B&W Conversion

Aaron1971 · 12-28-2008, 02:03 AM

I am looking for any pointers for taking B/W photos. I convert PP and not in camera. I was just wondering what everyone does differently for B/W photos versus color.

MPrince · 12-28-2008, 05:46 AM

I like to use the gorman method, and there are other conversion methods here:

Black and White Digital Photography

Don't know what software you use, but you'll need photoshop for the gorman method.

pentkon52 · 12-28-2008, 05:51 AM

I have shot in camera, but find the photos flat. I suspect all the camera does is desaturate.

I use LR version 2.2 for my conversions. I just find it easier to work with.
I have used PSCS1, but PS seems to take longer to do.

Dave

RubyT · 12-28-2008, 06:23 AM

I got LR2 for Christmas, but haven't installed it yet. I'm waiting for the kids to go back to school.

In PSE6 I use a gradient map and usually a soft light layer underneath to adjust the contrast. I play with the opacity until I like what I see.

Nudelbutt · 12-28-2008, 06:59 AM

I think improving contrast (curves, levels, channel mixer or etc.) between B&W is important and reducing grey colour.
You can make B&W photos more dynamic by dodging highlights and burning shadows

.
Making your subject of focus more lighter than the rest will draw the person's eye to it.

Aaron1971 · 12-28-2008, 07:18 AM

Thanks all, I use Aperture 2 for PP as I have an Apple. I don't have any curves or layers to use but I am thinking I will have to get something....maybe Gimp, any thoughts?

debbie · 12-28-2008, 07:53 AM

there is a monochrome channel mixer in Aperture in the adjustment panel. That is a good start. You can find tutorials for it on apple.com

pentkon52 · 12-28-2008, 09:39 AM

Originally Posted by RubyT

I got LR2 for Christmas, but haven't installed it yet. I'm waiting for the kids to go back to school.

In PSE6 I use a gradient map and usually a soft light layer underneath to adjust the contrast. I play with the opacity until I like what I see.

I have used the info in this tutorila to make some nice B&W's.

http://photoshopnews.com/stories/dow...scale_STD2.mov

Dave

Erik · 12-28-2008, 10:22 AM

I usually use Gradient map and then play around with Levels until it feels right. Sometimes I use Photo filter to add a slight touch of warming (most often) or cooling. Don't have CS3 so the actual "Black and white..." tool is not available to me; if it was, I'd use that.

kerrowdown · 12-28-2008, 12:09 PM

Do all my B&W conversions in PP with CS3 which has some very helpful tools built in.

I'm guessing that most of the good PP software will have something similar and it's a damned site easier to do now, than back in the old darkroom days.

*nostatic* · 12-28-2008, 12:31 PM

Originally Posted by debbie

there is a monochrome channel mixer in Aperture in the adjustment panel. That is a good start. You can find tutorials for it on apple.com

What she said, though I never watched the tutorials. It is dead simple in Aperture. Just bring up the photo and hit ctrl-m. That will give you a starting point. I then usually increase contrast and definition, then mess with shadows and highlight. Just play around...you can always undo.

What you will likely find is that some images will work great in b&w, others not so much. All of these were shot raw and converted in Aperture:

hk08 - Page 1
yosemite08 - Page 1

WJW · 12-28-2008, 01:12 PM

Originally Posted by Aaron1971

I am looking for any pointers for taking B/W photos.

Use B&W film.

*Clem Nichols* · 12-28-2008, 01:51 PM

I'm somewhat surprised that someone hasn't mentioned the B&W conversion tool in PS Elements 6, and probably in 7 as well. Simply go to Enhance>Convert to black and white, and there are several default conversions including infrared, portrait, newspaper, scenic and portrait. Moreover, there are four sliders, one for contrast and one each for red, green, and blue with the before and after pictures shown side by side. I really can't see why you'd need more than this unless you wanted to do some additional dodging and burning as mentioned above.

CN

Aaron1971 · 12-28-2008, 01:56 PM

Originally Posted by nostatic

What she said, though I never watched the tutorials. It is dead simple in Aperture. Just bring up the photo and hit ctrl-m. That will give you a starting point. I then usually increase contrast and definition, then mess with shadows and highlight. Just play around...you can always undo.

What you will likely find is that some images will work great in b&w, others not so much. All of these were shot raw and converted in Aperture:

hk08 - Page 1
yosemite08 - Page 1

That's what I do now for the most part or I will desaturate and play with contrast, exposure, saturation, etc. I was just wondering how the rest of the world did it.

Mike Cash · 12-28-2008, 02:46 PM

When I'm lazy I do it in Lightroom.

Otherwise I use The Gimp and start by doing PP for the color image, then decompose into RGB layers. I check each layer individually to find which will be the best base to start from and move that to be the base layer. I then individually add the other two layers, selecting the blend mode and opacity that gives the result I want.