Convert this!

[Janice]

Can someone help me here please. My cousin's boys.she wanted colour, but just for myself I decided to make a conversion to B&W
with the channel mixer and various other methods but their skin just went flat and grey...not all nice like other peoples B&W portraits I have seen on here.

Can some of you please have a go and then tell me how you did it??

http://www.janicehobbs.com/Portraits/Gordon/14.jpg

[CT]

First one is a really lazy straight greyscale conversion and then just increase the contrast.

The second is using the 'Anvil' filter in Virtual Photographer and playing with the sliders.

http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/gallery/data/530/14.jpg

http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/gallery/data/530/15.jpg

Anywhere near?

[GfK]

Prefer the first one tbh. Second one looks overcooked.

[Janice]

I love the first too.... i used the channel mixer and their faces went all grey and yukky!!

[CT]

Prefer the first one tbh. Second one looks overcooked.

LOL yeah it goes against the grain a bit with me when I lose the shadow detail too... that's what I get for trying to be trendy. :D

[namllihs]

Just got a plug in for photoshop, nik color effects Pro 2.0, so gave it a go.

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/linda.hillman/Conversion.jpg

[Janice]

Now that one looks like mine did..... the boy's face on the left looks all grey.

[petemc]

Probably the wrong channel for black n white. CT's first looks the best.

[photostar_1]

Just had a go using channel mixer with monochrome ticked, then Red +86, Green -4, Blue +16....

http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/gallery/data/769/Janice_s-boys.jpg

but think CT's probably best so far.

[..MD..]

thought id have a go as i had a spare 5 mins hope you like

http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/gallery/data/861/141.jpg

[Hacker]

Here are a couple Janice, the first using a BW plugin:

http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f273/HackerUK/14.jpg

And this one using the Midnight Black Action:

http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f273/HackerUK/14-copy.jpg

[BALDYMAN]

http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/gallery/data/500/vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv.jpg De-saturate color picture a little , select blue channel and add a slightly warming filter. I'm only learning myself

[Steep]

http://www.marnoch.org/photos/14b.jpg

Split channels, kept only the green one, converted it back to rgb colour, adjusted colour maps and levels, converted result to greyscale again and posted phew.

[HIMUPNORTH]

Janice starts some nice threads doesn't she! :thumbs:


I am not going to have a go but will want to have a crack at some of the methods suggested. I like that Midnight Action you have there Colin. Do you have a linky?

[jobe]

Hi I dont post much here really I'm just a browser, but I do like to play with PS I hope you dont mind me having a go
I used gradient map with a bit of dodging and burning.

http://img406.imageshack.us/img406/5110/14ey9.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

Wayne

[Steep]

With a background?

http://www.marnoch.org/photos/14c.jpg

[Janice]

You lot have risen to the challenge with a vengeance!!!

Thank you all. My favourite is still No.1 !!! :)

[neonpollen]

Here is my quick attempt.

http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/gallery/data/752/Janice-Cousins_B_W.jpg

[pxl8]

Here's my attempt:

http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/gallery/data/500/janice_bw.jpg

I tweaked the white balance to remove some yellow from the skin.
Channel mixer with values of 65, 17, 30
Highlight/Midtone/Shadow with values of -13, 13, 7
USM pass with 25 radius, 10 strength, 0 clipping to bump contrast
Gentle pass of Focus Magic to sharpen a bit

[The_old_man]

Well heres my attempt.

http://server.jensanet.co.uk/14.jpg

How? I desaturated it in CS2, then edited the highlight and shadows to give a little more contrast to it, after having selected the background to exclude it

[muaythai]

http://www.krfc-online.co.uk/14.jpg

desaturated channels, unsharp mask, contrast...

[TomB]

My humble attempt

http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/gallery/data/500/14_copy.jpg

Channel mixer, contrast/brightness tweak, film noir filter, some slight paint with light alterations.

Took less than 5 minutes... looking at it again I think probably the contrast was a bit overdone.