13 Black & White Digital Processing Techniques by Piotr Cwiklinski @ Studio PCF • free e-book
I General If you like to have black & white pictures there is need for you to use digital processing to convert color into gray scale. The only camera that produce black & white RAW files is Leica (name). In any other instance you need conversion – the question is how to do it? One small aspect that I like to mention, black & white is easier than color – why? What do you think? Technically is less to care to get results – so color can damage picture, it can make picture. In black & white photography there is shape and form of graphics that are captured and light. The light does not apply the same way as in color photography – is far more forgiving and its easier find good light in black & white photography. Graphics play main role like lines, rhythms, patterns and so one… that’s also classic approach for black & white photography but there is far more beyond this… [more topics and explanations you’ll find in: Black & White Advanced Post Processing Techniques [e-book]
II Digital Processing:
[with Adobe Photoshop]
For all processing we will be using Adobe Photoshop. Only step 7 requires newer version the rest techniques you can handle in from Photoshop 7 on…
Desaturate • Auto Conversion Simplest way to process picture is automatic conversion. Is the simplest one and gives you no choice and any options. Probably the only conversion to black & white you’ll never use as you get familiar with other ones.
1 Open picture (ctrl + o)
2 Make a copy of layer (ctrl + j)
3 Go to Image - Adjustments - Desaturate (ctrl + u)
4 Ready!
2 Hue & Saturation Very easy basic method of processing image to black & white.
1 Open image (ctrl + o)
2 Select Hue & Saturation
3 Set Saturation to 0 (lowest value)
4 Ready!
5 TIP: Save your common processing as preset
Once you’ve done something useful and you have filling that you’ll use such processing again than save as preset. 1 Click small arrow in corner (red circle) and save preset with name of your choice. 2 Next time your preset will be listed in presets list. DOWNLOAD FREE HUE SATURATION PRESETS:
Black & White http://ebooks.studiopcf.com/donwload/ebook_Black_and_White_Processing/Black_and_ White.ahu Yellow Red Combination http://ebooks.studiopcf.com/donwload/ebook_Black_and_White_Processing/Yellow_Red_ Combination.ahu
3 Vibrance Another option slightly different and bring a bit different outcome too.
1 Open image (ctrl + o)
2 Select Vibrance
3 Set values to 0 (lowest value)
4 Ready!
4 Gradient Map Conversion In my opinion the best conversion in term of speed and result. I use the most as base for black & white conversion. With conversion done with gradient I compare other conversions. Is a great base model.
1 Open image (ctrl + o)
2 Duplicate layer (ctrl + j)
4 Ready!
3 Reset background / foreground colors by pressing “d” on keyboard, than go to: Image • Adjustments • Gradient Map!
4 Press OK
4 Ready!
5 Ready!
5 Black & White Module This time we will use dedicated module for black and white conversion. May seem as appropriate one. Often it is but Gradient Map is just perfect and low time consuming. We start from processing RAW file with greenish cast color this way we aim to use black & white conversion with green filter. Is just inspiration how to make your work complicated â˜ť
1 Open RAW file (ctrl + o)
4 Ready!
2 Process in Camera RAW • just open your creativity and let it do things â˜ť play with color balance
4 Ready!
3 Process in Camera RAW • check what you can do with HSL • Luminance
4 Ready!
Download RAW file (34.1 MB) http://ebooks.studiopcf.com/donwload/ebook_Black_and_White_ Processing/Architecture_RAW.srw
4 Open image in Photoshop
4 Ready!
5 Go to Black & White module
4 Ready!
6 Process image using presets at first and then enhance settings for your vision
4 Ready!
7 For example use green filter to see how it works, but process as you like and be creative
4 Ready! Download Green Filter: http://ebooks.studiopcf.com/donwload/ ebook_Black_and_ White_Processing/Black_ and_White_Processing_ Green_Filter.blw
8 Ready!
4 Ready!
6 LAB Colors Is simple way to process image by removing color data and preserving lightness channel. Let’s do it!
4 Ready!
1 Open image (ctrl + o)
4 Ready!
2 Go to Images • Mode • LAB Colors
4 Ready!
3 Open Channel properties
4 Ready!
4 Click on b channel and delete by clicking on bin icon in right corner
4 Ready!
5 Now there is single alpha channel and you work is done
4 Ready!
6 Ready! Almost ready. To save your file to jpg you need to convert image mode again.
4 Ready!
7 Go again to Images • Mode and this time choose Grayscale. Now you can save image as jpg or other common image format
4 Ready!
4 Ready!
7 Color Lookup Color lookup’s comes from video world and are great tool to enhance and process pictures, once you’ll use them you’ll never stop – so good they are. Default Photoshop lookup’s are few you may hunt in Internet for more in various places. Or even get program to create own. Subject worth study on its own.
