Prickles B and W

The mentoring group has a natural light black and white challenge this week, so I decided to convert one of my NYC Botanical Garden pictures that seemed to be calling out for B and W.
Thanks so much for your visits, comments, critiques, favs

[Jane Pittenger]

@taffy @newbank @888rachel @golftragic @pamknowler I have a busy couple days ahead so I decided to join the challenge with a shot from my NYC trip. Edited in Silver Efex. I'd love suggestions. B and W is still pretty new to me.

[Pam Knowler]

I love this Jane - great textures and patterns!! The B&W really brings that out. It just looks a little blown out at the top of the plant where you seem to loose a bit of detail. So pleased you could join our group!!

[Graham Thresher]

Great close up.

[Anja]

Beautiful composition and detail, works great in B&W!

[Taffy]

I like the use of b&w for this as the image is more about form and pattern than anything else. B&W brings that out well. I have two questions/comments -- the tip as @pamknowler Pam already pointed out is a bit blown out so I'd adjust that a tad. And I like the angle, but wonder what you were thinking angling it that way.

[sally agnew]

Very effective B&W :)

[Linda Agne]

Great close up - like the black and white

[Jane Pittenger]

@pamknowler @taffy thanks. I used a filter in nic that brightened the whites. I kind of like the halo it creates but you both have a point. Re positioning...I just love diagonals and it felt as if it were reaching for the sky...wonder if it would work better in a society where we read left to right, if it were flipped the other way

[Pam Knowler]

@jgpittenger It's funny you should say that Jane I was taught to show a photo as if I was reading left to right as it is more pleasing to our western eye - I have often flipped a shot to do that for the flow of a shot.

[Jane Pittenger]

@pamknowler LOL. I just tried it and because it is then left to right but still bottom to top, it isn't pleasing at all!

[Taffy]

@jgpittenger @pamknowler I've run into the same thing in flipping horizontally...maybe since our eye saw it one way, it looks 'off' when we switch it. And jane, glad to read I'll be able to keep up!

[Rachel]

I really like how the b&w brings out the patterns and spike of this cactus. I agree that it seems a bit blown out at the very tip, which could perhaps be fixed with the adjustment brush in LR, or even a graduated filter. But I love the diagonal.

[Newbank Lass]

I like the fluffiness! It almost looks abstract against the very black background. Was that how it was shot or through processing? Id love to get blacker backgrounds for some of my shots but not sure how to achieve it.