Sony RX100

[masque]

Couple of images taken with a little Sony RX100 I have for a while to try.
Usual canal while walking the dog in the evening images.

[MEB]

Absolutely gorgeous. Love the first one. I´ve taken and processed some photos with a similar style some time ago although somewhat different qualities. It's hard to explain. They have some of the texture quality i see in yours. But you have taken this a lot further. Care to share some more insight and details about the process?
Brilliant!
ah, now i will have to look for mines...

[masque]

I'm using Lightroom 5 to develop the images and convert to B&W. I like the deep blacks, which are a complete no no with colour images and then I use lightroom's tools to reveal and enhance detail in the raw file where I want it and push it back into the shadows where I didn't.
Lightroom is great for developing otherwise bland images, you can selectively adjust the exposure on areas of the image and control noise and levels of detail at the same time.
Sharpening results in the exaggerated texture to some extent and then adding a little sepia to warm the image, rather than leaving it pure black and white.
As far as these two images are concerned Lightroom is the 'secret' but I don't think its doing too much more than could be done in Xara to a large extent if you know the result (look) you want to end up with, that's apart from the fact that Xara can't work with raw files.
The second image of the dog under the bridge has an almost a HDR look too it but was just one raw file worked on to bring out the details in highlight and shadow areas to even it out somewhat.
I've attached the start pics to show you what I mean.

[Big Frank]

Masterful, Derek. Beautifully done

[MEB]

Thank you masque for your explanation. I used Lightroom (v4 in my case) too to work on mine. But although i achieved a great balance with the textures (to my eyes), they still lack that illustrative quality that you got.
Some people call it HDR mostly i think because of the extra detail that it brings to focus, but what i´m looking besides the detail is that drawing/illustrative quality that you mastered very well in your first image.
You successfully faded the photographic nature of the image and added a hand drawn flair to it. I think the deep blacks and the soft vignette is were i've missed the spot (among other stuff probably)

I´m still searching for mine and would post here if you don´t mind just to make more clear what i´m talking about.
Thanks for sharing.

[masque]

I think the temptation is to go a little too black and white. In that first photo I've left a lot of grey and detail within it is then picked out. The grey also keeps a warmth to it as well which would disappear with extra contrast making it far more hard and graphic.
I think the vignette certainly helps to place the viewers eye into the image as well.

[MEB]

I think the temptation is to go a little too black and white.

That's one of my mistakes. Now i see it. I wasn´t able to hide its photographic origin too as you did.
I´ve found my photos. I don't want to hack your thread posting my stuff here. Please check your PM.

Regarding the "secret", i don't see it that way. More than the tools you use, you must possess some sensibility and an artistic eye to know what's right, what's not and when to stop.
I've used the exact same program to achieve a similar result and didn't get even half of what i was looking for.
You´ve posted some other works based on this very some place (one of them edited in Xara) and they were stunning too.
So you definitely know what you're doing.

[jon404]

I'm about six months late to this party, sorry -- but these photos are just excellent. So good... a real pleasure to look at and enjoy. Particularly like the one with the dog... you really brought out the details. Hope you are still taking pictures... never get tired looking at your work!

[masque]

Another shot of this same subject with reworked sky detail and a little lighter.
Also a colour one with emphasised colour saturation.
Both of these were taken with a Lumix LX5

[wizard509]

Of the two, I like the black and white one best, which may be unusual for me.