When you create a digital B&W shot, do you use a dedicated software or are you using photoshop/Lightroom? Are some of you shooting directly B&W in the camera? Any tips/samples appreciated ...Thank you for sharing!
Shoot RAW, full color, convert in Lightroom or Camera RAW - you get control of all the color channels that way instead of just a flat b&w. What do you do? :)
I use the Photoshops. I'm a big fan of using the Channel Mixer to convert to b&w. :) Oh, and I shoot RAW, full color. If I know I'm going to want to black and white it, I might set my camera to monochrome, but because I'm shooting it in RAW, the color data is still there - it's more of a way to have a preview, if anything.
I use a Photoshop plugin: Nik's Silver Efex 2. It is better than everything i ever saw. I don't know how they did it, but that software is amazing and it is worth every penny. Watch they presentation and download the trial. You will see. http://www.niksoftware.com/silverefexpro/usa/entry.php
I shoot in colour jpeg, then use Lightroom. I have about 10 presets saved and usually know which one will work so processing time is minimal. Most of my project is B&W so feel to have a look there :)
I work in photoshop, and try a few different methods to see what I like best.
First I click on the channels tab (at the top of the layers panel) and individually click on the red green and blue channel.
If that doesn't work, I try a gradient adjustment in black and white. Add a grey (or light golden yellow, or any color!) midtone for fun effects.
And sometimes I use one of the above methods, then duplicate the layer, then change the blend mode to overlay (or soft light) and play with the opacity.
I shoot color raw, and convert using my own recipe in Lightroom. It took me a long time to find "my" b&w, a lot of research, comparisons and hours and hours of experimentation.
Use monochrome setting in camera to shoot in B&W, and also film with digitized images after processing. Sometimes will convert a colour phoo to B&W in processing using Aperture which offers a variety of filters. If the original photo was shot in B&W filters in processing become less usable. Prefer to shoot in B&W In camera as it allows more sense of composition and an opportunity to visualize. Getting a yellow lens filter so this will be interesting for use in B&W in camera rather than adding filter in processing. @grecican@marlboromaam@sdpace@beautifulthing@jasehoad@brumbe@cluvlj@ariananeala
@marlboromaam I think most of us are doing the best we can to make photos with what we have. For a long time I only took photos with a phone, but have started to be a little more "sophisticated" lately, but still try and do things on cheap. I really like what you are doing with your little digital and hope that you run a roll of film though your old Minolta. Sensational photos can be taken with any camera. Name brands are just name brands. The other day whilst repainting our house and going through my wardrobe I found a half dozen rolls of film waiting to be developed. Some we think are 15 years old, that I put in a drawer because it seemed at the time developing them was less important than putting a meal on the table or getting clothes for the bubs. BTW I like working in the camera, rather than working in processing when because when I am not on vacation life gets incredibly busy.
@marlboromaam black and white film is definitely WAY more fun than any digital camera. I think that goes along with what I liked about what @peterdegraaff said about trying to compose in-camera.
@peterdegraaff i found some old film recently and they were 9 years old. it was really cool to see that my kids even stole my camera then to take their own snapshots amidst what I was trying to shoot. There was even a photo of my son (he's 14 now) taking a selfie in the mirror with my little old Canon Powershot when he was 5! :)
@anzere03 I have two cameras. One is a Sanyo S120 (pocket digital, 12mp, manual ISO and manual exposure), and if I'm using that, there's an auto Greyscale mode. I set the ISO to only about 200 and make sure the exposure compensation's even at 0. By and far that's always been the best black and white production I've ever had; Very smooth and clean.
As for programs, I'm broke, lol So I just use GIMP. Sort of set up like Photoshop from what I understand, and a free program. If I'm using my Nikon Coolpix L100 ("high-end" digital, 10mp, no manual ISO setting, manual exposure), I shoot with the exposure compensation lowered since the Nikon renders a lof of whites as bright yellows, and then I open it up in GIMP and just decrease all the saturation from each colour before contrasting. Or if I want to monochrome, I play around with colour curves. :)
If I'm converting a file in post processing, though, it usually seems to turn out very gritty. And harsh. When doing greyscale, I MUCH prefer using the pocket Sanyo. It's auto greyscale is SO much better than post processing, and it has better resolution and more manual settings, anyway, than the "high-end" Nikon.
I can't afford a DSLR yet either (but soon! :D) so as far as pre-sets for shooting then converting with DSLR options, I'm afraid I have diddly-squat. =/ lol
Typically, in Photoshop, I use channel mixer or L.a.b.
I never use desat, or convert to greyscale, as too much information is lost in those processes. My b&w images retain colour information (they are essentially a colour file) and so they tend to be warm or cool b&w rather than truly neutral - much like we used to do with film.
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@gabrielklee My demo has expired but I was really impressed with Silver Efex 2.
@mcdougall @beautifulthing I'll have to try those methods too. I like the idea of previewing in B&W
First I click on the channels tab (at the top of the layers panel) and individually click on the red green and blue channel.
If that doesn't work, I try a gradient adjustment in black and white. Add a grey (or light golden yellow, or any color!) midtone for fun effects.
And sometimes I use one of the above methods, then duplicate the layer, then change the blend mode to overlay (or soft light) and play with the opacity.
@peterdegraaff i found some old film recently and they were 9 years old. it was really cool to see that my kids even stole my camera then to take their own snapshots amidst what I was trying to shoot. There was even a photo of my son (he's 14 now) taking a selfie in the mirror with my little old Canon Powershot when he was 5! :)
As for programs, I'm broke, lol So I just use GIMP. Sort of set up like Photoshop from what I understand, and a free program. If I'm using my Nikon Coolpix L100 ("high-end" digital, 10mp, no manual ISO setting, manual exposure), I shoot with the exposure compensation lowered since the Nikon renders a lof of whites as bright yellows, and then I open it up in GIMP and just decrease all the saturation from each colour before contrasting. Or if I want to monochrome, I play around with colour curves. :)
If I'm converting a file in post processing, though, it usually seems to turn out very gritty. And harsh. When doing greyscale, I MUCH prefer using the pocket Sanyo. It's auto greyscale is SO much better than post processing, and it has better resolution and more manual settings, anyway, than the "high-end" Nikon.
I can't afford a DSLR yet either (but soon! :D) so as far as pre-sets for shooting then converting with DSLR options, I'm afraid I have diddly-squat. =/ lol
I never use desat, or convert to greyscale, as too much information is lost in those processes. My b&w images retain colour information (they are essentially a colour file) and so they tend to be warm or cool b&w rather than truly neutral - much like we used to do with film.