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06/25/2006 10:31:35 AM · #1
Post your comments, questions, and reviews for...

'Methods of Black and White Conversion'
by fotomann_forever

View this tutorial here.
06/25/2006 10:55:55 AM · #2
Leroy -
THANK YOU!!
:)

I'm not sure I can use the channel mixer method in the GIMP (unless somebody can explain it to me?), but using the hue/sat. adjustment layers works beautifully. I would never have thought to adjust the hue of a layer to fiddle with B&W!!

Thanks again,
Sara

edit to add examples using this technique:

color desat only layers

Message edited by author 2006-06-25 11:16:06.
06/25/2006 11:17:45 AM · #3
Thank you, I was just going to ask about this because I was having some trouble with a couple images I will try the hue/sat. I had never thought of using that before.
06/25/2006 11:24:43 AM · #4
Leroy, according to Digidaan's site which is where I learned the Hue/Sat method, the desat layer is normal mode and the layer that you play around with the hue is in color mode... This is the way I've done b/w for advanced editing for the last couple years.
06/25/2006 11:29:06 AM · #5
Originally posted by saracat:

Leroy -
THANK YOU!!
:)

I'm not sure I can use the channel mixer method in the GIMP (unless somebody can explain it to me?), but using the hue/sat. adjustment layers works beautifully. I would never have thought to adjust the hue of a layer to fiddle with B&W!!


I believe GIMP has Channel Mixer and will be most convenient for you since GIMP doesn't have adjustment layers.

Adjusting the Hue of an image before B&W conversion is a digital equivalent to an old technique of using on-lens colored filters in B&W film photography. The advantage here is that you have the whole spectrum in your filters collection.

Message edited by author 2006-06-25 11:49:20.
06/25/2006 11:35:33 AM · #6
Originally posted by TooCool:

Leroy, according to Digidaan's site which is where I learned the Hue/Sat method, the desat layer is normal mode and the layer that you play around with the hue is in color mode... This is the way I've done b/w for advanced editing for the last couple years.


I just loaded the original image and set my Hue/Sat layers to your configuration and get the same results. I suppose just another variation :-)

Message edited by author 2006-06-25 11:39:57.
06/25/2006 11:42:20 AM · #7
In the Gimp

Dup the Layer (normal)
Filters > Colors > Channel Mixer

I select selected monochrome and perserve luminosity and applied Leroy's number and a shot came out quite nicely.

As I was...once I hit monochrome it over rode the numbers... but toggling between the two it seems to the same.

So check the monochrome box or plug in the numbers Leroy posted.

Message edited by author 2006-06-25 11:45:19.
06/25/2006 11:47:54 AM · #8
Thanks for the tutorial I found it very helpful.
I, personally, don’t like channel mixer method very much, but hue/sat method works great.
06/25/2006 12:05:36 PM · #9
Thanks for the beta! Your ideas help alot.
I will deffinately have to play with it.
06/25/2006 12:15:52 PM · #10
I sometimes even use PICASA for this effect as I can go it simple by selecting the b/w conversion using filters and then can choose filter color and see the effect real time :)

The photoshop thing is very effective and offcourse I get benefit of using layers also :) Thanks for sharing!

Message edited by author 2006-06-25 12:18:54.
06/25/2006 12:21:01 PM · #11
I've submitted some fixes to the tutorial and also added a forth method for CS2 users, using the Photo Filter adjustment layer. I hope to see those fixes soon. :-)

Message edited by author 2006-06-25 12:52:45.
06/25/2006 02:16:23 PM · #12
In you last example where you apply the Curves adjustment, it looks like you are using the photo processed by the Hue/Sat method, while the text refers to it as the one processed with the Channel Mixer.

One method you didn't mention but which I've found surprisingly effective on occasion is to copy one of the original RGB Channels (usually the Green) to a new Grayscale document, as a starting point for further adjustments with Curves, or for making a Duotone. If you want a gritty, grainy look try copying just the Blue channel, which is usually full of noise.
06/25/2006 02:52:07 PM · #13
Originally posted by fotomann_forever:

Post your comments, questions, and reviews for...

