black and white pic

smuggersmugger Registered Users Posts: 40 Big grins
edited October 10, 2007 in SmugMug Support
Hi, I put in my gallery a pic that I made to b&w in PS and it looked much darker than in PS once I uploaded it. Here is the pic in my gallery:

204478044-S.jpg

Is there anyone I can send the PSD to so they can see the difference? (I made it small so it's only 2MB. I am thinking I may not be getting the entire concept of using the channel mixer. Please let me know if someone can help me out, thanks!
~smugger

Comments

  • smuggersmugger Registered Users Posts: 40 Big grins
    edited October 9, 2007
    just a bump...should I put this somewhere else or contact help at smugmug instead?
    ~smugger
  • AndyAndy Registered Users Posts: 50,016 Major grins
    edited October 9, 2007
    That is a very very dark underexposed photo. Have you got a raw file I can look at?
    Andy

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  • smuggersmugger Registered Users Posts: 40 Big grins
    edited October 9, 2007
    Andy wrote:
    That is a very very dark underexposed photo. Have you got a raw file I can look at?

    hi, thanks for responding. I have a psd file that I made smaller so that it's not too big, around 2mb. Would it be ok if I emailed it to you so you could take a look? It was not this dark on my mac and for the most part my color photos are turning out ok. I think I am not doing something right when I convert to b&w...
    ~smugger
  • AndyAndy Registered Users Posts: 50,016 Major grins
    edited October 9, 2007
    smugger wrote:
    hi, thanks for responding. I have a psd file that I made smaller so that it's not too big, around 2mb. Would it be ok if I emailed it to you so you could take a look? It was not this dark on my mac and for the most part my color photos are turning out ok. I think I am not doing something right when I convert to b&w...
    I don't want the psd - upload the original jpg and link me to the file - I'll work it up for you and give a lesson at the same time :)
    Andy

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  • smuggersmugger Registered Users Posts: 40 Big grins
    edited October 10, 2007
    Andy wrote:
    I don't want the psd - upload the original jpg and link me to the file - I'll work it up for you and give a lesson at the same time :)

    Oh I see, ok sounds good.

    Location is here. Thanks for your help!
    ~smugger
  • AndyAndy Registered Users Posts: 50,016 Major grins
    edited October 10, 2007
    smugger wrote:
    Oh I see, ok sounds good.

    Location is here. Thanks for your help!
    Ok. So, the problem here is severe underexposure. Look at the histogram:
    camera_raw_4.2__-__jpeg-20071010-090519.jpg

    See how it's all bunched up to the left? That says that nearly all of your pixels are dark.

    Watch what happens now if we try to raise this exposure:camera_raw_4.2__-__jpeg-20071010-090818.jpg

    See all the noise that comes up? I'm sorry to say tha this photo won't make any kind of good black and white :(

    I wish I had a better answer for you, smugger!
    Andy

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  • smuggersmugger Registered Users Posts: 40 Big grins
    edited October 10, 2007
    Hi Andy,

    Thanks for taking a look. Yes, it's very dark so I knew it wouldn't be the best quality. Just curious though, why is it I can lighten it up in cs3, convert to b&w, and save to a jpeg that looks much lighter than what I see in smugmug?

    I have lightened up underexposed color photos before with levels and blending options in cs3 which I uploaded and looked the same on my screen and in smugmug so confused as to why it would not work for a b&w. Not the best images, I know, but something is better than nothing when it's a special event and I want to remember it :).
    ~smugger
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