Hi Boris ... Flash sucks ... the second photo is not diminished as much by the use of flash as the first due to the way the scene is naturally light. I think Tom made the comment about B&W photography being about light and shadow, and I agree with his comment. Actually, I pretty much agree with everything Tom said.
And while this may not apply directly to what you were trying to say with your photos, one of the greatest pool photos I ever saw was taken using just the single light over the pool table. A lot of the scene was lost in underexposure, but the movement of the cue ball, the slash of the pool cue, the stroke of the shooter's hands, and just enough detail to know that there was someone connecting all these elements, made for a very powerful photograph. Mostly just the highlights were captured, and because of the slow shutter speed, the movement of all the elements gave the photograph a real sense of "aliveness" and of being there. Don't be afraid to lose shadow detail, especially when you've got a strong or interesting subject to work with. As Tom said, B&W photography is just as much about emotion (perhaps more) as it is about capturing lots of detail. If you haven't already, look at the work of W. Eugene Smith. Many, if not most, of his most famous and powerful photographs use the shadows to their advantage. B&W can be evocative ... try to take advantage of that. kind regards, shel belinkoff Boris Liberman wrote: > Hi! > > Here are the links again: > > http://boris.isra-shop.com/local/50/black-ball.jpg > > and this one: > > http://boris.isra-shop.com/local/50/portrait-with-beer.jpg > > Thanks! > > Boris
