Black and White digital photography for: thedude

[timmyquest]

Charlesu-

Was this picture taken with a digital then converted to b/w, or scanned from a b/w picture?

It looks very nice either way. I am buying my first serious camera soon and have been somewhat put off by the fact that my chosen camera (300d) won't do in-camera b/w. If this is the result of PS manipulation, I have nothing to worry about. (other than learning how to take pictures!) :lol:

I am a complete photography idiot, but I like the way this picture reminds me of 1950's photography. The sharpness of B/W appeals to me.

Thanks!

Once you learn the proper way to do PS b&w's then you will be in bliss.

When i first got my 300D and tried doing B&W i would just grayscale it. It gets the job done, but does not do a very good job at it.

It has taken me a few months to get B&W's such as this:
http://www.antiwall.com/May2004/images/1meghancowboy.jpg

http://www.antiwall.com/may2004/sunhouse.jpg

But the differences once you learn, are huge as seen here.

This taken directly to grayscale from color:
http://www.antiwall.com/meggrayscale.jpg

And this taken and using the treatment that i will describe in a second:
http://www.antiwall.com/march2004/images/3meghan%20close.jpg


So how do i do it?

Load the image up to PS, apply whatever cropping USM and what not you need to.

For later refrence i sometimes dublicate the image.

I then go back to the original and create a hue and saturation layer:


The hue/saturation menu will come up, you'll simply click OK for now without adjusting anything.

For this first one (you'll be making two hue/saturation layers) you want to select "color" mode


You will then create the second hue/saturation layer. This time when the hue/saturation menu comes up you'll want to completely desaturate the image by sliding the saturation slider all the way to the left.


You will then double click on that first hue/saturation layer you created (which is now in the middle of the three layers). Double clicking again causes the hue/saturation menu to pop up. This time you'll want to adjust the hue slider. Where you leave it depends on personal taste. But prepair to be amazed.

Once you are satisfied with your new B&W treatment of this photo you'll want to flatten the image to keep the size down.

[maderito]

Once you learn the proper way to do PS b&w's then you will be in bliss.

Nice demo Timmy. Have you applied for your NAPP (http://www.photoshopuser.com/) membership (student discount). :lol:

The very first image in the sequence is especially well done. Must be your girlfriend if you worked on it for 2 months. :shock:

[Scottes]

This is definitely good stuff Timmy.

Please add it to the Post Processing Tutorials List (http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=34606)

EDIT: OK, don't bother adding it - CDS was in the process of doing so as I was typing this.

[CyberDyneSystems]

Yeah.. I noticed a day had past.. :) :wink:

Great job on this Tutorial!

[timmyquest]

No problem guys...obviously i cant take credit for the process but even i (who have read the site) cant find the website with this info on it. So i figured i'd put it here.

[thedude]

Timmyquest-

Thank you VERY much for taking the time to explain this. I was just using the 'convert to grayscale' method for obtaining b/w and to be honest, thought that it looked fine. However, seeing your comparison, you can clearly see the difference.

I'll have to play with it some as I am using PSP, but I'm sure that the directions can't differ that much. Maybe if I get it down right, I can post an addendum to your tutorial with directions in PSP.

THANKS AGAIN!!!

[timmyquest]

I was just using the 'convert to grayscale' method for obtaining b/w and to be honest, thought that it looked fine

I think most of us have been there. I sure know i was at one time.

[Claire]

I will try this out when I get home! Excited! :)

[slejhamer]

i (who have read the site) cant find the website with this info on it.

http://www.russellbrown.com/tips/pdf/colortoB&W.pdf

[gmitchel]

Learning Gallery for "Making a Digital B&W Fine Art Image
http://www.thelightsright.com/DigitalDarkroom/LearningGalleries/B&WFineArt/B&WFineArt.htm

Tutorials
http://www.thelightsright.com/DigitalDarkroom/Tutorials/MakingAFineArtB&WImage.pdf
http://www.thelightsright.com/DigitalDarkroom/Tutorials/SplitYourChannelsForImprovedB&W.pdf
http://www.thelightsright.com/DigitalDarkroom/Tutorials/AddingDimensionToYourMonochromeImages.pdf

PS Action Sets
http://www.thelightsright.com/DigitalDarkroom/PhotoshopTools/TLRB&WConversion.htm
http://www.thelightsright.com/DigitalDarkroom/PhotoshopTools/TLRImageToner.htm
http://www.thelightsright.com/DigitalDarkroom/PhotoshopTools/TLRSplitChannels.htm

Cheers,

Mitch

[RoB_m]

hmmm. for mine i take the image and convert it to grayscale then use a curve adjustment layer for the exposure. twas the way i was taught by my professor :]. it's essentially the same as desaturating and changing the hue/sturation for contrast. i like it because it's more visual and i'm a more visual guy i guess.

