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01/31/2004 03:51:18 PM · #1 |
The following was post by jimmythefish a while ago on the "the past challenge" topic. When I try to convert to black and white using what he suggests, I just cant get acheive the same results. Can anyone take step by step or at least explain in more detail?
Try a simple black and white conversion and then try splitting a full-colour RGB image into the red, green and blue channels. There's really no comparison. The simple conversion produces a flat, low-contrast image whereas the three channels each have very different tonalities and they can be used on their own or swapped into different channels to create unique effects. One of my best shots using just the green colour channel is here:
Steph
Skin tone is vastly improved. Also, my 'Future' shot was done using just the green channel.
Thanks in advance
June
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01/31/2004 04:14:56 PM · #2 |
Originally posted by chiqui74:
The following was post by jimmythefish a while ago on the "the past challenge" topic. When I try to convert to black and white using what he suggests, I just cant get acheive the same results. Can anyone take step by step or at least explain in more detail?
Try a simple black and white conversion and then try splitting a full-colour RGB image into the red, green and blue channels. There's really no comparison. The simple conversion produces a flat, low-contrast image whereas the three channels each have very different tonalities and they can be used on their own or swapped into different channels to create unique effects. One of my best shots using just the green colour channel is here:
Steph
Skin tone is vastly improved. Also, my 'Future' shot was done using just the green channel.
Thanks in advance
June |
Use the channel mixer. |
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01/31/2004 04:20:46 PM · #3 |
i used to use the channel mixer all the time too, using the digidaan presets.. but i just saw on the digidaan website that he doesn't use this himself anymore.. might be worth a look, i'm reading it now myself :)
//www.digidaan.nl/indexframedigidaan.html?channelmixer/index.html
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01/31/2004 04:34:20 PM · #4 |
He has a Photoshop action at the end that you can right click on and download.
Makes it quick and easy!
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01/31/2004 05:05:30 PM · #5 |
| Just tried this technique and I completely love it. I'm a B&W photo junkie and this is just going to feed my addiction more. Thanks so much for this link! |
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01/31/2004 05:39:35 PM · #6 |
I would like to try this action...
I have downloaded it but not sure what folder it goes in before i can use it from the action menu
Any help??
Thanks
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01/31/2004 05:57:02 PM · #7 |
grab it with your pointing device (mouse / pen / x) and drop it into a folder or an empty space of the action palette.
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01/31/2004 06:00:53 PM · #8 |
Azrifel
Thanks a million, works like a charm
Rick
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01/31/2004 06:08:29 PM · #9 |
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01/31/2004 06:22:24 PM · #10 |
Originally posted by Calvus:
He has a Photoshop action at the end that you can right click on and download.
Makes it quick and easy!
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Amazing how quick and easy. I used one of Phil Askey's 10D color test photo's (the colored crayons ) to test it.
It is exactly what I was looking for. I have been testing all kinds of B&W conversion plugins, actions and methods for weeks now and this is on par with USD 50+ plugins imho. For free whoohee!
Edit: Amazing effects when you only adjust the hue for one of the six color channels. Good method.
Message edited by author 2004-01-31 18:24:46.
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01/31/2004 06:31:40 PM · #11 |
yeah i was playing with that action
the thing i have noticed most about other methods is the exageration of noise, mainly in skies, or low contrast areas. supposed to be sunny tomorrow - so i'll aim for BW, and test the action out more thoroughly..
nothing beats free...
EDIT: thanks for the link ;}
Message edited by author 2004-01-31 18:32:07.
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02/01/2004 07:59:37 AM · #12 |
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02/01/2004 08:35:11 AM · #13 |
chiqui74, are you using Photoshop 5.0 or higher? There is small print on that page saying this is required.
What problems are you having? |
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02/01/2004 08:49:51 AM · #14 |
Okay.. I am lost too as to how to download/install this action.
I have the actions window open - now what?
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02/01/2004 08:55:19 AM · #15 |
You download the action file(.atn) (right click/save as)
Copy it to the "Photoshop/Presets/Photoshop Actions" directory.
