Cathy-Come-Home

I have posted 2 versions of this image as I thought the particular bleak

looking moorland would lend itself to a B & W conversion, but any

suggestions or preferences you may have would be more than welcome.

Thank You.

a very nice near/far composition.  

i think you've hit the colour version way too hard.  the rise at left is lightened so much that it becomes strange, and the whole thing looks weirdly bleached to me.  best, j

Alf, I think the B/W version has a better tonal quality and probably conveys the bleak, desolate atmosphere more. Also the absence of color more clearly draws us to the solitary tree and the lines of the craggy foreground become more delineated. 

A very good B&W but I will be the only one showing a preference for the color. I have taken a stab at a black and white version that might make me ponder whether I would prefer a B&W or a color version. Even though my main editing tool is the Nik Capture, I tried my hand at photoshop. In mine, it changes the mood as I concentrated on the sky. With the resulting sky, some might argue that it competes with the rocks and I will disagree with that - in fact it is in harmony with the foreground rocks. 

Of course this is just one opinion from someone who is still learning this art form and what is appealing to the majority of viewers.

I suspect you will get opinions split down the middle; color vs B&W.

Trust you found this helpful  and best regards. 

Alf, I have gone back and forth between your two versions of this image and for me this B&W tends to fire my imagination more than the colour version.  Keeping with your title, the B&W suggests a story which draws the viewer in to further explore this barren and wind swept landscape.  My compliments to Tony, for his rendition as it is a very worthy interpretation, again perhaps this is the strength of the B&W as it lends itself to a variety of personal renderings.

Jim

Alf,

I like the somber feel of this landscape, accented by the bare, windshaped tree. The fracture lines in the rock provide leading lines into the distance and make what might otherwise be an overly chaotic foreground more interesting.

I agree that it might benefit from a *bit* more contrast, particularly in the sky. But you don't want to lose that somber, subdued emotional cast.

Its a bit like the old apples and pears. I enjoyed both in different ways.

JAMIE

I'm glad you liked this one, I think the version that Tony has produced is really excellent, particularly the sky.

As for "Weirdly bleached" ........you just reminded me of a girl I used to know lol.  But in all honestly I didn't lighten the colour version at all, although I did darken the B & W. I suppose the look you are referring to could just be the effects of the weather on an exposed Yorkshire Moorland with it's generous limestone deposit very much in evidence.

Cheers Jamie!

Alf

TONY F.

Many thanks for stopping by and sharing your thoughts. I think your right about the mood, the B & W certainly conveys the desolation in a more pronounced way than the colour. I think the colour is a "prettier Picture" and some seem to prefer that. For me .......the jury's still out on these, but I really value your contribution.

Cheers Tony

Alf

TONY H.

Sincere thanks for your contributions, they are most enlightening and educational, and not least inspiring. I think you have done a brilliant job on the B & W sky, it really does compliment the image in my opinion. I must ask at this juncture what did you do to it exactly?  the foreground rocks I think would be better soemwhere in between your version and mine, but overall I have to take my hat of to you! It's a great improvement. Thank you !

Best Regards

Alf

JIM COWAN

Many thanks for your well considered opinions and for taking time to study the different images. I tend to agree with your summary, in as much as the B & W is a photo that seems to lend itself more to the imagination than an immediate aesthetic effect. I also agree that Tony's rendition is an excellent interpretation, and in this case a great improvment on the original.

Cheers Jim!

Alf

JIM CONGLETON

Sincere thanks for stopping by Jim and sharing your thoughts on this one. Maybe it's not surprising that you like this type of landscape, as "Congleton" the historic Cheshire town that is first mentioned in the doomsday book, (I wonder if your name could be traced back that far) is surrounded by terrain of not too dissimilar in nature to this image, albeit some 80 miles south of this location.

I appreciate your views on this Jim particularly as I seriously rate your B & W images. The fracture lines you refer to to are a geological feature referred to here as "Limestone Pavements" a combination of water and ice erosion over thousands of years. They do provide soem great leading lines for us photographers. Thanks again Jim.

Regards

Alf

BILL

Many thanks for your interest and your positive and truly succint observations.

Best Regards

Alf

Alf first of all thank you for your recent comments. I think the bw image has more visual impact and strength of detail and you are right about that aspect.  However, that does not diminish the beauty in the color version both are well seen and composed and yes spring has to be near, I hope, I hope, I hope. Take care, I enjoy your work a great deal. rek.

It is all done with adjustment layers and vector masks and using the brightness/contrast. I focus on one area of the sky and ignore the adjustment effect to any other part of the image. I then temporarily get back to the original (no adjustment)  and then paint in the brightness/ contrast to the specific area of my attention.  I may have had 5 or 6 of these masks before finalizing the image. tedious work.

