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CollidgeGraduit · Posted: Mon Jun 23, 2008 1:13 pm Post subject: B&W Conversion?

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

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doylnea · Posted: Mon Jun 23, 2008 6:31 pm Post subject:

what are you using to the B+W conversion?

TryinToGetPaid · Posted: Mon Jun 23, 2008 6:32 pm Post subject:

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

CollidgeGraduit · Posted: Tue Jun 24, 2008 1:13 am Post subject:

dmorris68 · Posted: Tue Jun 24, 2008 5:18 am Post subject:

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.

CollidgeGraduit · Posted: Tue Jun 24, 2008 5:37 am Post subject:

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.

theysayjump · Posted: Tue Jun 24, 2008 8:24 am Post subject:

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.

CollidgeGraduit · Posted: Tue Jun 24, 2008 8:32 am Post subject:

theysayjump · Posted: Tue Jun 24, 2008 8:54 am Post subject:

Go to Image>Adjustments>Black & White.

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

CollidgeGraduit · Posted: Tue Jun 24, 2008 8:59 am Post subject:

CollidgeGraduit · Posted: Tue Jun 24, 2008 6:33 pm Post subject:

I like the way these are progressing

dmorris68 · Posted: Tue Jun 24, 2008 7:07 pm Post subject:

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!

theysayjump · Posted: Tue Jun 24, 2008 7:16 pm Post subject:

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.

Vector · Posted: Thu Jul 03, 2008 2:14 pm Post subject:

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