| Oz to Kansas: The Black and White Conversion

Capture stunning images of Maine and learn when, why, and how to convert an image into a timeless black and white masterpiece.

Note: This workshop includes an introductory session to be held in a live, online format utilizing the Zoom platform. The class will meet Tuesday, 6/27 from 6-9pm ET.

“I am sure the next step will be the electronic image, and I hope I shall live to see it. I trust that the creative eye will continue to function, whatever technological innovations may develop.” – Ansel Adams

For most of us, the love affair with the black and white image started with a film captured and silver printed image. The goal, today, is to take that which we fell in love with of film photography and apply it to digital photography. Where the once impossible in the analog world becomes merely an opinion in the digital world.

The issue is this: theories about how to approach digital black and white capture and what conversion technique(s) to use to convert those captured images are like politicians making election promises. Every one of them claims to be the penultimate solution to your needs, but rarely do they address those needs.

Regardless of their claims, usually, you find yourself still needing a solution that creates images that look like photographs and not like something the viewer sees as “something you did in Photoshop”.

You will learn a way of approaching your images that will answer the three most asked questions: “Did you see that color image in black and white?”, “How come my black and white images don’t look like your black and white images?” and, “Can you teach me how to ‘see’ color in black and white?” You will leave the workshop understanding the importance and power of color in the conversion process and how that knowledge informs your decisions at the moment of capture.

The “Oz to Kansas” workshop has three components. Prior to the actual workshop, one virtual ZOOM session will be held to discuss the theory of “seeing” black and white. Once in Maine, we will then put theory into practice with a week of shooting in the field. A minimal amount of “in-person” classroom time will round out the experience to explore both the “how” and “why” of converting your images to black and white.

Course requirements

Students must be comfortable with the use of Photoshop and plug-ins.

Header Image: ©Vincent Versace

Past student work

Clockwise: Peter McCutchen, Howie Motenko, Ron Perry, Marek Pleszczynski, Jean Claude Schmidt, Margaret Skiles, Catherine Titus Wilcox.