tutorial: better b&w with selective color>black

Andy

i cannot emphasize the value of using selective color>blacks in
your b&w conversion. i use it in almost every single b&w
conversion that i do.

here's how. perform your normal b&w conversion. if you need a week's worth of reading on b&w conversion, look here!

let's look at this image. here it is after my bw conversion and levels adjustment. still needs some pop though, eh?



now do layer>new adjustment layer>selective color


choose the blacks from the drop down menu and bump it up. sometimes as much as 100%, depending on the image. don't worry if it gets too much in certain parts, you can always back it off selectively, using the layer mask.



here, you can see that i used the layer mask and a soft edged fat brush to remove some of the added black from certain areas of the image. look closely at the layer mask in the layers pallette window. to see where i backed off the blacks, look closely at the tree/water line on the left hand side of the image.



and here's the finished product.

ir-modified sony f828, 1/200th sec, f/5.6, 720nm filter aboard.


enjoy (black and white) photography,

ginger_55

I can't get the whole page printed on
A Sheet of printing paper. I have tried changing the settings, etc. I get the image cut off on the rt side of the paper each time, in other words I am not getting all the info on the page. I have never had this problem before. Do you have any suggestions. I would like to be able to print out this, and all, tutorials.
Has anyone else had this problem?

ginger

ginger_55

I found the printable version and
it is still too wide.
ginger

Andy

ginger_55 wrote:

it is still too wide.
ginger

i made the images a bit smaller. please say when you've printed it so i can return them to the large size, thanks.

Shakey

Just a thought but if it is not working , try copy and paste into a Word Doc and print from there.

And see if that will work?


Tim

ginger_55

I printed the blk/white tutorial, thanks andy.....
Thanks, Andy. Making the images a tad smaller did just the trick. Thank you so much. I was glad it worked as I do not know how to put them in a word doc, or whatever. I have them printed, now, though, so go ahead and enlarge.
ginger

Andy

happy to oblige, ginger!

ginger_55 wrote:

Thanks, Andy. Making the images a tad smaller did just the trick. Thank you so much. I was glad it worked as I do not know how to put them in a word doc, or whatever. I have them printed, now, though, so go ahead and enlarge.
ginger

glad you got it printed...

gus

This is invaluable stuff for me andy...i need to know this stuff but i do everything you say & still the original colour pic i have up just darkens very slightly in PS

Is there anything you didnt mention that is maybe obvious that im not getting ?

gus

Ok..im a dummy, you had it in greyscale first off. Ok so i now try it again but now that the pic is B&W...it wont allow me to hit "selective colour "

Whats the next stupid thing im doing wrong ?

digismile

Humungus wrote:

Ok..im a dummy, you had it in greyscale first off. Ok so i now try it again but now that the pic is B&W...it wont allow me to hit "selective colour "

Whats the next stupid thing im doing wrong ?

Hi Humy,
This should be an easy fix. To use selective colour, your image must still be an RGB image. Check under Image->Mode-> and see what your image mode is. If is says grayscale, selective colour won't work.

I think the way Andy does his B/W conversions sometimes is by using Layers->New Adjustment Layers->channel mixer (this leaves it as an RGB picture). Mix the Red and green so that the mix totals about 100% and click the monochrome check box.

Now you can add another adustment layer to add the selective colour. I just gave it a quick try, and it works fine.

Hope the drugs are doing their job! Be well:D

regards,
Brad

gus

digismile wrote:

Hi Humy,
This should be an easy fix. To use selective colour, your image must still be an RGB image. Check under Image->Mode-> and see what your image mode is. If is says grayscale, selective colour won't work.

I think the way Andy does his B/W conversions sometimes is by using Layers->New Adjustment Layers->channel mixer (this leaves it as an RGB picture). Mix the Red and green so that the mix totals about 100% and click the monochrome check box.

Now you can add another adustment layer to add the selective colour. I just gave it a quick try, and it works fine.

Hope the drugs are doing their job! Be well:D

regards,
Brad

Ta DS...i'll give it a whirl. Nice to see another that can spell colour also

gus

GOT IT !!!


Problem is that it changed the photo from 500 k to over 10 meg !! is that normal ?

gus

Hell i feel like the " Lawnmowerman "

It was huge cause it was saved as a PSD...changed it to jpeg & ta dar ! This is 'Tilly ' 0zz's most feared dingo

digismile

Humungus wrote:

Hell i feel like the " Lawnmowerman "

It was huge cause it was saved as a PSD...changed it to jpeg & ta dar ! This is 'Tilly ' 0zz's most feared dingo

Cool shot! Tilly looks almost as fearsome as my brother's dog Taz' (she's a little devil ... ). My brother lived down under for years (east of Melbn') until he was transferred to Houston last fall but they named their dog after a part of the world they loved but left behind ...

How about some more wildlife shots?

Brad

P.S. Where did you get the awesome avatar?

digismile

Humungus wrote:

Ta DS...i'll give it a whirl. Nice to see another that can spell colour also

Just doing my part to practice the Queen's english ...