Photography Thailand Forum

[David Procter]

I had a weekend in Phuket and was surprised to see a couple of lads having a go at surfing on Nai Harn Beach in the south. I'd just been visiting a friends resort which was destroyed by the Tsunami, so my thoughts were of that tragedy and the sea as I desended the coast road towards Nai harn.

[David Procter]

Please let me know about any technical issues! I'm quite frustrated working in black and white. In term s of shooting, the scene was very backlit so I used fill in flash and I made two different JPEG files from the RAW original (one of the sky and one of the foreground). I then used curves and finally desaturated before using levels to lighten darken specific areas.

[Renato]

David, do you have the last 2 photos in colour mode, I just want to see how their tattoos look like in colour. Thanks.

[David Procter]

Sure!
I'm trying to do some work in black and white partly for project for my course at the moment amd partly because I want to practise 'seeing in black and white'. Here thay are in colour with some curves adjustments.

[Renato]

David, thanks a lot for posting the colour photos, the tattoos become more clearer in colour rather then the B/W I guess.

[picasso]

hi my names picasso, i only shoot  black and white.....b&W  tells a  different story, in b&w the image is more lifelike, it brings out character and real mystifies a dull image.....to me photography should have stayed in the medieval periods and never evolved into colour....lol

[picasso]

should have used a green filter rather than flash .....or better still used ilford xp2 film....sorry i am going into film stock,did you shoot digital

[David Procter]

Yes, I shot digital. I'm actually looking forward to shooting film soon, I find converting from, colour to black and white quite frustrating getting the full tonal range and then the tones I want. I read many published methods and I suppose its a case of practising with the right images.
Thanks for your interest Pablo. Love to see some of your stuff too!

[picasso]

send me your e-mail address and i will forward you some of my work to look at


my e-mail address is paulpicasso@blueyonder.co.uk

[picasso]

i am going to be in phuket for the vegetarian festival on the 20th october till 31st october....maybe we can meet up

[ThailandJohn]

Very nice, Thank you

The picture of the couple sitting on the beach was very moving for me. It  brought back some sad memories.

One of my best friends (an American with a Thai wife), was almost completed with his home on a beach in Khao Lak, when the Tsunami hit.

He was a "World Class" surfer and had lived in Thailand for several years after moving from Hawaii.

He was down at his home bringing food and drinks for the workers when the wave came in.

The picture did what good pictures do. Bring some kind of feeling from the viewer. Your picture did just that.

Right now my eyes are wet with a few tears from my memories of our times we shared together

Thanks again

[Renato]

I am also trying to work on B/W pictures, these two Buddha Heads were taken from the Reclining Buddhas at Nakorn Pathom Chedi and the second one at Wat Po. My concentration was on the Head Knots formation of both. These are actually taken in colour mode and nothing has been altered on both shots. Any comment will be appreciated.

[David Procter]

Thanks John,
I'm sorry to hear about your friend. It was a terrible time and close friends of mine are dealing with huge loss. When I lived in England natural disasters were things that happened on the 'other side of the world' and being so close to it was dreadful.

Jingle89374653

Yes Black and white is difficult and I think the subject/context and reason for using it is the reason for this. Its difficult to guage the black and white with metal. I find skin tones are the difficult ones to get right.
david

[Renato]

Thanks David for the pointer. I will have to try on some other subjects then if I have to make good on my B/W shoots. I know I can improve it with Photoshop but I didn't want to, I like to present it the way it is and get some advise from friends like you. That is the only way I can learn.

[Renato]

David, these are the colour versions of the previous photos, any advise on how I can improve the reflections as I will be shooting more on these positions of Buddha statues. Do I need to use filters? Thanks.