B&W Processing

cannockwolf

<span class="poty">POTY (Joint) 2016</span>
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2,858
Name
Dave
Edit My Images
No
I have been asked to explain how i achieve my B&W processing so i have created this post, im not saying this is how it should be done but i was asked about it.

start with your image

cs31.jpg


1 first i change the colour image to B&W using image > adjustments > black and white

cs3004.jpg


2 i usually select auto on this but if i want to make the sky more dramatic adjusting the blue channel can help a lot

3 next i created a contrast/brightness adjustment layer, and pushed the contrast up as much as it needed to go, most of the time it goes nearly all the way

cs3007.jpg


4 then i create an exposure adjustment layer and adjust it to where the picture is very dark, its guesswork where i put it really but it has to be very dark. it doesnt matter how dark it is as we will be inverting the mask image > adjustment >invert while the adjustment layer mask is selected, this will return the picture back to how it was
rename the layer darks

cs3012.jpg


4 now create another exposure adjustment layer but this time over expose it, and then invert the layer mask and rename the layer lights

cs3010.jpg


5 your layer palette's should now look like this

cs3016.jpg


6 and the photo looks like this

cs3019.jpg


7 select a brush and make sure your working on the layer mask of the darks (click on the white box next to darks on the layers palette) then make sure the colour palette is white or the brush will have no effect.

8 select an opacity level of about 10% but you can tailor this to suit your needs, the more % the more aggressive the effect will be

cs3017.jpg


8 now heres the creative bit, gently brush in the dark areas and they will start to get darker, because the brush is at 10% it only has a slight ffect and you can build up the darkness a little with each stroke, if the effect is too much just adjust lower the brush opacity.

if you go to dark just press x and this will reverse the colour of the brush and you can erase the part thats too dark and bring it back

cs3025.jpg


9 now click on the lights layer mask and repeat but this time enhancing the light areas using the same technique as above

cs3023.jpg


this isn't the end of it as you do normal tweaks sharpening cropping but this is how i get most of it done, i hope this has been of some use, im not very good at this sort of thing so if it doesnt make sense just say and i will try and rectify it

dave
 
Excellent tutorial,
Cheers for sharing (y)
 
Fantastic tutorial

Look forward to trying this, thanks for sharing.
 
Thanks for that. Just had a quick play in Elements and it looks a great technique!
With Elements I had to create Brightness adjustment layers rather than Exposure ones, and then fill each mask with black to invert it. But it seems to work a treat after that (y)
 
Original tutorial was very good and with AdeS suggestion for Elements users it is even better. Thanks to both.
 
Good tutorial. I will try and replicate it in the GIMP unless it can be done in lightroom2.
 
Cor B&W dodge & burn using adjustment layers. I have been wondering how to do it.
Thanks greatly for sharing this(y)
 
thanks glad its of some use.

some one told me this i haven't used it yet but sounds effective

if you set the layer dark and light to overlay mode when you paint dark it only affects dark tones and when on the light layers only light tones are affected this might help when blending
 
Anybody have a step for step guide for doing it in adobe photoshop elements 6?


Cannockwolf what software did you do it in?
 
CS4
 
Thanks for the tips on B & W conversion is that process roughly the same in Photoshop CS3?
 
id have thought exactly the same, i have used overlay mode and hard light mode on the exposure layers to great effect recently too
 
Great tutorial, very easy to follow & brilliant results.
Thanks very much for taking the time to put this together!
 
Thank you very much for posting this tutorial, I'm a big fan of black of white but most of mine see to be very flat compared to others I see. I look forward to trying this out. :clap:

Tommy.
 
(y)
 
Excellent work. Maybe a member of staff will put it in the tutorials section It's definitely a keeper (y)
 
Cheers Dave a excellent tutorial :)
 
np cheers everybody, glad its of some use :)
 
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