One of the first stops on my daily tour of the Internet (after Dear Abby) is Scott Kelby’s blog (www.scottkelby.com). It keeps me up on what’s going on in the photography and digital imaging world or at least Scott’s end of it. This morning he posted his “Best of 2011″ list which ranges from “Best Photoshop Plug-in Update” to “Best Burger”. At the end of his post he states a few disclaimers including the following: “If some of my picks make you seething mad, and you want to post mean comments to me, remember—you can start your own blog today, for free, and by this afternoon you can post your own list (don’t worry—everybody will agree with all your picks).”

Well, I’m not mad–seething or otherwise–at any of Scott’s choices, although I am a bit surprised that he actually sat through “A Very Harold and Kumar Christmas”. And I feel no urge to post mean comments to such a likeable guy. However, I do already have my own blog and although my readership is probably .01 percent of Scott’s (God bless every one of you), posting my own list sounds like a good idea (or at least the best idea for a blog I could come up with this nasty, rainy morning). So here it is, my own Best of 2011:

Best HDR Software Game of One-Upmanship: HDR Soft Photomatix and Adobe Photoshop

While Adobe and HDR Soft keep upgrading and updating their HDR software to see who can do it better, all HDR photographers win.

Best Photography Christmas Present: Goodie Bags from Showcase Photo & Video in Atlanta

The always supportive general manager, John Williams, donated extremely cool goodie bags to the Blue Ridge Mountain Photographers. This may not technically count as photography gear but my favorite item was the neat flashlight.

Best New Toy I Gave Myself: Singh-Ray Vari-N-Duo filter

It’s a variable neutral density filter! It’s a warming polarizer! It’s Super Filter! (It’s also super expensive but worth it.)

Best Website How-To Book: Get Your Photography on the Web by RC Concepcion

If I can understand it, the writer deserves an award.

Best Non-Photography Book: Van Gogh, The Life by Steven Naifeh and Gregory White Smith

I knew all along Vincent  wouldn’t kill himself.

Best Camera Feature I Finally Started Using: Live View for flowers

If you’re not using live view for focusing on macro shots you’re not as sharp as you could be. (Shoutout to Lynn H.!)

Best New Video: Light It. Shoot It. Retouch It.  By Scott Kelby

For everyone who is intimidated by the thought of setting up studio lighting.

Best New Video Game:  Lego Harry Potter Years 5-7

Just because I like to blow things up with a flick of the wand…er, controller…and show my teenage son I can be cool, sorta.

Best Breakfast for Hungry Photographers: Sausage links and grits from the John C. Campbell Folk School Kitchen Staff

Nothing like a bunch of photographers fresh off a sunrise shoot sitting down family style to a hot breakfast of grits and sausage…unless it’s grits and bacon…or grits and scrambled eggs.

Best Pre-Meeting Meeting Place: Blue Jean’s in Blue Ridge

The beer’s cold, the pizza’s hot and the staff is nice about adding on tables as we straggle in.

Best Field Shoot That Wasn’t in a Field or a Shoot: Trip to Ansel Adams Exhibit at Booth Western Museum in Cartersville, Ga.

‘Nuff said.

Feel free to comment with some of your own but keep it clean. And no, you don’t have to agree with me or Scott.

This winter when I get a bit blue looking out at all the brown and grey I’m going to think black and white instead. Although I used to shoot nothing but black and white film years ago, I haven’t done a lot of it since going digital. Oh I’d convert a file now and then just to see what it would look like. Once I just had to try that overused technique of leaving a flower brightly colored while converting the rest of the image to black and white. But that’s a bit different than going out and actively looking for a scene that makes a great black and white image.

So what does make a great black and white image? Since you don’t have color to give the elements in your image separtation look for scenes with high contrast and tonal variance such as a whitish rock casting a dark shadow. Shapes, patterns and texture also add to a monochrome image. Think strong lines and curves formed by trees, rocks, mud and sand. I love details of tree bark or tree stumps. If you’re shooting a dramatic landscape look for a dramatic sky. Big fluffy clouds against a vivid blue sky can produce a great contrast when converted to black and white. The looming clouds of an impending storm also make an interesting black and white sky.

Once you decide what to shoot to create a black and white image the next question is how to shoot it. A question I’m asked frequently is, “Should I change the setting on my camera and shoot in black and white or wait and convert in post-processing?” Because I’m of the get-in-right-in-the-camera-first persuasion I used to tell my students to choose the black and white setting in the camera. But a few year have passed–lightyears technologically speaking–and there is now software available that does a terrific job of converting color files to black and white images, including Nik Software Silver Efex Pro 2 and Adobe Photoshop CS5. Often I’ll convert to monochrome using Lightroom and Adobe Camera Raw.

Speaking of raw, shooting in raw format with a black and white image in mind as the final product is best whether you use the monochrome setting in the camera or convert in post-processing. You’ll get more detail and better tonal quality than you would with a jpeg. Plus, in some DSLRs, you can use the monochrome setting and see the playback in black and white but the raw format captures everything, including the color.

When you’re all set to shoot remember that exposure is still very important if not more so when making a black and white photograph. Make sure you nail those whites to get an image with detail and contrast. As always, a low ISO setting will reduce noise, which in some instances can be even more annoying in a black and white.