Help with black & white conversion

Is it possible to make convert a digital color photograph to black and white

and have it look like REAL black and white?

 

If so HOW??? I have CS3. there is no black and white it all looks grey to me!

 

thank you for your help!

Cindi

Hi Cindi,

 

Someone else had posted this link: http://computer-darkroom.com/tutorials/tutorial_2_1.htm and I found his method easy to follow and the results were very nice. Hope it helps.

Respectfully, Anne

http://www.cambridgeincolour.com/tutorials/levels.htm

 

http://www.cambridgeincolour.com/tutorials/photoshop-curves.htm

 

http://www.cambridgeincolour.com/tutorials/local-contrast-enhancement.htm

 

http://www.cambridgeincolour.com/tutorials/color-black-white.htm

I use Corel Photo paint programme on my computer systen, I can change from colour to black and white and also sepia tone for that nostalgic look.

Most photo editing software now has this ability.

Cindy do you mean like two tones only? One black and one white? No In-between shades of grey? Like a litho?

Like film, T-max, black & white and processing in a darkroom. The crisp clear look with the full range of black and whites. I have tried to adjust it various ways and it still seems muddy to me???

Cindi

try using a gradient map filter. In the layers palette press the filter adj layer button. The little yin yang looking button in case you don't know what I'm talking about. Find Gradient map. Once you press that double click the gradient preview. This will open a dialog of gradients. Click on the black-white gradient (third from the left) press ok. press ok again and you should have a 0-255 black and white conversion. I find this to have much more contrast than some of the more common methods I've seen.

Can you post an example? Both a colour original and your conversion?

 

Yes, you can get a good conversion in PS. It's not just as simple as using Desaturate or Image>Mode>Grayscale; however. You need to take more control of the process. Tools like the Channel Mixer, HSB and the new B&W tool in CS3 all will produce superior results. You may also want to use luminosity masks or some other method of selection to make more refined adjustments. Here's a website with a superb explanation of Luminosity Masks, http://www.goodlight.us/writing/luminositymasks/luminositymasks-1.html.

Also look up articles on the characteristic curve of BW films, and how to duplicate it with digital. Film has a built in compression of highlights and shadows, making it's characteristic curve S shaped. This increases mid tone contrast. With digital the characteristic curve starts out in a straight line, but it can be easily tweaked to simulate the S curve of film.

Like Tak above, I'm also a big fan of the Gradient Map method (though I usually use a

special pluggin for more control). I'd add that there's a Smoothness slider that can be

adjusted to taste and will influences contrast. I usually start around 66%.<P>

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