Please share your techniques for monochrome

[vetnurse]

Hi Pbasers

I've discovered that converting colour images (in Photoshop) is not as simple as just clicking the mode to greyscale - at least at competition level it's not.

Getting the desired finish/treatment obviously starts with selecting the right images to convert and 'tweaking' them to give a good range of tones and depth. I have personally learned this the hard way (many failures in club competitions), and of course my frustrations don't end with the digital darkroom - even reasonably high end ink jet printers just don't like reproducing 'Black & White' the way you want them. I've had many problems with colour casts at print, particularly greens and blues.

Printing issues aside, I would love to hear your experiences, hints and tips to creating high quality monochrome images in Photoshop. So to kick things off, I will post my latest experiment for comments and suggestion.

This monochrome was converted to greyscale first, then the curves were adjusted as the tonal range appeared quite narrow. It (the image finish) looked just a little too 'clean and modern' so rather than using a film grain filter, I decided to use low level poster edge and not sharpen any further to give it an overall aged effect.


The original colour version
to view at original size - http://www.pbase.com/vetnurse/image/71100730




The monochrome version
to view at original size - http://www.pbase.com/vetnurse/image/71117966

[clickaway]

Hi Ruth.

First of all, don't be put off by failure in club competitions. A judge only give one person's view.

I have used various methods here. I sometimes just use Grayscale if the result looks OK, but once or twice I have used the Channel Mixer after reading that is "what the professionals do", or so a magazine stated.

As long as the tonality of the image can take it, I like using Duotone and several images in my self-portrait gallery have been done this way .

Incidentally, do you use an A3 printer for these prints? Is there one you find is good?

Ray

[robinstatfeld]

Technique aside, the most important consideration when converting to mono is whether the image will benefit!

I think color is a critically important component of your image. The green and brown of the car mirror the green and brown of the surrounding nature, telling a story that the old car has become one with its environment. Take away the color and you lose much of that story.

I know the tendency, when you think "old," is to go mono. I went through the same exercise with this photo, below. My first instinct was that an old cemetary should be black and white. But it lost much of the story without the color, so I reverted back, and the result is a much stronger photo.

[steveprice]

Can I grab this image or the original to show you what I would do with it. I will give you keystrokes for Pshop CS2.

Steve Price

[alexphotos]

I usaly use chanel mixer.

[wakenphotography]

Firstly - it's all about the picture itself. Some pictures just won't convert nicely. I think the old truck one would do nicely..... but I LOVE the colour version!

So, here's one of my favourites... I start with Chanel Mixer... click monochrome. I don't usually play with the settings - other than monochrome here.

Then, I get into the curves. Play with different settings. Pull down the dark and push up the light curves.

If it's still too grey-tones, then I get into the contrasts until I get some true BLACK colour happening.

[vetnurse]

Hi all - and thanks for your comments!

Firstly...

robinstatfeld and wakenphotography

Technique aside, the most important consideration when converting to mono is whether the image will benefit!

I agree with you here, not all images have the characteristics to make a good mono and further, not all images should be converted to mono.

steveprice - please, be my guest and grab away. I would love to see what others can achieve and what steps they take (it's all part of the learning curve for me).

Thanks for the tip about the Chanel Mixer, that hadn't occurred to me and I am still a babe-in-the-woods when it comes to PShop

Also wakenphotography, would you mind sharing with us how you selectively or layered to achieve the mono/colour image you used in this thread?

[vetnurse]

p.s. I must admit that although I like the monochrome version of the old car, I do prefer the colour version myself.

[wakenphotography]

Also wakenphotography, would you mind sharing with us how you selectively or layered to achieve the mono/colour image you used in this thread?

Sure thing! After you monochrome & are happy with the b&w you have... simply use the history brush to bring the colour back to the front. TOOO EASY. If it's not working for you, you could also copy/paste selections from the original photo. But, for the most part, once you get used to using the history brush... it'll become second nature. I have a few of those types of shots:



He's just sleeping.......

[ernst]

I use Channel mixer as standard technique. Applied as an adjustment layer no harm is done to your original image. And you can easily bring back selective colour by brushing black in the layer mask.

My standard settings are R/G/B 60/40/10 and constant -10. From there I start tweaking the channels and apply curves for contrast and/or toning.
BTW, it seems that R/G/B 59/30/11 is seen as neutral conversion to the human eye.

[halesr]

CONVERTING COLOR IMAGES TO BLACK & WHITE

Here is a link to an online tutorial that explains several methods. I think Scott Kelby in his books describes 6 different methods.

http://www.cambridgeincolour.com/tutorials/color-black-white.htm

HTH--Rene