Best Way to Convert to B&W?

7 years 10 months ago #480419 by cabbot
Just wondering which method of converting to B&W is best? I have Photoshop and have a decent understanding of how to use it. I read recently that using convert to grayscale is a no no. I wanted to pick the brains of the better informed/more experienced regarding the preferred method?


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7 years 10 months ago #480423 by Glenn Gee
I put mine images through camera raw, then in photoshop I apply a black and white adjustment layer. Not sure if this is the "right" way, but it's worked for me.


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7 years 10 months ago #480424 by Hassner
I'm a Photoshop user too.

Here is my method:
Click on: Image, then Adjustments, then Channel Mixer.
A window opens.
On that window, click in the block bottom left that says Monochrome.
The image will look black&white.
Use the sliders to give your image different looks as if taken with coloured filters.
Click OK when you like the tonal values.

Hope that helps?


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7 years 10 months ago #480439 by Scotty
I just add a black and white smart adjustment layer.



Works out fine for me.

When the last candle has been blown out
and the last glass of champagne has been drunk
All that you are left with are the memories and the images-David Cooke.

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7 years 10 months ago #480535 by Denise Lattimer

Scotty wrote: I just add a black and white smart adjustment layer. Works out fine for me.


Same here!


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7 years 10 months ago #480834 by klarue
Why not explore one of the many plug-ins to Photoshop that offer a lot more accessible creativity in the form of one-click presets and "purpose-built" tools. My current favorite is Tonality from Macphun, though I've used the Nik Silver Efex before. I like Tonality's layers, brushes, textures, etc.


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7 years 10 months ago #480911 by Frost Photography

Scotty wrote: I just add a black and white smart adjustment layer.



Works out fine for me.



Nice work, great control in contrast here.  

"The quickest way to make money at photography is to sell your camera."
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7 years 10 months ago #480932 by Joves

Hassner wrote: I'm a Photoshop user too.

Here is my method:
Click on: Image, then Adjustments, then Channel Mixer.
A window opens.
On that window, click in the block bottom left that says Monochrome.
The image will look black&white.
Use the sliders to give your image different looks as if taken with coloured filters.
Click OK when you like the tonal values.

Hope that helps?

:agree:
Yeah pretty much waht I do as well. Also I use Desaturate with the Color Channels to get the desired tonal effect. Works in either case. Then it is contrasting it, and adding, or subtracting noise for the final appearance.


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7 years 10 months ago #480985 by Scott Klubeck
Silver Efex and be done with it


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7 years 10 months ago #481144 by Allen Carrel
Guilty too!  I use software that does the work for me.  Silver Efex Pro.  


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7 years 10 months ago #481221 by Scotty

Joves wrote:

Hassner wrote: I'm a Photoshop user too.

Here is my method:
Click on: Image, then Adjustments, then Channel Mixer.
A window opens.
On that window, click in the block bottom left that says Monochrome.
The image will look black&white.
Use the sliders to give your image different looks as if taken with coloured filters.
Click OK when you like the tonal values.

Hope that helps?

:agree:
Yeah pretty much waht I do as well. Also I use Desaturate with the Color Channels to get the desired tonal effect. Works in either case. Then it is contrasting it, and adding, or subtracting noise for the final appearance.


NEVER NEVER NEVER desaturate for black and white.  It destroys tonal range.

When the last candle has been blown out
and the last glass of champagne has been drunk
All that you are left with are the memories and the images-David Cooke.

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7 years 10 months ago #481244 by Claude B.
I agree Silver Effex Pro is the very best one. 
It now free with a bunch of other good on Google Nik Collection.   www.google.com/nikcollection/


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7 years 10 months ago #481245 by Claude B.
One good way to know and see if a scene (street, country scene, peoples, etc...) is to adjust your camera for B & W that way, you can see immediately in B & W before the click. I’m in RAW all the time witch mean when I transfer you see the picture in color, that’s mean your color it’s not lost; from that base, you can change to B & W because you’ve seen those picture before the camera click. 

Only the fact to eliminate the color in the camera, it remote the distracting color, the way to see different it’s magic! 


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7 years 10 months ago #481268 by Peter Nunez
:agree:   


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7 years 10 months ago #481315 by DacrimL
Myself I use Lightroom and with one click it can be converted from colour to B&W and back again. 

From there just use the sliders to adjust any tones, contrast etc.....


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