The Digital Photography Companion

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When you’re done, click OK, and Photoshop will do additional processing and present

you with an untitled 16-bit HDR image. Save it as a Photoshop file. Now you can spruce

up your picture with your favorite controls, such as Levels, Hue/Saturation, Curves,

and Unsharp Mask. When you’re done, save the image again, keeping it as a Photoshop

file. is becomes your master print. If you need to use your image in screen presenta-

tions, such as a slide show or a web page, use the Save As command to create JPEG

duplicates.

Convert Color Pictures to B&W

Even though digital cameras can shoot just fine in B&W mode, for the best quality I

recommend that you capture in color and then convert your images to B&W on the

computer. is is an easy process that lets you have both versions of the file, ensuring

that you have maximum flexibility when it comes time for output. Nearly every photo

management application provides you with this option.

Once you have your pictures uploaded to the computer, open your favorite image edi-

tor and look for the option that enables you to convert to B&W. is is an option that

should be available regardless of the application you’re using. But I do like the convert-

ers in some image editors better than others. I’m going to walk you through a few of my

favorite applications here.

B&W in Photoshop CS3

If you’re using Photoshop CS3 (Mac and Windows) go to Image→Adjustments→Black

& White. You can click the Auto button to let Photoshop take the initial stab at the

conversion, and then manually adjust the sliders to suit your taste. You might also want

to sample the variety of predesigned settings listed in the Presets pop-up menu. Tradi-

tional B&W photographers will recognize the yellow, orange, and red filter presets. Once

you’ve settled on the look you want, click OK and Photoshop will finish processing your

shot. You can now use Levels, Curves, and other Photoshop tools to fine-tune your im-

age. Be sure to Save As when you’re finished so that you don’t overwrite the original

color photo.

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B&W in iPhoto

Apple’s iPhoto (Mac) simplifies this process even more. Start by opening your photo

in Edit mode. en click on the Effects button at the bottom of the window. You’re

presented with a grid of nine thumbnails that display previews of the various filters

for your photo. B&W, Sepia, and Antique are all great options for monochrome ef-

fects. Just click on the button you want, and iPhoto applies the filter. If you decide

you don’t like the way the image looks, simply go to Edit→Undo to return the image

to its full-color glory. You can also continue working on your image after conversion

by opening the Adjust panel and playing with the Exposure, Brightness, Contrast, and

other sliders.

Type of artist Suggested software Anticipated results

Novice Don’t use any; just shoot in



Fair; cameras do a decent

job, but few options later in

postproduction

Aficionado 

Lightroom

Simple one-click conversions

produce pleasing results capable

of making nice prints

Approaching

Adams

Grayscale conversion tools in

Adobe Camera Raw, Photo-

shop CS3, Apple Aperture, and

Adobe Lightroom

Capable of superb results rivaling

traditional chemical process, es-

pecially when output to capable



Going grayscale

B&W in Lightroom

I think the best method in Adobe Lightroom is to open your picture in the Develop

module, and then click on the Grayscale label in the HSL / Color / Grayscale panel.

You can adjust the tonal mix of your image by moving the Grayscale Mix sliders to

the left and right. You may also want to use the Target Adjustment tool and adjust

specific tones in the image by dragging the tool up and down on the areas you want

lighter or darker.

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In Lightroom, you can make a virtual copy of your original color photo and

then convert the copy to B&W using the advanced tools in the Develop module.

You Make the Call

As you can see from this small sampling of imaging applications, B&W conversion

and adjustment is a straightforward process in postproduction. Test the method you

choose by making prints and comparing them to B&W images you like. With a little

trial and error, you can develop a workflow that is efficient and produces attractive

grayscale images.

TIP ▼

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Photoshop plug-in that features more than 300 presets that let you simulate nearly

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TRI-X 400.