Spring is far away in my area - we just had 18 inches of fresh snow today - perhaps a photo op tomorrow if I don't spend too much time at PN tonight. 

i usually like color photos better but in this case i vote for this one - the colors are fine but not that interested- but here is a very special mood. i also agree Tony's version about processing, not that moody but somehow more punchy. these are minor things and subjective anyway, the most important is that the photo is outstanding.

Excellent in b&w, I like the both versions.

Cheers.

RICHARD

Many thanks for your visit and positive feedback, much appreciated. So far I think the concensus of opinion seems to be equally split 50/50 in terms of colour v B & W and my own opinion changes by the minute too : - )

Yeah roll on summer, I love winter........but it's been a long one this year!

Cheers Richard!

Alf

TONY

Many thanks for sharing your knowledge and techniques. Tedious work indeed, but rewarding and pleasing results. A painstaking operation, but you seem to have had a vision of your goal in this case and set about achieving the desired effect. Highly commendable!

Good luck with the snow shots mate!

Regards

Alf

ZSOLT

Sincere thanks for your interest and for sharing your thoughts. I think the colour version is more of a pretty picture rather than a moody scene, and I agree the B & W version does seem to be more atmospheric. Tony's version accentuates the tones and shades to a much greater degree I particularly like his sky.

Cheers Zsolt!

Alf

ALBERTO

Many thanks for stopping by and sharing your thoughts, very much appreciated!

Best Regards

Alf

Alf... What if I don't like either one?  LOL, but of course that is not the case.

Typically liking color landscapes the best I'm a little surprised to find that I prefer the b/w version.  I do like how Tony treated the sky, but find his rocks a tad too chiseled, like they're over sharpened or something.  A really moody image, it accentuates the lonely little tree and sparks the curiosity with the timeless rocks.

Very well done....  but, who's Cathy?

Mike

I have looked at both images, and I think both are excellent. This version has a more ominous feel to it. It is dark,dramatic. The clouds seem menacing. The colour version seems more optomistic to me. With the tree's roots in the rocky earth and the branchs reaching up into the sky, it has hope. Here, the little tree seems to be oppressed by both the earth and the sky.

First things first: To me, the eye is more important than the final presentation result - whether or not modified -  and you have the perfect eye for a good shot!

I don’t think  a one-to-one comparison is possible because we talk about two different images. By stripping of colors you remain with and discuss forms, lines and a series of tones. However, imho the  contrast is generally  clearer, the sharpness works better and for some reason , the image generates a certain own ‘personality’ which comes across more clearly on the b/w..

Technically: I like Tony’s  reworked sky  with some shadows and contrasted with  some brighter  highlights. 

(Funny, in the age of supersonic  SLR’s  and highly sophisticated  computer manipulation programs   b/w landscape  photography seems to be re-emerging as a strong trend :)

Compliments Alf!

Hi Alf, A great capture! &  I like both versions as well... However, I think that B&W can work rather nicely here, as I like the way it seems to put more emphasis on that little tree for some reason. I also feel that there could possibly be a tad more contrast between the greens and rocks...? Hard to explain maybe, so.... to make things even more complicated, I enclose my B&W version here. (although I very much like both your's and Tony's version as well!)  -- Wanted to keep the sky as 'soft' as I felt it was in the colored version, btw. ( used photoshop -- desaturation, lighting & contrasts )   Totally understand if one doesn't agree & I hope that you are OK with it...? Best regards, Marjolein

I prefer this B/W version, for me really teriific!

MIKE

It was either B & W or Colour...........I didn't realise there was a third alternative : - )

I'm still very undecided about a preference myself, a few people have remarked that they are very different images, and so each has it's own merits, I think I tend to agree with that. 

 "Who is Cathy"? .......well as no one has asked that question thus far, I was inclined to think everyone knew, but for those who hadn't guessed "Cathy" or Catherine is a character from the novel "Wuthering Heights" circa 1847. Also referred to in the spine chilling song by Kate Bush "Wuthering Heights" ..........ahhh it's all coming back to you now eh? : - ) The novel like the image above was set in Yorkshire Moors and had many bleak scenes. It wasn't one of your happy ending stories either......worth further investigation if you ever get time .....

This story is narrated by Lockwood, a gentleman visiting the Yorkshire moors where the novel is set, and of Mrs Dean, housekeeper to the Earnshaw family, who had been witness of the interlocked destinies of the original owners of the Heights. In a series of flashbacks and time shifts, Brontë draws a powerful picture of the enigmatic Heathcliff, who is brought to Heights from the streets of Liverpool by Mr Earnshaw. Heathcliff is treated as Earnshaw's own children, Catherine and Hindley. After his death Heathcliff is bullied by Hindley, who loves Catherine, but she marries Edgar Linton. Heathcliff 's destructive force is unleashed, and his first victim is Catherine, who dies giving birth to a girl, another Catherine. Isabella Linton, Edgar's sister, whom he had married, flees to the south. Their son Linton and Catherine are married, but always sickly Linton dies. Hareton, Hindley's son, and the young widow became close. Increasingly isolated and alienated from daily life, Heathcliff experiences visions, and he longs for the death that will reunite him with Catherine.

