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Ok, I can imagine this is getting quite boring for everyone now so this will be the last post of "Matts B&W street shots" I promise.

Would appreciate critique on these puppies:





Cheers

I like them a lot....number 3 is very interesting.

Hi Matt, As i am way too inexperienced to suggest improvements, I can only tell you what I do and don't like. And i like No. 1 A LOT. The movement and the impression of feral seagulls appeals to me!

Thanks for sharing. Bring 'em on. They aren't boring me in the slightest.

Fiona

1 and 3 work very well for me. I have always liked images of people being followed by their shadows. No 3 would improve if it were printed very large. The middle image is too static to keep me involved.

Hi Matt, I agree with Fiona. Seeing seagulls going crazy is brilliant. I also think that seagulls were created with B&W photography in mind!
Number 1 for me.

I find 1&2 lacking in contrast and 'punch'. The main lesson I learnt with black and white is there has to be absolute black and white. Shot 1 and 2 are far to middle of the road. (Obviously it's like the rule of 1/3's...some follow, some don't)

Shot 3 stands out due to the contrasting.

--Wadem

Thank you for the comments people.

WadeM wrote:I find 1&2 lacking in contrast and 'punch'. The main lesson I learnt with black and white is there has to be absolute black and white. Shot 1 and 2 are far to middle of the road. (Obviously it's like the rule of 1/3's...some follow, some don't)

Shot 3 stands out due to the contrasting.

--Wadem

This is the problem I face all the time. I don't really know of a great B&W conversion which gives the contrast and punch that I'm after. I agree these are lacking in it. I can do a curves adjustment on top of the channel mixer and see how that works I guess.

rokkstar, I am a big fan of your B&W street series, so keep them coming. Like everyone else #1 is my fave from this series, just for the fact that there is a lot of movement and the seagull attack is well framed....

The guy in #3 obviously has sensitive hearing... Nice centering of the subject for this shot, with the shadow distraction.

Urgh - seagulls are gross.

Matt - believe it or not my choice would be #2. The evident pathos in an old man feeding the pigeons is overwhelming and beautifully caught

Thanks for the comments guys, I appreciate them all.

Chris, that guy was great, he was getting really uptight with the birds, and then all of a sudden just stood there. He didnt see that bird hovering in front of him and then they all flew off and he remained motionless - the light on his face i like in this one:

I love the pic above this post. He looks like some old assasin who has been forced out of retirement to do one last job!!

"No women, no children" - Leon

Really like number 3, not sure how I missed this post earlier, but number 4 is cool. The power socket in the wall almost looks photoshopped in, definitely doesn't seem to "belong" but it makes it all the more interesting.

THanks guys.
Wow, didnt think this post would see the light of day again.
The light socket is weird isnt it - but it's all real bro.
I really love the light on the guys face too - like old film noir photography - cept with a bloke not a hot woman.

I hope you don't mind, a bit of contrast really helps the image out

Before

After


If you have photoshop just go to Image>Adjustment>Brightness/Contrast, and bump up the contrast (35 is what I did for htis photo)

Again hope you don't mind, really cool shots, I like your city shots!

Hey Matt... I missed this first time round as well...

No.1 is great, No.2 didn't do much for me and No.3 is my pick. Perhaps a slight adjustment in the B&W conversion fro greater contrast

nice images once again!!

Terrific shots MAtt my picks are #2 and #3. Try cropping the top of #2 a little to remove the distracting ca top of image , almost panorama shot and I think it looks even more effective. Like 'em Matt Back to scanning photos for my wife's 50th, it's getting bigger than Ben Hur!
cheers
marco