Shooting landscape/waterfalls in B&W?'s

[CRman]

As for shooting landscape and waterfalls in black and white, any special filters that are desireable? I have heard yellow. Still not sure? Didnt know if just flipping it to B&W mode was good enough.... Suggestions?

 

[Joves]

For waterfall it is still the same pretty much but, with landscapes it can be any color. I like yellow for shapening images, especially in flat light conditions. Actually you might try playing with the D80s B&W mode. I used it a couple of times and, found I liked the Green Filter effect for what I was shooting.

 

[christopher walrath]

A yellow filter would help to reduce the affect of sunlight glaring from the mist during midday as it will block bluish light in atmospheric haze. A blue filter would do the same near the golden hour. Neutral denisty filters can darken the overall image requiring a longer shutter speed that can lead to some great 'flow' photographs.

 

[JCphoto]

I reccomend you just worry about getting the correct exposure/ composition etc. during the shoot and convert to B&W in photoshop. Anything a colour filter will achieve you can mimick very easily in PS just by lightening or darkening specific colours in the B&W conversion window.(its like adding a colour filter AFTER the fact)

As far as waterfalls, a Neutral Density filter will bring down the amount of light in the entire scene without affecting the colours and tones, allowing you to use a slower shutter speed to get that "siky" look to the water.

I don't reccomend "flipping to B&W mode" simply because it greatly narrows your options for later.

Hope that helps.

JC

 

[Rogan]

take it in colour then change it on the computer to B&W is my advice, then you have both!

 

[BrandonS]

keep in mind though if you are shooting in RAW you will still have a color picture when you pull it off your camera as the RAW file won't retain the setting.

 

[fightheheathens]

polarizer is important.

if your shooting film, polarizer plus color filter. (I prefer polarizer + red filter)

if your shooting digital, just a polarizer (maybe ND filter) (also shoot in color)
you can add the color filter later in photoshop and change it to B&W.

here is an example of a polarizer + red filter )notice that the sky is completely black (all blue light was blocked)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v47/wewillfighttheheathens/floatingjon008.jpg


here is an example of neither used (notice how there is no definition in the clouds and sky is not dark)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v47/wewillfighttheheathens/1-2.jpg

 

[Judge Sharpe]

JCPhoto is wrong Photoshop can mimic some of the effect os a good color filter, but not all. Shoot in B and W with yellow, both light and dark, red, amber, green and blue. You will be surprized at the effects you can come up with. Red is especally good for sky and clouds. Black sky and white clouds. Green enhanses shrubery, Blue will mimic night time. Amber increases contrast. Think collored sunglasses.
You might try IR with a IR filter also. This gives very long exposure times and great contrasts. The waterfalls will reallu show the flow.
Judge Sharpe

 

[JamesD]

Anything a colour filter will achieve you can mimick very easily in PS just by lightening or darkening specific colours in the B&W conversion window.(its like adding a colour filter AFTER the fact)

Not quite technically correct, but close enough. The key word is "mimic." There's a visible difference between a filtered, desaturated color image (film or digital) and a filtered BW film image. For that matter, there are also visible differences between, say, filtered TMax and filtered TriX.

Still, it's effectively pretty much the same thing.

You might try IR with a IR filter also. This gives very long exposure times and great contrasts. The waterfalls will reallu show the flow.
Judge Sharpe

If you're shooting digital, you'll need a camera that's been modified to record IR in order for this to work.

Anyway, like others have said: green, yellow, and red filters will increase sky contrast and reduce haze overall; while bluish filters will tend to emphasize haze. And if you can use an IR filter, it will give you the greatest contrast of all. Try it, either with filters on the lens, or by selective desaturation of a color image. You'll see what it looks like.

 

[JCphoto]

I just suggested Photoshop as it seems CRman is new to the world of filters (and quality filters of course are not cheap) So if you can figure out what you like best with Photoshop, you will know well which colour filter you might like to purchase. But I agree there is no doubt you can't match a filter exactly with post processing.

JC

 

[Joves]

I dont have a problem with using photoshop either. It is actua;lly better.

 

[ann]

here we go again, a very old thread