| Copyright © 2006 Peter HornerMost images | | | | through red, green or blue filters. For example if you |
| were produced in black and white for nearly a hundred | | | | wanted to maximize cloud contrast in a blue sky, then |
| years after the invention of photography, but now | | | | a red filter would achieve this. I usually set the red |
| colour images have become commonplace. Creating | | | | channel to 0 and the green channel to 100 to cut down |
| strong three dimensional images on a piece of paper is | | | | on the amount of noise, or sometimes a combination |
| one of the best attributes of black and white | | | | of red and green depending on the image.Curves and |
| photography, as the effect can be more striking than | | | | Levels - Brightness and contrast can be adjusted in |
| with a colour photograph. Without the colour to distract | | | | Photoshop by using the curves and levels tools, which |
| us we become more aware of the subtle tones which | | | | can be found under Image > Adjustments Curves |
| can be found within a black and white image. In this | | | | Levels. Both curves and levels allow you to adjust the |
| article I will share the technique I use that will help you | | | | tonal range of an image. When using the levels |
| create beautiful, striking and moody black and white | | | | command you can make adjustments to just three |
| images from your colour photographs.Digital cameras | | | | variables, highlights, shadows and midtones. I prefer to |
| have a black and white mode but more information | | | | use curves as it gives you more precision. With curves |
| and detail will be recorded in colour, which will also | | | | you can adjust any point along a scale while keeping |
| create a higher quality printed image. This is why I | | | | up to 15 other values constant. By adjusting the black |
| always shoot in colour then convert images later. | | | | point and white point in curves you can give your |
| There are several ways of converting an image to | | | | image more contrast. At opposite ends of the diagonal |
| black and white using Photoshop and many other | | | | line you will find a small dot. When you grab hold one |
| image editing programs. You could simply desaturate | | | | of the dots with your mouse and drag it around you |
| the colours, but creating a black and white image with | | | | will see the image change. To create more contrast |
| real tone and definition goes beyond this. Levels, | | | | drag the black point lower and the white point higher, |
| curves and the Unsharp Mask can be used creatively | | | | so that either end of the diagonal line is curved. |
| with black and white conversion to provide further | | | | Practice using curves and levels and explore the |
| control over tones and contrast to create a stunning | | | | different effects you can achieve with your |
| image.Channel Mixer - I have found that using the | | | | images.Unsharp Mask - The Unsharp Mask is my |
| Photoshop Channel Mixer is the easiest way to | | | | preferred tool for sharpening images, which can be |
| convert an image to black and white and produces the | | | | found under Filter > Sharpen > Unsharp Mask. |
| best results. The Channel Mixer allows you to control | | | | It is a traditional film compositing technique used to |
| how much red, green and blue contribute to the final | | | | sharpen edges in an image and corrects blurring. The |
| monochrome image.The Channel Mixer can be | | | | Unsharp Mask locates pixels that differ from |
| selected from the adjustment layer popup menu in the | | | | surrounding pixels by the threshold you specify and |
| layers palette or you can also access it from under | | | | increases the pixels' contrast by the amount you |
| the image menu.Clicking on the left tick box entitled | | | | specify. In order to get the look which I desire in my |
| Monochrome will convert your photograph into a | | | | images I use the Unsharp Mask twice. I begin by using |
| greyscale image, and gives you the ability to blend the | | | | a high radius and lower amount, such as a radius of 50 |
| red, green and blue channels. Adjust each of the | | | | pixels and an amount of 30%. This gives the image a |
| sliders to produce an image to your liking. As a rule | | | | much more intense look and details will stand out. The |
| make sure that the total values for each channel adds | | | | second time I use a lower radius of 1 pixel with a |
| up to 100%. This creates monochrome images that | | | | higher amount of 30%, which will correct any blurring |
| are the equivalent of ones shot on black and white film | | | | and sharpen the image. |