B&W Conversion?

This is my first attempt at B&W conversion. Suggestions, comments, snide remarks?

Original
http//farm4.static.flickr.com/3279/2608983244_024082c424_o.jpg[" alt=""/imgedc7aea2f9]

Converted
[img="edc7aea2f9]http//farm4.static.flickr.com/3281/2608153209_d5a39b2d90_o.jpg[" alt=""/imgedc7aea2f9]



Original
[img="edc7aea2f9]http//farm4.static.flickr.com/3065/2608983334_2d0a0d0a2f_o.jpg[" alt=""/imgedc7aea2f9]

Converted
[img="edc7aea2f9]http//farm4.static.flickr.com/3270/2608153325_876ca67a1c_o.jpg[" alt=""/imgedc7aea2f9]



Original
[img="edc7aea2f9]http//farm4.static.flickr.com/3048/2608153367_b1a983d847_o.jpg[" alt=""/imgedc7aea2f9]

Converted
[img="edc7aea2f9]http//farm4.static.flickr.com/3274/2608153413_6d6fe00acd_o.jpg[" alt=""/imgedc7aea2f9]

what are you using to the B+W conversion?

Lies. Not the original picture he had up. Thus not his first attempt. Error. Error.

[quoteede545687c="doylnea"]what are you using to the B+W conversion?[/quoteede545687c]

Photoshop, with a tutorial I found online

I looks like a desaturation to me. I took your "before" pic (from your original post, not this one) and desaturated in Gimp (my preferred Photoshop-alternative, and it's free) and got a virtually identical result, except it was a bit lighter with more detail in the shaded areas. Kinda like the ones you have posted now, in fact.

It's a nice enough effect, but IMO just desaturation alone isn't enough to reproduce B&W film. It still has a faint sepia look to it and a wider tonal range, rather than the more dense grayscale range that I would expect to see. There are several techniques for reproducing the B&W film effect, I've got a few documented in some Gimp books I have, but I don't have them here at work so I can't refresh my memory. As I recall they involve a combination of desaturation along with levels and contrast tweaking.

Here's the tutorial I used

http//www.eyesondesign.net/pshop/bw/converting_to_bw.htm

Starting at #4 - Hue/Saturation Adjustment layer

I'd definitely be interested in trying some other techniques, as I think the shot lends itself well to B&W. When I get home, I might try changing the mode from RGB to Grayscale and see if that removes the bit of sepia tone that's remaining.

I played around with it a little. Doesn't look great, but if you use the Black And White option in Photoshop, you have much more control over the picture than Desaturation and/or Greyscale.

The contrast isn't a good as I wanted it to be, some of the Grey's could be crisper and the Whites a little less harsh, but I didn't have much time.

I also removed some of the distracting spots on the ground with Spot Healing and cropped it to make it look more centred.

http/" alt=""/img112.imageshack.us/img="112/2733/adjustedah3.png[" alt=""/img623332f5ad]

[quote094d9e38e0="theysayjump"]I played around with it a little. Doesn't look great, but if you use the Black And White option in Photoshop, you have much more control over the picture than Desaturation and/or Greyscale.

The contrast isn't a good as I wanted it to be, some of the Grey's could be crisper and the Whites a little less harsh, but I didn't have much time.

I also removed some of the distracting spots on the ground with Spot Healing and cropped it to make it look more centred.
[/quote094d9e38e0]

Thanks Frank. Where's the Black and White option? I'm a bit of a noob with Photoshop -/

Though unless my eyes are acting wacky, that seems to have more of a sepia tone than my original. It replicates the look of an old print much better though.

Edit These are also slight crops of the original. I'll play around with it some more tonight. I still am really liking the 4th image in my first post. I'm picturing it matted in a white mat, with a black inner border, and a sleek black frame.

I'll have to play around with it some more, but I think that's my favorite shot.

Go to Image>Adjustments>Black & White.

You can change the individual colours of the picture to give it the look you want.

[quotee3588763ba="theysayjump"]Go to Image>Adjustments>Black & White.

You can change the individual colours of the picture to give it the look you want.[/quotee3588763ba]

Thank ya sir. I'll give it a shot tonight.

So glad I got the D40.. this stuff is fun.

I like the way these are progressing

http//farm4.static.flickr.com/3141/2608753403_c0406db69a_o.jpg[" alt=""/img6019fb72a9]

[img="6019fb72a9]http//farm4.static.flickr.com/3120/2610442176_1730f31934_o.jpg[" alt=""/img6019fb72a9]

MUCH better! Those have more of the tone I would expect from B&W film. The hint of sepia is gone, and it's more gray. I like!

Definitely, those are really really good.

Especially the second one. I think I prefer more blacks than greys (which is evident in my redo of your picture, but they're both good.

that low res hurts my eyes.

just take it into photoshop, convert it to grayscale, then mess with the hue/contrast and the brightness

if you really need to you would have to go to the digital scalsettings