One thing I miss about film is true black and white- the grain, the contrast, burning and dodging, etc.
The images below were shot with my digicam and grayscaled in PS. MINI pics were taken with 70-300mm zoom while the last image was captured with a 50mm (1.8) prime.









Throwing this one of my two youngest kids for a human touch


Oh, the camera is a D70 and the pics were snapped within the last week.

 

Beautiful kids man.

 

You can gain more control over your B&W images by not converting to grayscale in Image-Mode.

Try using Layer - New Adjustment Layer - Channel Mixer; Click OK, then choose monochrome and play around with RGB levels when the output channel is Gray. This is just the same as using colored filters with your 35mm camera and B&W film. For example R=0%; G=100%; B=0% is like a green filter.
(These "instructions" are using PS 7.0 for Mac)

Sorry if you have used this method before - just thought I would mention it.

Printing good B&W photos is another issue!! Lot's of tricks to getting that right! :smile:

 

Here's the comparison between converting to grayscale and using an adjustment layer.


Image-Mode-Grayscale



Layer-New Adjustment Layer-Channel Mixer: R=100%; G=100%; B= -100%

The sky gets much more dramatic but details of the MINI become blotchy. Lots of room for experimentation though.

 

Maybe it's just me but I like the first one better. I like the clearity of it.


I just did what you said to this pic. What do you like better?
Greyscale

Channel mixer

 

This is an absolute masterpiece, if you only it was done in true black and white.
Just my opinion.

 

What I would do, since you're already working with layers, is to separate the processing from sky to MINI and to enhance only the areas that need it.

Richard

 

I was waiting for someone who actually knows what they are talking about (and that's not me!) to wade in with some good ideas!! :smile:

At work, I am converting color photomicrographs to B&W, and since these are for scientific publication it is not considered "ethical" to digitally enhance portions of the image! After I posted the above photos, I realized right away that I could have produced the sky I wanted and retained the MINI detail by doing what you say. But...can you remind me again how to apply an adjustment layer to only part of the image? Thanks!!

 

Its easy. Just preselect the area you want to make the adjustment to, then create the Adjustment layer. Only that area will be processed.

Quoted from the Adobe Online Help Guide for Photoshop:
To create an adjustment layer or fill layer:

1 To confine the effects of the adjustment layer or fill layer to a selected area, make a selection, create a closed path and select it, or select an existing closed path. When you use a selection, you create an adjustment layer or fill layer confined by a layer mask. When you use a path, you create an adjustment layer or fill layer confined by a layer clipping path.

2 Click the New Adjustment Layer button () at the bottom of the Layers palette.(looks like Ying/Yang symbol rotated 45 deg)

3 Choose the layer type you want to make.

 

Like this....?

 

Thanks for your comment on the pic.

Here's the original color version:


and here's a shot from this morning . . .

 

The attached thumbnail shows your TreeMINIs shot with a Channel Mixer Adjustment Layer with Green set at 130%. Not so much contrast and more details in the MINIs.

 

Here is my attempt

 

and this one...

 

The first three shots in the first post I like a lot. Also, the MINI logo with the reflections off the driving lights is a great shot. Nice work.

 

Thanks.
That logo shot is not really black and white. It's actually a DS/MCS shot on this gloomy morning. I had shot it before but wanted to reshoot at D70's higher resolution.

 

I would have initially guessed PS, not DS, but the overcast does funny things. Cool shot. The five logos look awesome.

 

Here are some things to keep in mind when choosing how much of each color to mix:

-More red will give you more contrast in the sky/clouds
-Digital cameras usually have twice the detail in the green channel, so if you want to add detail bump up the green.
-Blue is very insensitive in most digital sensors, and is very muddy and blotchy. Keep blue near zero %. (That's why that mini looks blotchy, at -100% blue has a lot of "inverse say" in details)

I'll often set blue to around 15%, then decide wether I like more red or more green depending on the photo. Making values add to more than 100% adds some overexposure and contrast that is typical of B&W and looks better.

 

Buy a D2h. which is now under 2 grand.
it comes with full of noises oops, i mean Grains. (one of the reasons that I've bought it..) and plus, one of the most well built/highest build quality dslr in the market so far.

it looks so natural, sometimes it looks very similar to a film bw when you convert is by channel mixer..

I just can't wait til I take shots of my upcoming MCS..

mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm yes!!!!!

 

I think THIS is the masterpiece:



But then again, that's my Mini!!!

Juan, great pic (I think I only met you briefly at the SCMM picnic) I had no idea that some of the pics I've seen around the forum were from you until I came across this. Any chance I could get a high resolution file? (PM me).

Great job,

Steve

 

The Imaging Factory is the best way I've ever used to make quality B&W and duo/tritones. Here's a good page with tlinks and tutorials: http://www.luminous-landscape.com/1p.../imaging.shtml

 

Here's another I shot the same day as the first ones. (SCMM Picnic)