Need Advise

[woodsac]

I don't want this to turn into a color or b/w thing, but I'm still curious which you prefer. I shoot a lot of landscapes with these trees. In the winter, when they shed their leaves, they have extremely white branches.
I'm fond of b/w landscapes, but, I'm not sure if these trees work in b/w or not? I feel like I'm loseing a lot of the tree's detail in the b/w conversion? I'm posting the b/w first, so your eyes don't get lost in the color...hopefully.

 

[yummifruitbat]

IMO, the colour wins in this particular instance. There's something a little oppressive about the B&W and the colour is so rich that it seems a shame to convert it. I'm not sure about losing detail but you seem to have acquired some noise/artifacts in the sky in the B&W which I think also detracts.

Not sure whether I'd go for a blanket 'colour only at this location' - probably best to do a quick conversion on a case-by-case basis and see which you like better each time.

I really love the photos you've taken of these desert trees - wish I had such dramatic locations near me! The depth of colour you capture in the sky is amazing :thumbup: :hail:

 

[woodsac]

Thank you! That's the kind of feedback I'm looking for on this :thumbup:

 

[Holly]

Great Photo.. I Love the Color, but also love the black and white. I would also try sepia because it leaves SOME color to your photo IF color is what you are looking for..

 

[JTHphoto]

personally, i have been on a real B&W kick lately, so I prefer the B&W here. i live in the desert so i don't really miss the drab neutral colors. The real loss here is the deep blue sky, contrasted with the snow-capped mountains, but the lower half of the photo is all browns and grays. i think it is going to come down to personal opinion on which one people like better.

 

[terri]

Both shots are strong, Woodsac. It's a toss-up, artist's choice. I think the starkness of the B&W has great appeal - but then, I love that aspect of a B&W landscape. A landscape devoid of color only adds to the beauty of a desolate feel, so if that's what you are trying to convey, it helps.

That said, your color shot is rich, warm, and lovely to view. It also shows off those white branches. :thumbup:

You can't go wrong with either of these!

 

[woodsac]

I really appreciate the strong feedback :thumbup: You guys/gals answered my questions! Thanks

 

[JonK]

I think the problem is that the tree and the BG are too similar in hue and tone and the tree is not standing out as much as it could.
I think I'd go for ythe colour in this case as it is giving a bit more pop to the tree.

 

[Mansi]

i am a b/w freak.. but in this instance i think i prefer the col version better firstly coz i can differentiate btw the diff elements in your frame as compared to the b/w... and secondly it just pops for me.
neat shot sacman
thanks for sharing

 

[woodsac]

I see a pattern here :mrgreen:
I think you guys are right, maybe the problem is the background? I'll try and shoot some of these trees against a bg that isn't so similar in color. Also one that's less complicated to try and make the branches stand out more.

Thanks again for all the feedback here! I'll post results when I get em

 

[mentos_007]

well.. .colour version for me.. in black and white I didn't notice all those details in the background, like water, grass. What's more in B&W it looks "flat"