Happy Couple

To this. Your girlfriend's lap and face suffer from blown highlights. I am losing too much details, it is best to keep the contrast low in your camera and boost it in photoshop. Try underexposing your shot the next time. Another way to salvage it, is to copy some part of her skins and overlay it on top of the blown highlights, but be forwarned this is going to be tedious. Who says it is going to be easy any way, especially with girls. :)

My Brother and His Girlfriend

From this...

Kuan Yin after Conversion

This an improved conversion, the clouds seems weird, this is because of blown highlight and posterisation from the original file. I attempted to mitigat the posterisation effect, in other words to make it less conspicuous, by clonning some clouds in the vicinity and overlay them on top, simulating some texture. Be careful not to loose any details in highlights if possible in the near future. Copy the Kuan Yin, feathering, into another layer and change the mood to soft light. Try to do it with overlay and multiply modes. Change the opacity to suite your taste. Finally remember to add an 'S' curve to increase the overall contrast of the scene, "O la la".

Kuan Yin in Penang

The composition is OK. But the conversion lacks vavavoom. It seems to be rather greyish. If you glance at the histogram, it will shape like a hill, located at the centre of the tone. A corrected conversion is shown on top.

In the Electric Mountain's Train. Don't ask me why it is called that way. It is!!! The last Easter trip.

Snowdonia

May in Jurassic Park

Prague's City View

On top of Prague's city

The Charles Bridge

At the Charles Bridge

Before the Charles bridge

In front of the Prague's Theater

Prague's City Skyline

Taken while roaming in the legendary city of Prague.

Bruce Willis and The Clock Tower

Bruce Willis and the Prague's Clock Tower. :) Testing some eccentric composition, I was laying down on the floor to capture this view. Dr John Chudley, is my Phd co-superviser.

Beauty and The Speed

Yes, the model is my sister. This picture was taken at 800 ISO, revealed by the abundance of noise, at the Prague's metro in July 2005. I was there for the IFAC World Congress conference, presenting my paper. Shadow/Highlight was employed to pull out hidden details. Orange filter was used to improve may's facial complexion. The train's motion blurr was increased using Photoshop, and slowly merge with the rest layers through judacious use of masks. Dodging and burning were done slowly using layer masks for added flexibility. Lastly, constrast was added to simulate B&W film. Learn, Xiang, learn.... :)

What Should I do?

My brother thinking or shall I say pondering during the last visit at Pasir Hitam, Langkawi. This pic was taken using a lowly 2 megapixel camera. Yet, it proves that with careful post processing, one can still extract incredible B&W pic from it. Used two gradient filters to accentuate the clouds and sands. The land on the horizon was selected, feathered, copied on to another layer and the darkness increased using multiply mode.

Time to Go back

Time to go back

Happy!!! Previous Langkawi Trip

Another B&W conversion for you to enjoy.

Graduation B&W Conversion

A B&W conversion of May's graduation. Xiang, this was achieved by using a slight red filter, not too much or else the faces will be glowing. :) Using the "S" curve, increase the contrast until it looks tasty. :) One must always be vigilant against losing any shadow and highlight details whilst tweaking the curve. All done in less than 3 minutes, well almost, deducting the time consuming sharpening and cosmetic framing process.
Enjoy.