Converting to Black and White

DF
Posted By
Drew Faber
Sep 23, 2005
Views
229
Replies
6
Status
Closed
I’ve read a lot about of color to black and white conversion techniques, filters, and plugins.

I’d like to hear what methods/plugins people who do this a lot use.

(Please do not answer this just because you know how. I’d like to hear from the people who do this frequently, especially from photographers that shoot people.)

Thank you very much,

Drew Faber

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T
Tacit
Sep 24, 2005
In article <PB%Ye.329$>,
"Drew Faber" wrote:

I’d like to hear what methods/plugins people who do this a lot use.
(Please do not answer this just because you know how. I’d like to hear from the people who do this frequently, especially from photographers that shoot people.)

I do a lot of color to B&W conversion, mostly intended for professional print on a press.

Usually, the images I work with are CMYK, not RGB. A CMYK image converted directly to B&W via Mode->Grayscale tends to come out a bit muddy and dark.

The technique I prefer, particularly with images that are dark to begin with, is to convert the image to Lab color via Mode->Lab, then discard the a and b channels in the Channels palette (leaving only the luminosity channel) and convert the resulting multichannel image to grayscale. This produces an image that is quite crisp and not muddy. The same technique works just as well for images that start as RGB.


Art, photography, shareware, polyamory, literature, kink: all at http://www.xeromag.com/franklin.html
MU
Manchester United
Sep 24, 2005
"Drew Faber" wrote in message
I’ve read a lot about of color to black and white conversion techniques, filters, and plugins.

I’d like to hear what methods/plugins people who do this a lot use.
(Please do not answer this just because you know how. I’d like to hear from the people who do this frequently, especially from photographers that shoot people.)

Thank you very much,

Drew Faber

Have a peek at some of my stuff. I shoot with a Canon EOS 300 and convert most of my shots in PS CS 2. Typically play with the contrast while it’s still in colour and then convert using the channel mixer. Dodging and burning and levels and curves to get the desired tones.

http://www.photo.net/photodb/folder?folder_id=528882
G
Gummo
Sep 24, 2005
"tacit" wrote in message

The technique I prefer……

Thanks tacit – that’s a valuable tip – you can really see the improvement.

Gummo
C
Clyde
Sep 24, 2005
Drew Faber wrote:
I’ve read a lot about of color to black and white conversion techniques, filters, and plugins.

I’d like to hear what methods/plugins people who do this a lot use.
(Please do not answer this just because you know how. I’d like to hear from the people who do this frequently, especially from photographers that shoot people.)

Thank you very much,

Drew Faber

I give all my brides every picture in color and B&W. I use this method:

http://www.russellbrown.com/tips_tech.html

Go to the bottom of the page for "Seeing in Black and White". I have it in an action followed by an action that converts it to a Duotone. Well, I have a Tritone that works well for wedding pictures.

Most of the time I just set the action at Hue -100 and let it fly. Every now and then I need to adjust a picture to something else.

Clyde
D
DBLEXPOSURE
Sep 24, 2005
"Gummo" wrote in message
"tacit" wrote in message

The technique I prefer……

Thanks tacit – that’s a valuable tip – you can really see the improvement.
Gummo

For what its worth, NIK Color EFX Pro. Great B&W conversion tool

http://www.nikmultimedia.com/index/usa/entry.php
K
KatWoman
Sep 24, 2005
"Clyde" wrote in message
Drew Faber wrote:
I’ve read a lot about of color to black and white conversion techniques, filters, and plugins.

I’d like to hear what methods/plugins people who do this a lot use.
(Please do not answer this just because you know how. I’d like to hear from the people who do this frequently, especially from photographers that shoot people.)

Thank you very much,

Drew Faber

I give all my brides every picture in color and B&W. I use this method:
http://www.russellbrown.com/tips_tech.html

Go to the bottom of the page for "Seeing in Black and White". I have it in an action followed by an action that converts it to a Duotone. Well, I have a Tritone that works well for wedding pictures.

Most of the time I just set the action at Hue -100 and let it fly. Every now and then I need to adjust a picture to something else.
Clyde

I also use the Russell Brown technique
for a pro shooting on Canon 10 D sRGB or Adobe RGB originals, starting from JPEG not RAW, to be used in reproducing 8×10 actor headshots, with wonderful results.

Before using that technique I used my own technique as I had no formal training in PS and just found my own way
adjustment layer hue/sat pull slider in center to desaturate, make another layer above adjust with curves or levels

the RB technique is far better and very simple, much more control over the individual color values in the image.

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