In the Photoshop "History/Actions" drop down menu "Load Actions"
(Click on the small right arrow in top right corner of this drop down menu)
Originally posted by KarenB:
Okay.. I am lost too as to how to download/install this action.
I have the actions window open - now what? |
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02/01/2004 09:06:13 AM · #16 |
awesome! thanks! :)
It's the little arrow at the top information that made all the difference.
Thanks again!
Would like to see some examples of people using this in this thread.
Here's an idea... post a thumbnail (or a link to a larger image) of
a) original color photo
b) b&w conversion done traditionally by you (this might be with color channels, or desaturation with levels.. etc)
c) b&w conversion using this 'new' method.
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02/01/2004 09:20:45 AM · #17 |
This was done quickly... cuz now I am late to get the kids to Religion Class :P
But...
first try:
a) 
b)
c) 
Agreed! The skin tones are dramatically different and better.. I will play with this some more, and then I'll have to go back and redo my B&W's!!! Yippee! Another project for my list! (hehe)
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02/01/2004 10:16:08 AM · #18 |
a photo from thursday
besided the BW conversion, the rest of the adjustments were pretty much the same on all images. slightly sharpened, slight levels, resized to 640, slightly sharpened again. i'll have to try it on some more photos.
i dont have a lot of people photos to mess withfor the skin tone comparison. EDIT: i did notice less exageration of noise in the last process..
original
channels
the hue/saturation action
Message edited by author 2004-02-01 10:19:23.
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02/01/2004 11:41:19 AM · #19 |
original
b&w conversion w/ no adjustments |
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02/01/2004 04:33:56 PM · #20 |
The original
The Hue action default
The Hue action with pushed red
Channel Mixing to monochrome
(Red -10, Green +100, Blue +20)
I think all three of them have something, but the last (channel mixing) has the effect I was after. Using negative numbers with channel mixing can result in some cool effects.
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02/01/2004 04:37:34 PM · #21 |
Here's a few that I was just testing on (not the best picture in the world, mind you). It's interesting to see how much it can change the appearance of the photo without losing detail or adding noise.
Original
Test 1
Test 2
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02/01/2004 11:14:53 PM · #22 |
yeah but what about grain with channel mixer?>
have you seen that?
curious
EDIT: good choice of subject BTW - the EDIT : err i meant tulips... roses _ green and red in BW not a typical color scheme,,,
Message edited by author 2004-02-02 13:36:05.
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02/02/2004 01:04:44 PM · #23 |
Those tulips really show the differentiation you can make with the CM approach, compared to some other ways.
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02/02/2004 01:36:31 PM · #24 |
Originally posted by soup:
yeah but what about grain with channel mixer?>
have you seen that?
curious
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Grain in the channel mixer usually turns up when you emphasize on the Red and Blue channels. On the average CCD and CMOS there is an RGB Bayer filter with a layout that contains 2 greens, 1 red, 1 blue. When the image is interpolated from -R-G-B-G- to -RGB-RGB-RGB-RGB- the most influencial color channel will be the Green one. For some reason the strongest color after Green is Red and the weakest (with the most noise) is blue.
When you channelmix something like 40 Red 20 Green and 40 Blue, you are using a lot of the noisiest channels. When you'd go to 30 Red 60 Green 10 Blue you have a far better deal noisewise.
I didn't see a lot of noise with the Tulip conversion, because I used 100 green -10 red and only 20 blue.
Perhaps I am telling you something you already know, but it can also be helpful to others.
The problem with the Hue action was that I soon saw some aliasing. It is visible in the middle sample.
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02/02/2004 01:40:49 PM · #25 |
yeah i have had better luck results with the channel mixer myself, put keep eyes open for other methods.. i didnt know that some channels are noisier than others, thanks for pointing that out.
and seems to be right on, as i tend to see the most noise in the skies... which would be a blue channel obviously - so when shooting blue skies - noise would seem hard to avoid ( and a frustrating limitation - i try to stay away from neat image if possible ) - white balance would mees up the blues in all aspects of the shot..
thanks for the reply.
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