I'll bet you wished you hadn't asked that question now lol.

Sincere thanks for your supportive comments and positive feedback Mike.

Cheers

Alf

LINDA

Many thanks for positive feedback and thoughtful observations, very much appreciated. If you read the summary of the story above "Wuthering Heights" you will see that what you described in the B & W version is exactly the kind of mood that was intended as it accurately portrays the oppresive and often tragic theme of the novel. The colour version is much more idyllic..........a place you'd want to be perhaps as opposed to the dark sinister B & W place.

Take Care Linda

Alf

EL

Sincere thanks for your imput and well considered thoughts.

I think your right about there being two distinctly different images, it has become increasingly apparent that each conveys a totally different mood.

I'm really pleased that people like yourself, who has great deal of experience with B & W photography and processing has contributed thier thoughts. I'm still very new at this and it's another huge learning curve for me, though a thoroughly enjoyable one.  Tonys sky is a great success and a good example of the tips I have picked up submitting this one shot alone.

I agree with your obsevation about the re-emergance of  B & W in landscape photography, it deserves a prominant place within this field, and such is the nostalgic magnetism of some of these images, I'm sure it will re-establish itself.........that's if it ever really diminished : - )

Always good to hear from you!

Cheers El

Alf

MARJOLEIN

Many thanks for sharing your thoughts and providing posiitve feedback, much appreciated! I'm really pleased you liked these and your contribution is very welcome. I think you have nailed the foreground perfectly, with my composition, your foreground and Tony's sky, I think we might have a winner : -)  As communicated to El above, people like yourselfs who have a great deal of B & W experience who can provide a few hints, tips and suggestion is invaluable to me, so yeah I'm more than ok with it, I'm very flattered that you took time out to make the ajustments and point me in the right direction.

Best Regards

Alf

MAURIZIO

Many thanks for your thoughts and naming your preferance, much appreciated.

Regards

Alf

While both are excellent images, Alf, I'm all about the B&W! Could be I'm just in B&W mode right now, but I feel there's a greater drama played out in the B&W version, than in the color version. I see folks have posted a few alternatives for you. My thoughts are that with some subtle dodging work in the sky you'll make the tree stand out a bit better. Excellent work guy!

All the best,
Neil

This B/W is pretty dramatic and while I really like the colored version ....this one has got to be my favorite! I am always looking for well done B/W and this one has a lot to offer the viewer  ;)  These rock formations are very interesting, the lone tree adds a focal point mid way then my eyes are pulled into the sky. Well accomplished Alf!

Warmest regards, Pamela

I thought I could hear poor old Heathcliff when I first looked at this. It has been so long since I read that book, I wasn't sure if that was your meaning and I can't trust my memory anymore. I googled "Cathy Come Home" and got 400,000 hits that said it was a BBC television drama. You are right, this is the perfect background for Wuthering Heights.  

NEIL

Many thanks for your visit and invaluable feedback, very much appreciated. I have noticed your tendency to err towards the B & W genre recently Neil, and with some spectacular results. This is perhaps my third or fourth attempt at B & W landscape, and I do seem to making a bit of progress, it's harder than it looks though. Thanks for that tip too Neil.

Cheers Mate!

Alf

PAMELA

Sincere thanks for your visit and positive feedback. The  B & W does make a more dramatic statement I think, whereas the colour version is probably a "prettier" picture. The rock formations known as "Limestone Pavements" are scattered amongst the Yorkshire moors, and hold a great deal of  interest for all kinds of geological groups (I just like them because they look good) The stunted Hawthorne trees are less common, and it takes a long hike sometimes to locate a good example of the two. You may be interested to know, I'm now on my second pair of Neoprene Wellies, the last ones developed a leak after a particular hards days walking in the snow. The resulting squelch noise from the left foot was enough to spur me to purchasing new ones : - )

Warmest Regards

Alf

LINDA

I use google a lot too, but sometimes it can be too good, and unless you type in the specific key words it refers to something entirely different than what your looking for. There was indeed a BBC drama named "Cathy Come Home, but I believe that was a documentry about a missing girl. I did consider the title "Wuthering Heights"  for the image, but thought that might have been a bit too obvious. But as this was the area in which the book was set, I thought I'd use a bit of poetic licence with the title.

Cheers Linda

Alf

Great shot Alf. Love the detail and DOF. The black and white version is more dramatic. Congrats.