Camera black/white or post processing conversion (Page 2): You might luck into a great B&W shot using in camera settings, but you give up so much ability to control how the colors...

JohnSwanda Loc: San Francisco

thrash50 wrote:

Another case of personal preference, you can get great monochrome, images with film, camera settings, or post processing. If you consider gray, a color, then there is no such thing as "black and white".

You might luck into a great B&W shot using in camera settings, but you give up so much ability to control how the colors translate into B&W. As for the term "black and white" it may not be technically accurate, but it has been used in photography for a very long time and everybody knows what it means. The newer term "grayscale" is also in wide use now.

SuperFly48 Loc: NE ILLINOIS

I have been advised by the photo labs that does my printing that third party editing software does a better job of decolorizing a digital image than having the DSLR do it. That being noted, I shoot JPEG + RAW with my Nikons and shoot monochrome to give me a preview of the image. If that image is worthy of printing, I will work on the RAW file in Lightroom.

srt101fan

FlyGuy47 wrote:

I have been advised by the photo labs that does my printing that third party editing software does a better job of decolorizing a digital image than having the DSLR do it. That being noted, I shoot JPEG + RAW with my Nikons and shoot monochrome to give me a preview of the image. If that image is worthy of printing, I will work on the RAW file in Lightroom.

I do the same for the time being: Raw + JPEG, with JPEGs set for monochrome. Good way to learn.....

BobHartung Loc: Bettendorf, IA

Leon S wrote:

The other day I attended a county fair judging in which the judge stated that in order to get a really good black and white you had to set the camera for black/white not convert it in software set up. Could anyone care to give comment to this statement. I personally don't agree but I don't normally shoot or print black and white. Thanks for any comments.

The judge is WRONG! Capture in RAW then in the software of your choice you can play with the color channel saturation and luminosity accentuate or hide certain features of the image. The color result may look horrendous, but when converted to B&W it can look great.

The best argument yet for nondestructive editing.

BebuLamar

Gene51 wrote:

There is some merit to this judge's advice. Seeing... (show quote)

I would agree on this. I don't shoot B&W although I loved to see the images emerged on the paper in the developing tray which I can't do with color however I had problem visualize the B&W image looking at the scene in color. Setting the camera to B&W and especially with an EVF that also switches to B&W would be a great help. However I would shoot RAW so that I still have the full color image to convert in post.

rmalarz Loc: Tempe, Arizona

If shooting film, I'll capture the image in black and white from the start. With digital, I'll capture the image using RAW format and process in PS to produce black and white photographs. In order to capture the original in black and white means having to use other than RAW for the initial exposure. This removes a tremendous amount of control that I have with exposure and processing.

Just out of curiosity, especially after that comment, what qualified him to be a judge for a ... oh wait! It was a county fair. Some of those can be dubious at best.
--Bob

Leon S wrote:

The other day I attended a county fair judging in which the judge stated that in order to get a really good black and white you had to set the camera for black/white not convert it in software set up. Could anyone care to give comment to this statement. I personally don't agree but I don't normally shoot or print black and white. Thanks for any comments.

speters Loc: Grangeville/Idaho

Leon S wrote:

The other day I attended a county fair judging in which the judge stated that in order to get a really good black and white you had to set the camera for black/white not convert it in software set up. Could anyone care to give comment to this statement. I personally don't agree but I don't normally shoot or print black and white. Thanks for any comments.

That is an absoletly wrong statement! If you do that, you cut yourself way short, limiting yourself to mediocre results!

Leon S Loc: Minnesota

Thanks for all the comments regarding this question. I also agree that B&W done in post processing would allow for better imaging. Keep in mind that most county fairs don't allow much post processing usually just cropping and lightening or darkening. Maybe the small fairs will someday allow people to show their skills all the way through the art of photography.

cambriaman Loc: Central CA Coast

RAW, let post-processing create the monochrome, total control. There is NO decision here.

Daryl New Loc: Wellington,New Zealand

Here,here Jerry,totally agree.