Castles in the Air, a photo from British Columbia, Western

Photographer's Note

I'm trying my hand at some black & white conversions (maybe I've been looking at some Ansel Adams lately!) and it's surprising the results you can get sometimes. This was a good shot in colour, but is much more dramatic in black & white. To convert, I used the channel mixer in PhotoShop, and converted to black & white using mainly the red channel. I say mainly because if you use just 100% red channel then that is using only 25% of the pixels (the red ones) which can degrade the resolution or sharpness. I converted using 70% red channel, 20% green channel and 10% blue channel. The emphasis on the red channel is because that really darkens the parts of the photo that are blue, like the sky, ocean and even the mountains. This is what gives the photo it's dramatic appearance, making the clouds and the buildings really stand out.

The title comes from the Joni Mitchell song "Both Sides, Now"

Rows and floes of angel hair
And ice cream castles in the air
And feather canyons everywhere
Ive looked at clouds that way

But now they only block the sun
They rain and snow on everyone
So many things I would have done
But clouds got in my way
Ive looked at clouds from both sides now
From up and down, and still somehow
Its cloud illusions I recall
I really dont know clouds at all

lglase, rushfan2112, nwoehnl, sleon, chicken, Photo65Net, Delfin, jammer79, wilkinsonsg, lilimih33, john_c, singuanti, sabyasachi1212, ChrisJ, keribar, anducina, Standa, anney, Clairedelune heeft deze opmerking als nuttig gemarkeerd

Critiques | Translate

pat0500 (21561) 2007-03-01 14:01

Hi Alvin,
And you have a good hand for the black and white..:-)
I like much this composition, very nice point of view and very good perspective on all these buldings.
Good sharpness and very nice effect in the sky, good shot..!
Best regards,
Patrick

marieaude (1196) 2007-03-01 14:24

Great photo with fantastic light !!! you did it well with the b & w conversion. It gives to the photo a fantagoric feeling. I like it. Thanks

rushfan2112 (2965) 2007-03-01 14:36

Superb shot Cormac - very well seen and executed. I love the contrast and the rain as it heads towards the city. Incidentally, how's the 17-55mm lens (I'm thinking of getting one soon to replace the 18-70mm)? If this shot's anything to go by, it must be pretty damn good. Regards, Paul.

nwoehnl (122) 2007-03-01 14:39

Hi Alvin. Great job with the b&w conversion on this one, it renders a strong atmosphere and a very moody way of looking at the Vancouver skyline from a distance. The low-placed horizon is a good choice, and brings more attention to the weather situation and the dense pack of clouds hovering in the sky. Nice shot.

bayramturkmez (143) 2007-03-01 14:46

Selam Alvin, güzel bir komposizyon. tebrikler

sleon (9402) 2007-03-01 15:08

Hi Alvin
Well this is a very successful conversion indeed. The constrasts are spectacular between the illuminated skyscrapers and the moody sky. A really dramatic shot.
Regards,Susanna

chicken (1557) 2007-03-01 15:23

Great skyline picture. I love the rain coming out of the dark part of the cloud with bright, fluffy parts behind it. Gives a lot of depth to the image. B&W suits it very well.

Photo65Net (43144) 2007-03-01 15:34

Bonsoir Alvin,
Amazing light on these buildings.
The contrast with dark sky is superb.
A great BW work.
Regards,
JB.

capthaddock (28790) 2007-03-01 15:44

Hi Alvin - I remember the colour version from last year, one of them is among my personal favourites, the BW has indeed increased the dramatic contrasts of the clouds, though I still have a preference for the colour version.

Delfin (1529) 2007-03-01 15:56

very powerful, Alvin.
Exposure is great, the town is perfectly lightened.
The sky reminds an 18-century painting.
Regards,
Olga

Fis2 (170669) 2007-03-01 16:06

Witaj Alvin!
Wonderful effect! Good composition and frame. Beautiful sky. Congratulations.
Regards
Krzysztof

jammer79 (2722) 2007-03-01 16:34

Dramatic contrasts and perfect atmosphere. I am just not sure about the right side of the frame. Those trees should be kept whole. Meaby if you would point the camera bit more to the right it would help. :-) I can see you have got some unusedd spare room next to those buildings at the left side. :-)
Cheers, R.

wilkinsonsg (8662) 2007-03-01 17:42

A fine image, very dramatic in B&W - the clouds and city scape really make for a fine shot, great notes too :)

lilimih33 (9918) 2007-03-01 19:50

Hello Alvin!
Excellent captured this phenomenon!
Good effect in black and white!
Nice perspective!
Very well done!
Lili

partha (14023) 2007-03-01 20:37

Hi Alvin,
I appriciate you for choicing b&W.Nice skyscape with the inclusion of the city. Nice looking shot.
Regards.
partha

john_c (24666) 2007-03-01 20:41

Hi Alvin,
Outstanding imagery. You did well to concentrate upon the dramatic sky, with the amazing shapes and lines, while seizing the moment and catching as well the great lighting on the downtown buildings. The key here for me was limiting your foreground as you did. The tree and bluff on the right nicely balance the frame and complete the scene. Very impressive work, Alvin. I am a hard sell on B&W for landscapes, but this works.
John

singuanti (15250) 2007-03-01 22:10

Hi Alvin. For not doing much in the way of b/w before I'd say this was a very successful attempt. I'm impressed with way you converted it to b/w. The amount of contrast seems to be just right. That sky is incredible! Good job Alvin!

