Category Archives: Topaz B&W Effects
Black & White Effects 2.0 on the way from Topaz Labs!
The image above is another from my recent trip to Cuba. The processing was done with the soon to be released Topaz B&W Effects 2.0! I’ve had a beta copy for a week and it looks really great. It is a major upgrade with a number of new features as well as a completely new interface. It will be released later this month.
I will be doing another Topaz Webinar on March 7th. Details to come shortly. In this Webinar I will cover the new B&W Effects 2 as well as Adjust 5 and Detail 3.
Some have been asking about how to do time lapse photography. Joe Johnson on his Really Right Stuff blog had a very good post with all of the details you’ll need. Give it a look.
Remember to use this link and the code BARCLAYPHOTO for a 15% discount on any Topaz Labs software.
Man, time flies!
I’m still into the archives looking at unprocessed files for fun. These images were made back in 2009! My Mom was right, time goes faster the older you get!
I was in a creative mood last night as I worked on these images. I hope you enjoy. Topaz B&W was used to create the looks in all images.
Turn Around
This image was made as we were happily shooting the wonderful sunset at the Lake Hotel. The clouds were amazing and the reflections stunning. It was hard to take your eyes off of the constantly changing scene. That said, I’ve taught myself to always turn around and look at what is happening behind me. Too many times I’ve missed the best light because I was so mesmerized by what I was shooting. Now, don’t get me wrong, I believe we should WORK the scene we are drawn too. I’m just saying take a minute to turn around and see what is happening there too. When I turned around the light on this lovely tree was, well, yummy. I had the wrong lens on and the light was changing quickly so I just shot it wide knowing I could crop the 24 megapixel just fine later. Two things caught my eye, the light and the beautiful graphic nature of the tree. Ultimately I’ve chosen the B&W version as I felt it focused the eye on the graphic design. A color version is included below with a slightly different crop as well.
Moral of the story, turn around, especially for sunrise and sunset shoots.
The Bookshelf
This is from Fonthill, Henry Mercer’s dream home. It is a very tight space overlooking a spacious room. A balcony if you will, with a railing that I’m leaning against. There is a large window just off to the right, illuminating the edges of the books and floor. This is what I wanted to bring out in my processing, the light. Nik’s Silver Efex Pro 2.0 is truly an amazing tool for this type of work. That said, I also love B&W Effects from Topaz and created the alternate faded color version below. Neither is better than the other, just different. Let me know if its time to do a video tutorial on Silver Efex Pro? This image might be a good choice for that. And remember to check out the discount page for discounts on the software I use.
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