THOUGHTFUL
My first attempt at portrait monochrome conversion
My first attempt at portrait monochrome conversion
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Apr, 2016Views
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Awards
Member Selection Award
People's Choice in Black&White natural portrait Photo Challenge
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Behind The Lens
Location
I took this shot at Nizamiya Mosque, Midrand in South Africa.Time
This image was taken at 7:42am inside the majestic mosqueLighting
As the sun rises, the rays filter through many window panels and diffuse the light beautifully.Equipment
I am new to "Manual photography" since February and this image was captured on the 29th February 2016. I have a Canon 7D Mark II, which I set up on tripod and shot off 300mm f6.3 0.3sec and 100 ISO I am sure I just "got lucky" as I felt good about the image through the viewfinder and knew already that I wanted the image converted to monotone post-productionInspiration
I had visited the Mosque a week before and felt completely overwhelmed by my new camera, new tripod and a multitude of setting options that I had not as yet learnt to control. I knew though, that taking my daughter back to the location as a model would be more in line with my interests rather than trying to capture the grand architecture of the Mosque. I was right and my daughter posed for several shots around the venue which gave me more confidence than trying to do justice to a place so opulent and grand. This particular image is not strong in colour but far more emotive and compelling to me as a monochromeEditing
Again, I have only just started on a photography course but enrolled with Shaw Online Academy to add to my skills. I have completed several of their online courses now since I shot this original image and will be returning to it to see if I can get more out of the tonal ranges required for a good black and white image that has been well processed. I can only say I did a bit of work in Lightroom and stopped when I had achieved the finish I felt happy with. I would love to see what could come of this image in the hands of a true professional though, that would be fantastic for me to learn fromIn my camera bag
I don't have a lot of kit but we travel a lot in the African bush and I never leave home without: Canon 7D Mark II, my "every day" Tamaron 15mm - 300mm lens & another 150-600mm lens that I am still incredibly intimidated by. I have an older Canon Speedlite 430EX flash (never used) and a Hahnel Giga T Pro II trigger, a spare Canon battery and lens cleaning kit. Without a doubt I NEVER leave home, ever without a bag full of photography books and magazines (PhotoPlus, Digital Photo, Practical Photography and Digital Camera) I am always reading and appreciate learning from quality photographers that are so willing to share their skills and tips with others. This is truly a gift of love! If there is space left in the car I add a Manfrotto tripod and beanbag...oh, and for sure another book or two.Feedback
Looking at this image now, a few months after I took it, I have learnt a lot more and can honestly see more faults with it than I would like. There is no post-production crop on this image and I so wish I had a bit more of the forehead and neck especially. I feel I zoomed in over-zealously at the time wanting to throw the ornate and very detailed background out as much as possible. I feel incredibly humbled to have received a Peoples Choice Award, it is so unexpected. I am but at the beginning of an extraordinary creative journey at the age of 45 but I am in absolutely no hurry and am loving every minute that I have creating imagery that looks beautiful to me.
