B&W Conversion - C&C Please!

[Dramatis]

Hello all! I'm quite new to photography and am looking for all the tutelage I can get. The following is what you could call a candid headshot taken of my roomate. I'm trying to practice B&W conversions for a series of headshots that I'll be doing for theatre friends over the next few weeks. Any constructive input, from composition through to PP, you can give would be very helpful!

This shot was with my Canon S5 IS, ISO 80, f/3.5, spd 1/40 with only available light. The only PP I've done aside from the conversion is the use of the healing brush to remove some blemishes.

First the original...
http://i159.photobucket.com/albums/t152/AFewBoltsLoose/Photography/SeanColor.jpg

Now the conversion...
http://i159.photobucket.com/albums/t152/AFewBoltsLoose/Photography/SeanBW2b.jpg

[350dinhand]

The conversion isn't too bad. I dislike what you did with the healing brush though. You didn't remove "blemishes" you removed freckles/beauty marks/moles that are part of his face (not like zits which come and go). And while he does look better in the second picture, that's not who he is.

[Dramatis]

The conversion isn't too bad. I dislike what you did with the healing brush though. You didn't remove "blemishes" you removed freckles/beauty marks/moles that are part of his face (not like zits which come and go). And while he does look better in the second picture, that's not who he is.

Yeah, I have to admit that a great deal of character is lost with the edits I did. With a mind to your comments I've tried two more conversions without the same use of healing brush.

Also a noob question regarding the histogram and B&W shots: is there a particular shape or curve that I should try to achieve on the histogram or are "mountains" a better bet?

Version 3
http://i159.photobucket.com/albums/t152/AFewBoltsLoose/Photography/SeanBW2c.jpg

Version 4
http://i159.photobucket.com/albums/t152/AFewBoltsLoose/Photography/SeanBW2d.jpg

[350dinhand]

I like version 4 the best I think.

[bckane]

Have you ever tried the lucis filter.....works nice with B/W.....enrich details
http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a276/bckane/SeanBW2b1.jpg

[Dramatis]

Have you ever tried the lucis filter.....works nice with B/W.....enrich details


WOW! No, I'd never even heard of lucis until now. Defintely checking it out! Thanks alot! :D

[VictorValencia]

I read in another thread that the lucis filter is close to the unsharp mask.

The following article sheds light on the differences but it might
be a good place to start.

http://72.14.253.104/search?q=cache:85b6SpVRBPkJ:www.imagecontent.com/lucis/pdf/Lucis_vs_Unsharp_Mask.pdf+lucis+filter&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=7&gl=us


For now just try

UNSHARP MASK: Amount 20%, Radius 50, Threshold 0.

Victor

[VictorValencia]

I forgot to include an example in my previous post...

Victor

[TooManyHobbies]

Here's my go at it....