Ann75 (0) 2007-03-02 0:30

Hello Alvin,

Stunning shot with such dramatic clouds and fantastic lighting. The choice of black & white works out great in this shot and creates an amzing contrast between the areas in the sunlight and the areas in the dark. Excellent composition and fantastic work, Alvin!

Greetings,
Ann

ArtLook (2348) 2007-03-02 1:23

Hi Alvin,
I like the contrast of B&W colors here. Very impressive sky with huge clouds, the sun lighted city looks very small, unproctected from threatening nature. Very impressive picture and interesting composition with a tree on the small hill.. Good shot, Bravo!
With BEST Regards,
Arthur

sabyasachi1212 (19779) 2007-03-02 1:49

Hi Alvin,
You just showed us that you are as good in B&W as you are with those vibrant colours. Excellent POV. Congrats!
Best Wishes
Sabyasachi

ChrisJ (171818) 2007-03-02 4:14

Hi Alvin

An unusual view of the city & good choice of b&w to emphasise tonal range subtleties. The rain shower is well captured. Tfs!

PixelTerror (0) 2007-03-02 4:57

Hi Alvin,
You never stop amazing me with your Vancouver skyline views, this W is quite strong in punchy whites and the framing shows how oppressive these big clouds are !
Have a nice day,
Jean-Yves

dcawker (5717) 2007-03-02 8:53

Fantastic, Alvin! Actually, before I even read your description I was thinking that this looked like an Ansel Adams shot.. Mission accomplished!! I also love your conversion info in the description as well. Excellent perspective and light here.. Could be featured in a museum - no kidding! Regards, Doug

abulafia (4900) 2007-03-02 17:02

I remember the color version of this one! it was actually also pretty spectacular, i am not sure which one is the best, but i do know that the sky is far more detailed and dramatic in this one.
Nice conversion
Harry

maphoto (8082) 2007-03-02 18:53

Wow....beautiful shot, very nice conversion to B&W, the sky is absolutely wonderful....that's going into my favorite, great one !

keribar (43841) 2007-03-03 0:56

Hello Alvin,
Also surprised to see such a great conversion, and it make me think that I have to learn how to proceed besides desaturating colors and adding ( Or reducing ) contrast in order to get all these tones of grey. I amazed to see that the whites ( Which other wise could explode) have so mant grey tones.
The picture is also excellent, and frankly
it constitutes a fine tip for everybody seeking BW's and starting from digitals..
Keep going well - Izzet

kensimage (8563) 2007-03-03 3:37

Excellent effect, Alvin, bringing out the best from the fabulous light! You're a newly discovered master of the channel mixer. The clouds have amazing depth. One of your best, recently. Regards, Ken.

Malko40000 (1328) 2007-03-03 9:54

Hi Alvin,
Beautiful B-W image and very good tonals scale as well.

anducina (8407) 2007-03-03 11:26

Excellent b&w. Very dramatic. Great effect.
Interesting note.

TFS,

Andreea

robiuk (10807) 2007-03-03 19:36

Hi Alvin,
what a surprise to see one of yours in b/w!
Good conversion with fine contrasts and details
that really stand out.
The highlights/shadow palette is rich and the
capture itself is a good material to work on
in the first place.
Love that bit of a cliff & tree on the right +
the clouds are stunning!
Robi

brevbrev14 (140) 2007-03-05 6:44

Hi Alvin, wow!
the light here is fantastic!
great the white skyline of the town!
the sky is just great!
i like a lot this BW work!
ciao!
Valeria

crhieatt (5347) 2007-03-08 15:05

Brialliant shot Alvin - the clouds look particularly fantastic in this b&w conversion - but perhaps they looked just as fantastic in colour?!!! The composition is also absolutely spot-on - making the very best of everything on offer.
If I put my hypercritical hat on, I'd say the city looked sligthly too "model-like" and I just wonder if this is caused by that part of the photo being too sharp - it might not actually be any sharper than any other part of the photo, yet it has that appearance. Of course, you might reasonably agrgue, exactly Colin, the city looks like a model against this vast sky, that's the point you fool!! :)
Regards
Colin

zenskat (656) 2007-03-09 22:42

Hi Alvin, great shot & great conversion, quite a stunning and dramatic scene. Ansell Adams did come to mind when i saw this. I wonder if you'd moved to the left slightly to see fully the tree would it have made it better or worse composition wise?i s'pose you tried and maybe it upset the balance, but a lovely tree silhouetted nicely as it is.
cheers, jez.

Standa (1877) 2007-03-21 11:08

Hi Alvin,
I like your dramatic photo and your post-work. But without great composition it wouldn´t work....Your composition is excellent, specially balance between the sky and the land.
Best Regards
Stanislav

Clairedelune (4923) 2007-04-18 21:14

Am I still on planet Earth? I wonder... ;) I just begin to work some of my photos in B&W, so I am no expert at all. I can just say that my mouth opened wide in seeing this photo. The buildings... I cannot begin to know if it is too much or just perfect! I am just stunned by the effect. The sky is also striking. Somehow, it subdues the almost electric feel I get from the building.
Very interesting work!
Claire

Sp7 (183) 2007-04-20 5:14

Hi Alvin,
really nice shot. the city appears quite strong because the buildings are bright. and in the background the storm is arriving. Great. Regards Silvio