Paper title:
DSDN144 Digital Photographics
Exercise:
Changing a colour photograph to black and white
Technique 1 This is the simplest way to convert an image to black and white but it does not offer you any creative control over the tones. 1.
Open the Peppers image in the Convert to Black and White folder in the DSDN Course Material folder.
2.
Go to Image then Mode then Grayscale and save this version of your image.
Technique 2 This technique offers you some tonal control. 1.
Once again open the original Peppers image.
2.
Go to the Channels Palette and click on the individual Red, Green and Blue Channels.
3.
You may find that one of these separate channels is the result you after. If so, go to Image then Mode then Grayscale and save this version of your image.
Technique 3 A good technique that uses the Channel Mixer. 1.
Again open the original Peppers image.
2.
Go to the Image menu and select Adjustments and then Channel Mixer.
3.
Click in the Monochrome tick box.
4.
Experiment with sliding the different colour Source Channels. Notice how particular tones on the colour wheel are affected.
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Technique 4 This is an excellent technique, offering excellent control of particular tones. 1.
Again open the original Peppers image.
2.
Create a Hue/Saturation Adjustment Layer. Without changing anything click OK.
3.
Set the Blending Mode of this Hue/Saturation Adjustment Layer to Color (just below the Layers tab on the palette).
4.
Click on the words Hue/Saturation on this layer and overwrite Filter.
5.
Once again create a Hue/Saturation Adjustment Layer.
6.
Take the Saturation all the way down to zero so that the photograph now looks black and white, click OK.
7.
Click on the words Hue/Saturation on this layer and overwrite Film.
8.
Double click on the Filter layer to reopen it. Move the Hue slider, notice how the tones of grey change. (Moving up from the bottom, your layer order should be Background, Filter and then Film on top).
9.
Experiment with the Hue slider until you find a tonal combination that you like.
Once you are happy with the way your image looks, flatten it and save if you wish.
Technique 5 A technique new to SC3 using a Black & White Adjustment layer - best one yet. 1.
Again open the original Peppers image.
2.
Create a Black&White Adjustment Layer.
3.
Experiment with sliding the different colours and filter presets. Notice how particular tones on the colour wheel are affected.
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