black and white in photoshop and digital filters.

[lex_jenkins]

<p>Easy to use tools like DxO Filmpack can simplify b&w conversions from color. While the film analogs don't quite match my experience (the grain is usually exaggerated by DxO Filmpack, but can be reduced), the overall results can be very good. Keep in mind these would be even better when working from at least the original full resolution JPEG. Even better would be the original raw file, or a TIFF from the raw file.</p>

<p> </p><div></div>

[lex_jenkins]

<p>And another variation of the same photo from the tiny web sized JPEG, this time in Lightroom 4.4.</p>

<p>The main difference between these two - DxO Filmpack and Lightroom - is that LR offers noise reduction and sharpening. In terms of exposure, contrast, brightness, selective tone control, "grain", etc., both editors offer comparable control, but in different ways. And Lightroom's overall design is very different.</p><div></div>

[digitaldog]

<blockquote>

<p>It doesn't seem to matter if the CameraRaw is in 8 or 16 bit, it also doesn't seem to matter if i do the black and white filtering in CameraRaw or Photoshop.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>All raw files are high bit (more than 8 bits per color) and all processing in ACR/Lightroom are conducted in high bit. But you can still hose your data if you go overboard. </p>

[thomas_k.]

<p>Another option is shooting in your camera's B&W mode. Newer cameras (ex:Fujifilm X-E1) have several options of using "filters" red, yellow, green and results in my opinion can be very good. This approach gives less flexibility at editing stage but it is closer to B&W film shooting experience - you never capture color image, it's B&W through whole process. X-E1 thanks to it's EVF viewfinder lets you even see black and white while you are framing and focusing - great feature in my experience.</p>

[lex_jenkins]

<p>If the entire Fuji X-series is like my X-A1, the b&w mode affects only the JPEGs. The raw (Fuji RAF) files are color, so you can re-edit them later, in the camera itself or in any editor. Same with in-camera crops (1:1, etc.) - these affect only the JPEG; the raw version is uncropped, full dimensions. However it's important to shoot raw plus JPEG to enjoy this feature. The X-A1 (and presumably the X-M1) have some rookie-friendly image modes that are JPEG only - I avoid those, other than the in camera double exposure option which can be interesting.</p>

<p>While in-camera b&w modes can be convenient with many cameras they don't allow for the kind of tonal separation we might prefer. For example, Dirk's first photo of leaves against a green background can lend itself to better tonal separation with selective editing in the computer. The green and yellow/orange colors can be individually tweaked to achieve tonal separation that might be missed by the in-camera b&w mode.</p>

<p>Much as I enjoy the Fuji color JPEGs and generally use them as-is with no further editing, I often prefer to handle any b&w conversion myself in post.</p>

[Glenn McCreery]

<p>If you want to see how a B&W filter in Photoshop (I use CS5) is applied to individual color channels, open a color photo, choose "black and white" in adjustments, and then choose a filter under "Preset". Here for example is the color composition of a red filter. You can then play with the individual channels to get the result just right to your eye.</p><div></div>

[Uhooru]

<p>Just a non-technical observation, but in the first color version of the photo, the background highlights are very yellow, especially in the center. so when you desaturated green and added yellow after converting it seems you just lightened up those areas and I would expect to get exactly that effect. Maybe you should use layers and mask off the background or select the subject area when applying those filters.</p>

[lex_jenkins]

<p>Ditto, Barry's advice. Sometimes the best way to get the desired tonal separation is to work in layers or use other selective methods. Easy global solutions that affect the entire photo don't always achieve the effect we want.</p>

[richard_barron]

<p>I shot a bunch in New Mexico <a href="http://richardbarron.net/traveller/2014/03/31/my-two-cents-march-2014/">in March</a> and ended up making quite a few black-and-whites. I felt my conversions were more successful using the channel mixer instead of the black-and-white dialog. The channel mixer introduced noticeably fewer artifacts and gave me the tonal values I wanted, often using the orange or red filter preset as a starting point.</p>

<p><img src="http://richardbarron.net/traveller/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/ghost-ranch-05g.jpg" alt="" width="648" height="432" /></p>

<p> </p>

[StuartMoxham]

<p>I like to use Silver FX pro. It's easy to overboard though.</p>

<div></div>

[Uhooru]

<p><blockquote>The channel mixer introduced noticeably fewer artifacts and gave me the tonal values I wanted, often using the orange or red filter preset as a starting point.</blockquote><br><p></p>

Just a note, but the OP's background hot spots aren't I believe artifacts, they are plainly there in the original photo. Its just the way he post-processed made them more prominent in the photo. <br>

</p>

[kim_johnson1]

You can also convert to BW by using a gradient map set with black and white. Leave at normal blend, by play with the

gradient sliders and mid points