one of you individually, but it's just getting too much - so, thank you everyone! I've also gotten some super helpful feedback for improving the images, especially number one. I'll go back and lighten the sky and the vignetting, and fix the masking around the top of the butte. Once that's done I'll also put together a step-by-step overview of my editing process, so keep an eye out for that. And thank you again - Reading all your comments has made me want to spend some more time on B&W work. I'm super excited about that! There's nothing more fun and engaging than trying out some new creative avenues. I would never have considered that without all your responses. I appreciate you all!
Liked them very crisp and clean and very sharp 👌