blk/wht try C&C

ilbcnuilbcnu Registered Users Posts: 311 Major grins
edited January 11, 2009 in Finishing School
Hi All,
I truly enjoy blk wht images but don't quite get mine where I want. I thought I would give this a shot..probably not the best original as the dog is gray, reddish and white but in the last couple of weeks I find myself drawn to reflections and do like this one. What do you think? I also rec. a huey for christmas and have tried to calibrate my laptop so too light/dark?
Thanks for C&C
451346433_rQpZn-L.jpg
Amanda
It is never to late to become what you might have been.
www.behindthezoom.com

Comments

  • jjbongjjbong Registered Users Posts: 244 Major grins
    edited January 8, 2009
    Nice concept. The fur on the "real" dog seems blown out in a number of places. Did you create it from a color shot? If so, could you post the original color version?
    John Bongiovanni
  • ilbcnuilbcnu Registered Users Posts: 311 Major grins
    edited January 8, 2009
    thanks for looking - this is the original only processing on this is cropping

    451355652_ruHL4-L.jpg
    Amanda
    It is never to late to become what you might have been.
    www.behindthezoom.com
  • SciurusNigerSciurusNiger Registered Users Posts: 256 Major grins
    edited January 9, 2009
    Why don't you simply make the whole reflection B&W? The dog is so beautifully colored by the light, it would be a shame to lose it. IMHO, anyway.
    Garnered Images Photography

    "Where beauty moves and wit delights and signs of kindness bind me; there, oh there, whe'er I go I leave my heart behind me." (Thomas Ford, 1607)
  • jjbongjjbong Registered Users Posts: 244 Major grins
    edited January 9, 2009
    ilbcnu wrote:
    thanks for looking - this is the original only processing on this is cropping

    There is at least one thread on converting to B&W images (a technique that is quite useful in getting the right contrast in color images, by the way):

    http://dgrin.com/showthread.php?t=53842

    Using this technique, I did this to the color photo:

    451607467_iNwrN-L.jpg

    Just a bit of channel blending, some curves, and shadow/highlight. You can adjust the contrast to taste (if you find this too contrasty). I think it brings out more fur detail.

    Converting this to greyscale gives this:

    451607503_HVNVM-L.jpg
    John Bongiovanni
  • pathfinderpathfinder Super Moderators Posts: 14,708 moderator
    edited January 9, 2009
    jjbong wrote:
    There is at least one thread on converting to B&W images (a technique that is quite useful in getting the right contrast in color images, by the way):

    John, there is a sticky full of B&W conversion threads at the first link at the top of this forum thumb.gif

    Nice conversions, but I think I prefer the color version for this imagene_nau.gif
    Pathfinder - www.pathfinder.smugmug.com

    Moderator of the Technique Forum and Finishing School on Dgrin
  • ilbcnuilbcnu Registered Users Posts: 311 Major grins
    edited January 9, 2009
    Thank you for the replies. John I like your color and conversion, I can see that I need to learn to not "over convert" I just keep working the image and miss what I think I was looking for- if that makes sense.
    I too like the color version. I tried to remove the red between the reflection and the dog but when I did it removed too much red on the real dog fur...any suggestions there?
    Thanks again for all help!:D
    Amanda
    It is never to late to become what you might have been.
    www.behindthezoom.com
  • ilbcnuilbcnu Registered Users Posts: 311 Major grins
    edited January 9, 2009
    after thinking about it for awhile...layers d"oh thats how I could get the red out...rolleyes1.gif
    Thanks again for all the help/advice!!
    Amanda
    It is never to late to become what you might have been.
    www.behindthezoom.com
  • pathfinderpathfinder Super Moderators Posts: 14,708 moderator
    edited January 9, 2009
    You can also desaturate the reds in RAW conversion in ARC or LR2
    Pathfinder - www.pathfinder.smugmug.com

    Moderator of the Technique Forum and Finishing School on Dgrin
  • jjbongjjbong Registered Users Posts: 244 Major grins
    edited January 9, 2009
    I assume that you mean making the red pole and its reflection less eye-catching. Is this what you're looking for?