[John_T]

Perhaps I'm wrong, but I see an advantage in Timmy's method in that he first perfects the image with ALL the pixel info and then pulls the color.

I don't think the pixel behavior is the same if you first remove the color and then process the remainder.

[Lamplight]

Thanks Timmy! Just last night I was trying to convert a shot to b&w and I got it looking "ok", but it could have been better. I'm trying this method when I get home. :D Also, thanks Mitch for the links!

[timmyquest]

Thanks for the links guys.

The video is obviously where i learned how to do it but he's so sarcastic i found it rather annoying to watch lol.

[Big_B]

The video is obviously where i learned how to do it but he's so sarcastic i found it rather annoying to watch lol.

Me too! I managed 5 mins and then had to turn it off. The pdf isn't as detailed but at least it prevented me sticking a brick through the screen.

[John_T]

...exactly my sentiments too...

[charlesu]

I have used channels, channel mixer, desturation and now this one. They all have their values. But it still comes down to making some subjective choices about what LOOKS best. Of course, that applies to the original image.

Nevertheless, I appreciate seeing another way to accomplish this task. Thanks for sharing!!

Charles

[mttmrphy]

Tim,

Thank you for talking the time to post this...

[amazingimages@bellsouth.n]

my lab said to try this for b&w, first, go to image/lab color, go to the channels box and throw away channel B. the go back to image/grayscale. then convert back to RGB. thensave as a Jpeg. please give me your thoughts on this way.

[MattyB]

red cross boxes :(

[I Simonius]

From this thread: http://www.photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=34858




Once you learn the proper way to do PS b&w's then you will be in bliss.

When i first got my 300D and tried doing B&W i would just grayscale it. It gets the job done, but does not do a very good job at it.

It has taken me a few months to get B&W's such as this:
http://www.antiwall.com/May2004/images/1meghancowboy.jpg

http://www.antiwall.com/may2004/sunhouse.jpg

But the differences once you learn, are huge as seen here.

This taken directly to grayscale from color:
http://www.antiwall.com/meggrayscale.jpg

And this taken and using the treatment that i will describe in a second:
http://www.antiwall.com/march2004/images/3meghan%20close.jpg


So how do i do it?

Load the image up to PS, apply whatever cropping USM and what not you need to.

For later refrence i sometimes dublicate the image.

I then go back to the original and create a hue and saturation layer:
http://www.antiwall.com/b&w/1.jpg

The hue/saturation menu will come up, you'll simply click OK for now without adjusting anything.

For this first one (you'll be making two hue/saturation layers) you want to select "color" mode

http://www.antiwall.com/b&w/2.jpg
http://www.antiwall.com/b&w/3.jpg

You will then create the second hue/saturation layer. This time when the hue/saturation menu comes up you'll want to completely desaturate the image by sliding the saturation slider all the way to the left.
http://www.antiwall.com/b&w/4.jpg

You will then double click on that first hue/saturation layer you created (which is now in the middle of the three layers). Double clicking again causes the hue/saturation menu to pop up. This time you'll want to adjust the hue slider. Where you leave it depends on personal taste. But prepair to be amazed.

Once you are satisfied with your new B&W treatment of this photo you'll want to flatten the image to keep the size down.

BWAHH! the pics have dissapeared!:~( :~( :~( :~( :~( :~( :~( :~(

[Grasshopper168]

I heard you can also do it this way from a expert

Change your image mode to 'Lab Color'.

On you Channels select Lightness and convert this channel to Grey Scale

Have a try and tell me what you think

[DavidW]

Converting to Lab and just keeping the L channel is identical to desaturating the image, which can be done in a single step.

The Channel Mixer provides much more creative potential (similar to using coloured filters on the lens along with black and white film) without being significantly more complicated. The approach described at the top of this thread is another alternative to Channel Mixer.



David