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02/19/2007 08:02:53 AM · #1 |
Hi there everyone, just wondering what everyone uses or recommends when converting to black and white, to print. I have about 300 shots to do so anything that can be done in batch conversion would help too. Any help and suggestions would be great!
Thanks
Lee |
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02/19/2007 08:07:52 AM · #2 |
in CS3 I use the b/w adjustment layer, most of the times I slide the red channel a bit lighter (I think to the left..). Sometimes I use apply image - blue or red channel on soft light, and after that the b/w adjustment layer.
in CS2 I used the channel mixer, mnochrome, and used the RGB- and constant-slides to get what I wanted.
but this is all applied to seperate photos, don't know if this works as a batch.
Brad also has a good method, but better ask him ;)
also, keep off the "desaturate" or "grayscale" button. you'll miss a lot of info on your photo (color channels) that you can edit. eeeeeeek!
;)
Message edited by author 2007-02-19 13:09:59. |
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02/19/2007 08:08:29 AM · #3 |
| I use Markus Hartel's curve files and channel mixer file ... works great and can be easily made into a batch |
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02/19/2007 08:17:21 AM · #4 |
Originally posted by biteme:
in CS3 I use the b/w adjustment layer, most of the times I slide the red channel a bit lighter (I think to the left..). Sometimes I use apply image - blue or red channel on soft light, and after that the b/w adjustment layer.
in CS2 I used the channel mixer, monochrome, and used the RGB- and constant-slides to get what I wanted.
but this is all applied to separate photos, don't know if this works as a batch. |
You can easily make what you just described into an action (search "record an action" in PS help) and any action can be used as part of a batch-processing queue. So to whatever extent all the images in your batch are exposed tot he same parameters in the same lighting this will work well. In other words, if you have 100 portraits shot under the same lighting with the same BG in the studio, this batch conversion to B/W would be fine. But if your batch consisted of studio shots, landscape shots, candid shots, and so forth, then whatever B/W processing works for one might not be optimum for the next one.
R.
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02/19/2007 08:20:06 AM · #5 |
I prefer Nik filters but I cannot use them for basic challenges, just like Fred Miranda B&W Pro (2nd choice). A combination of channel mixing and throwing away channels in lab mode works too.
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02/19/2007 08:20:39 AM · #6 |
If I'm shooting at anything higher than iso 200, I use channel mixer with 30% red and 70% green. This dramatically reduces noise without having to obliterate fine detail ala neat image. If I'm going for high contrast, I will usually drop a gradient map over the whole image at this point. If I'm looking for something more subtle, apart from the usual levels and curves tinkering, I will use a Selective Color layer and pump the blacks slightly in the Black and Neutrals channel.
I also like a little bit of tone outside of straight grayscale so I tend to add +2 cyan into the same channels, assuming I don't just go directly to tritone or quadtone after the initial channel mixer step. |
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02/19/2007 08:26:03 AM · #7 |
I've sometimes gotten a good result just copying the Green Channel to a new Grayscale image.
I think most sensors have twice as many Green pixels as either Red or Blue ones, so that Channel forms the smoothest gradient of tones, as long as there is a Green component to the incoming light.
Conversely, if I want a rough-looking grainy image I will copy the Blue Channel to a Grayscale document ... |
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02/19/2007 08:27:57 AM · #8 |
Originally posted by Bear_Music:
Originally posted by biteme:
in CS3 I use the b/w adjustment layer, most of the times I slide the red channel a bit lighter (I think to the left..). Sometimes I use apply image - blue or red channel on soft light, and after that the b/w adjustment layer.
in CS2 I used the channel mixer, monochrome, and used the RGB- and constant-slides to get what I wanted.
but this is all applied to separate photos, don't know if this works as a batch. |
You can easily make what you just described into an action (search "record an action" in PS help) and any action can be used as part of a batch-processing queue. So to whatever extent all the images in your batch are exposed tot he same parameters in the same lighting this will work well. In other words, if you have 100 portraits shot under the same lighting with the same BG in the studio, this batch conversion to B/W would be fine. But if your batch consisted of studio shots, landscape shots, candid shots, and so forth, then whatever B/W processing works for one might not be optimum for the next one.
R. |
yes these were all shot under the same lighting in studio and only shifted f stops once as it got dark outside |
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