Pontiac: toned black & white

[Donald]

alot of photoshop work. I've never been enthused using the channel mixer for black and white. From lots of experimentation I've come to believe the channel mixer is good if you don't know what look you want in your black and white conversion: so much variation possible, but only if original has subtle tone gradation otherwise tends to band. If you do know the black and white look you desire: desaturation, blend modes and photo filters!

Example:





1. channel mixer, duotone, + a lot of work to hide banding at lower right.
2. desaturation, blend modes, levels, photofilters.

For me, trying to achieve a look, #2 has depth and subtlety, I could not achieve this look using channel mixer. I tried my #2 method after failing with channel mixer, returning to more 'traditional' black and white methods.

[codiac2600]

Excellent B&W conversions Donald and yes it's much easier using channel mixer becuase you can play around and happily take what looks best to you or do it the ole fashion way and get what you want.

[Nixarma]

Donald,

These are very effective B&W conversions. In particular, I like 3 and 4. The light really appears to mould itself around the marquee... the shadows and highlights very nicely define the contours.

I agree with you about the channel mixer solution to B&W conversion not always being best. There is certainly no one method that is the 'best'. I typically use one of the following techniques:

1. Channel Mixer -> Level / Contrast adjustments -> Changing Blend Mode (depending on the final contrast I want) -> Level / Contrast adjustments -> Dodge/Burn; (not always in that order)

2. Conversion to B&W in LAB mode. I typically use this when I want a much more gritty image with very strong black and white regions.

The important thing for us all to remember is that each photograph is unique in its requirements. I usually try three or four different conversions, save them as snapshots, return to them after a little while and see which one I like best.

Nice work!
Nikhil

[Donald]

thanks.

So I read the digital black and white how to books in the fancy expensive book stores and they all say channel mixer @ 100%. Looking around other sites everybody repeats this, and I see similar problems like tonal banding. Eventually I found a guy saying 120%, 150%, whatever works. Then I read several articles that just made sense to me: darkroom workers know how to manipulate tone using papers, processes and filters, so why not emulate this in photoshop. Indeed, it's several more steps but I'm getting the look I can see in my mind born of darkroom experimentation and the wonder at paper and chemical based tonal depth and warmth.

I may try this LAB tools sometime, I've read a few other peole using it similar to what you describe.

[Mechan1k]

OK ... the steps you are talking about ... I have no idea on. But I like the series of shots though. Something different.

I have a shot at home that the wedding photograpgher took of one of our Bentley wedding cars ... and it came out very similar.

I really like Shot #2 in this series though.

[Miserere]

Originally Posted by Donald

So I read the digital black and white how to books in the fancy expensive book stores and they all say channel mixer @ 100%. Looking around other sites everybody repeats this, and I see similar problems like tonal banding. Eventually I found a guy saying 120%, 150%, whatever works. Then I read several articles that just made sense to me: darkroom workers know how to manipulate tone using papers, processes and filters, so why not emulate this in photoshop. Indeed, it's several more steps but I'm getting the look I can see in my mind born of darkroom experimentation and the wonder at paper and chemical based tonal depth and warmth.

I may try this LAB tools sometime, I've read a few other peole using it similar to what you describe.

Could you post links to any of those articles, Donald? Cos I've also read everywhere that you should use the channels mixer @ 100%, and I found that I could sometimes get something I liked. But eventually I got fed up and tried using [drumroll] the B&W filter; was I crazy or what!?!? Using the B&W filter to convert to B&W...really, what was I thinking? Anyway, I've found that with control over 6 channels (RGB + CMY) I can much more easily obtain the results I actually want and envision beforehand.

However, I am open to new methods, so please feel free to post articles or give a more thorough explanation of what you did, cos I like your results.