1 Open image (ctrl + o)
4 Ready!
TIP For this particular preset the picture you will use should be quite bright for best effect – you can choose best such one or make brighter the one you are processing. Download lookup for this tutorial: http://ebooks.studiopcf.com/donwload/ebook_Black_and_White_ Processing/Black_and_White.look
2 Go to Color Lookup module
4 Ready!
3 Load downloaded look files to Photoshop
4 Ready!
4 Select Black & White.look or other with stronger contrast
4 Ready!
5 Ready!
4 Ready!
8 Split Channels Splitting channels is easy just click away and so powerful and fast that you will love it once you learn it.
4 Ready!
1 Open image (ctrl + o)
4 Ready!
2 Go to channel properties. Choose function Split Channels
4 Ready!
3 Automatically you’ll get all channels in new windows with channel name on top bar. Choose what picture suits you best and you are done. In complicated version combine black and white pictures back and work on strong parts of each channel to make them visible. Final picture will be a combination of channels in black and white.
4 Ready!
red channel
4 Ready!
9 Grayscale Conversion Is one of easiest processing methods. It always give you best Grayscale with lowest contrast possible. If you love contrast is not an option for you. But wide grayscale range can be attractive too.
1 Open image (ctrl + o)
4 Ready!
2 Go to Images • Mode • Grayscale
4 Ready!
3 Ready!
10 Infrared in Black & White Conversion Infrared picture shoot with filter can be challenging for processing. This tutorial is not about how to process infrared pictures but how things work just to give you more understanding of digital processing tricks & traps
1 Process RAW file with clarity or whatever you like
2 Open image in Photoshop
3 How things work in channel mixer? They do not! Just to show you few option to avoid confusion in future work.
4 Infrared will not work for you. Why? Is not designed for infrared pictures. It creates infrared effects only.
5 Channel Mixer Infrared results
6 Another approach. Black & White module.
7 Infrared will not work for you again. Here also is not designed for infrared pictures. It creates infrared effects only.
8 Here you are...
9 What works for infrared? Many processing listed before. Try yourself. Here is another one. Create new layer (ctrl + shift + n)
10 Fill in layer with white or black (does not matter for once) (alt+backspace)
11 Change blending mode to color
12 Ready!
11 Google NIK Software This software is free and is amazing. The only point is Google bought software will be not develop any more – it means it will stop working one day, or not going to be accessible via Photoshop. But before it happens you can enjoy this powerful feature. ing tricks & traps
1 Open image (ctrl + o)
2 Go to Filter • Nik Collection • Silver Efex Pro
3 Make adjustments the way you like
4 Ready!
5 You can also access Nik Collection as standalone application without Photoshop‌ just good to keep in mind...
12 Topaz Labs Software Topaz Labs deliver a bit different plugins and software with real time feature and easy workflow. You may love it – just use for few things several times you will know if it is for you or not.
1 Open image (ctrl + o)
2 Go to Filter • Topaz Labs • Topaz BW Effects
3 Make adjustments the way you like
4 Ready!
5 You can also access Topaz Labs as standalone application without Photoshop‌ via photoFXlab that will be created during plugins installation.
13 Re-make Black & White image One day work done may look not quite few month later as you learning fast. Sometimes good to consider is remaking already black & white pictures. On the other hand you may capture black and white pictures with your camera so there is no need for color conversion but for sure there is need for post-processing. This step is just pure inspiration for you.enjoy this powerful feature. ing tricks & traps
1 Open image (ctrl + o)
3 Ready!
3 Go to Filter • Camera Raw Filter
4 Make adjustments the way you like
5 Ready!
5 Reprocessing already done pictures is great lesson. You can learn more about your work, about things to avoid and to make better way. Keep creativity up!
III SUMMARY Thank you for reading and expanding creativity during tutorials. As any digital processing work requires imagination and let you walk away with good results if you have great vision – however best vision gives you nothing as long as you cannot do what you like. Is great that you educate yourself and getting new skills. More advanced version of black & white processing is in commercial e-book
“Black & White Advanced Processing Techniques” If you like more free and commercial e-books please visit: ebooks.studiopcf.com, also accessible via studiopcf.com © 2017 Piotr Cwiklinski • Studio PCF • All rights reserved. Free sharing is allowed, commercial use is not allowed. Text & images use requires written author permission. Social Media Google+ g.studiopcf.com Facebook fb.studiopcf.com You Tube yt.studiopcf.com Behance bh.studiopcf.com