POTM [2/08] Pickup

Here's my entry for this month's POTM, a pickup truck I found in the Parking Garage across the street close to sunset. Click for full-size.


Exif: Olympus E-510. F/4 at 1/250. ISO 100. 40mm from Olympus 40-150mm.
Processed in PS CS2 - Black/White Gradient Map, Brightness/Contrast Tweak, Dodge and Burn.

 

I think this is a lovely shot which benefits greatly from the B&W treatment.

 

Thanks yoda! The truck was a really bright red and the full color shot just looked off (too much color contrast really), so I went with B&W.

 

The black and white really helps this shot pop. I love the overall quality of light, and the subtle highlight running along the truck's bed is a really nice touch.

You handled the black and white processing very well. Even though the scene has high contrast, there are some nice subtle tones around the window.

Nice work overall.

-monkey

 

Thanks monkey.

 

I agree - I really like the black & white to this. It really makes everything about the shadow and reflection.

 

Very beautiful. And very classic. Well done. The detail level in the B&W is amazing.

Could I perhaps see the original version? I'd love to learn the magic behind that BW you've made there.

 

Thanks Da Dego and OleJ.
Here's the original (Click for full-size):


Here was my process: I used a Gradient Map (Layer - New Adjustment Layer - Gradient Map) with the black/white gradient preset. Then I tweaked the Brightness/Contrast to my liking, burned out the beams across the top of the image, and dodged the top of the truck bed to make it stand out more.

 

I like red.... man I love it actually...

 

It's great black and white, even moreso in colour, I love it.

 

Heh, looking at the original still leaves me as one big ?
Very well shot

Trying to understand: The truck was parked so there was shade all around it and a solemn beam hit it and lit it up like that?

 

OleJ: The truck was parked in a parking garage on the first level. It was very close to sunset so light was low, and the side of the garage blocked out light above and below where it was hitting the truck (i.e. the ceiling and a high wall). I have a bunch of pictures that are much brighter, this is stopped down 1 (I was bracketing) from what my Camera's light meter was telling me, from what I remember.

 

Prefer the colour shot.

 

Looks great in the colour shot.

 

that is simply amazing! i too prefer the colour shot, although it does make the photo look processed (almost as if the darkness is one huge vinaigrette!)

 

heh, I guess I should have uploaded the color shot instead....oh well. Thanks everybody.

Edit: Selective coloring of the reflection actually looks kind of cool too.

I dunno what I was thinking, I just didn't like the color contrast of the color shot, I thought it was too much. Now that I look at it though, I do like it. The BW has a certain quality to it that the color doesn't have though.

 

I like them both. great shot man.

 

maybe i'm an oddball, but I MUCH prefer the black & white. It's a great shot, but even moreso with that twist.

 

I think the BW has a better balance in the composition. But yeah the color one is great too

 

Yeah, I agree with you guys (Da Dego and OleJ), I was just surprised at the response the color one got.