Shooting in Black & White

The Leica M9 has the unusual option to alter the color saturation while shooting. It even allows you to shoot in black and white. I experimented, shooting a few portraits in this mode. Above with my friend and future WPBA star Amy Chen and below with another friend, David, a recent NY refugee living in L.A.

 I felt like these images had a wonderful, unique quality right out of the gate. I did little to enhance them though I did throw in a green filter to the top image. If you choose to shoot DNG files at the same time as jpeg, then you will be covered with a color version. On occasion it is interesting to see the world in shades of gray. 

all photos & content © Lara Rossignol

Comments

[Christine D.]

Lara...love the green hue to the top picture. B&W pictures are fantastic but what a way to make it pop and have an even "older" film noir quality about it ;-)

[Roland Dobbins]

A better way to do B&W is to shoot in color uncompressed DNG, and then convert to B&W using Silver Efex Pro from Nik Software. Here're some examples:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/null0/4342868305/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/null0/4342721443/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/null0/4343412928/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/null0/4170699742/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/null0/4169918377/

[Piewacket]

Thanks for the info Roland, I normally do convert my b/w from the DNG files. Though I do it differently. Your results are a little dark and lacking in detail for me but that might just be a matter of taste. I often have to consider print reproduction as well which is much different then web use.