First a bit of backstory. There is a memorial park along South Main Street that is frequented by skateboarders. I see them there virtually any day the sun is shining. When I set out for my photo today, that's what I hoped to photograph. Well, today was the one day they were NOT at the park! Continuing onto Water Street, I spotted a lone fisherman, standing on the Dyer Street Landing. I quickly parked and started walking to the landing. He was on the opposite side of the river, so I had about a 1/4 mile walk - all of about 4 minutes. By the time I got there, though, he had packed up and was putting his rod in the back of his truck. Missed opportunity #2.
In today's case, third time was definitely a charm. I was about to walk back to my car when I saw this girl stroll along the river, stopping at this overlook to stare across to the colonial section of Providence. Once I explained the "Photo a Day" concept, she readily agreed to be photographed. She's a student at Johnson and Wales University, and likes to walk the waterfront here as a way to relax and relieve stress.
Post processing started with a classic filter in Topaz B&W FX. I adjusted the color sensitivity sliders, followed by adaptive exposure, regions, protect highlights, boost black, and boost white. The goal in this case was to preserve all the wonderful detail and texture in her jacket and backpack. They were both black to begin with, and I didn't want the detail lost in the processing. I added an overall levels adjustment in PSE, followed by a levels adjustment just to the sky. That was followed by a slight contrast adjustment and topped with a sepia photo filter.
We really don't need colour when we see what an amazing black and white world you live in Ron. I wish the world were always as contrasty. You have handled the exposure on the jacket and backpack faultlessly. It's a pleasure to dwell on all the detail.
Have you thought anymore about a processing challenge?