'Methods of Black and White Conversion'
by fotomann_forever

View this tutorial here.

A couple other weapons to add to your B&W arsenal...

Tip 1:
One of the most well kept secrets in B&W conversion is the "Selective Color" adjustment layer.

"Selective Color" has black, white and neutral adjustment selections and because there are sliders in each for Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Black it can be used to great effect fine tuning the tonality of your B&W. Works well in Luminosity or Normal mode.

Tip 2:
Don't forget about layer masking. Often you will perfect a tonal adjustment for one part of an image, say the face, that fouls up some other area of the image. Just simply use an appropriately feathered black brush and opacity setting to airbrush out undesired side effects in the layer mask.
06/25/2006 03:51:10 PM · #14
Originally posted by GeneralE:

In you last example where you apply the Curves adjustment, it looks like you are using the photo processed by the Hue/Sat method, while the text refers to it as the one processed with the Channel Mixer.

One method you didn't mention but which I've found surprisingly effective on occasion is to copy one of the original RGB Channels (usually the Green) to a new Grayscale document, as a starting point for further adjustments with Curves, or for making a Duotone. If you want a gritty, grainy look try copying just the Blue channel, which is usually full of noise.


I'm doing some more fixes and adding some illustrations and have fixed the oversight in which pic I used :-)

I'm also including your Channel Method and yes it does work, but using channel mixer IMO is more versatile.
06/25/2006 03:52:31 PM · #15
Originally posted by stdavidson:


Tip 1:
One of the most well kept secrets in B&W conversion is the "Selective Color" adjustment layer.

"Selective Color" has black, white and neutral adjustment selections and because there are sliders in each for Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Black it can be used to great effect fine tuning the tonality of your B&W. Works well in Luminosity or Normal mode.

Tip 2:
Don't forget about layer masking. Often you will perfect a tonal adjustment for one part of an image, say the face, that fouls up some other area of the image. Just simply use an appropriately feathered black brush and opacity setting to airbrush out undesired side effects in the layer mask.


Two really good tips.

Message edited by author 2006-06-25 15:56:06.
07/10/2006 06:04:05 PM · #16
I've added a few more methods to this and corrected some mistakes. Hope that helps.
07/31/2006 03:35:14 PM · #17
I use image adjust desat 100%. image adjust colour balance, +12 red
+8 Green +12 yellow.

This makes a realy nice selenium toned look to an image.

You may need to add some selective colour black or i may use curves to adjust contrasty and density.

Try it.

//homepage.mac.com/b.s/.Pictures/IMG_0536.jpg
09/05/2006 02:40:50 PM · #18
Which of the methods given in this article are legal for a Basic Editing Challenge?

Sean
09/05/2006 02:43:18 PM · #19
Originally posted by mickisdaddy:

Which of the methods given in this article are legal for a Basic Editing Challenge?

Sean


Method 2, 4 and 5 are all legal in Basic Editting. So is method 1, but don't use it ;-)

Method 3 is the only method that isn't legal under basic editting rules.
09/05/2006 02:46:52 PM · #20
Thanks for the quick reply. I may have to re-PP a shot for a contest that ends today.

Oh and thanks for a good tutorial.

Sean
09/05/2006 02:49:25 PM · #21
Well, thank you :-) And you're welcome.
09/05/2006 02:51:58 PM · #22
Nice tutorial! I must have missed it when you first posted this. I need to pay more attention to this section of the forums.

Thanks again. :)
09/05/2006 03:14:18 PM · #23
You can also convert your picture to IMAGE >MODE > LAB COLOUR

Open up your channels viewer and bin either the a or b channel

Steve
10/09/2006 03:17:36 PM · #24
Hi Folks,

I have a very simple tutorial on my site, which you're more than welcome to have a look at.

B&W Conversion

There's three methods of converting a Colour Photo to a B&W Photo; Gradient Map, Channel Mixer and the Hue/Saturation Method

Regards,

Fen.



Message edited by author 2006-10-09 15:18:17.
10/09/2006 03:33:32 PM · #25
Nice tutorial. Excellent examples and instructions.

Here is one more method you may want to add.
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