    451969917_DgSSH-L.jpg

    I did the equivalent of what Pathfinder suggested, but a little differently. I desaturated in LAB, and limited it's effect (on a different layer) using Blend-If to limit it to the redder parts of the image (which are the pole and its reflection).
    John Bongiovanni
  • ilbcnuilbcnu Registered Users Posts: 311 Major grins
    edited January 9, 2009
    Yes that was what I was looking for in the color version!!! I am going to give it a try-
    Thank You I really like it now without the bold red down middle.
    Amanda
    It is never to late to become what you might have been.
    www.behindthezoom.com
  • pathfinderpathfinder Super Moderators Posts: 14,708 moderator
    edited January 9, 2009
    Nicely done, John!
    Pathfinder - www.pathfinder.smugmug.com

    Moderator of the Technique Forum and Finishing School on Dgrin
  • jjbongjjbong Registered Users Posts: 244 Major grins
    edited January 9, 2009
    ilbcnu wrote:
    Yes that was what I was looking for in the color version!!! I am going to give it a try-
    Thank You I really like it now without the bold red down middle.

    Here's how to do it. Basically you can desaturate the A channel (only) in LAB, since you're only interested in desaturating Reds. Then you use Blend-If to limit this to the more saturated reds (technically, magentas).

    Take the image you like (either your original or mine with the contrast enhanced, or some other).

    1. Go into LAB (Image->Mode->LAB)
    2. Duplicate the Layer and select the top layer
    3. On the Top Layer select the A channel (you can then click on LAB to make everything
    visible)
    452002429_WNAc7-L.jpg
    4. Image->Apply Image
    Select the A channel from the Background layer, inverted, Overlay mode
    452002387_dzZmV-M.jpg
    Overlaying the A or B channel's inverse onto itself desaturates the colors it represents. You can control the desaturation with Opacity, but there's no need to do that here.
    5. Double click on the top layer to get to the Layer Style dialog.
    6. Select the A channel for Blend-If and set the sliders for the Underlying Channel to limit the
    layer to higher A values (more saturated magentas):
    452002410_nrqNP-M.jpg
    You can watch the image as you move the bottom black slider from left to right to see the value where the pole starts to go back to its more saturated color, and back off from that. Then Alt-click the slider to split it, and put a "transition" range in so sort of blur the effect.
    7. Image->Mode->RGB and you're done.
    John Bongiovanni
  • ilbcnuilbcnu Registered Users Posts: 311 Major grins
    edited January 9, 2009
    John Thank You...I was trying to find my books as I couldn't remember blend IF -
    I am printing this post for future reference!!
    bowdown.gif
    Amanda
    It is never to late to become what you might have been.
    www.behindthezoom.com
  • ilbcnuilbcnu Registered Users Posts: 311 Major grins
    edited January 11, 2009
    Well, I tried again with all the info from John and pathfinder. For some reason I really like the reflection so trying to bring out best of this image.
    If nothing else I sure have learned alot working it!! Thanks again.
    C&C welcome.

    452959684_tVzwf-L.jpg
    Amanda
    It is never to late to become what you might have been.
    www.behindthezoom.com
  • RovingEyePhotoRovingEyePhoto Registered Users Posts: 314 Major grins
    edited January 11, 2009
    Wow, what a great thread to learn from. I have a ton of B&W conversions planned for this winter, first tries. This thread alone gives so much to think about. I've read about various conversion methods, don't know which I'll use, but it'll be in CS3, that's what I have, would be a sin not to use it. Beyond that, I'm an blank page.
    See my work at http://www.flickr.com/photos/26525400@N04/sets/. Policy is to initially upload 10-20 images from each shoot, then a few from various of the in-process shoots each time I log on, until a shoot is completely uploaded.
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