Request advice on best software for color -> B&W conversion
Apr 1, 2014 19:10:22 #
Los-Angeles-Shooter
Loc: Los Angeles
Request advice on best software for color -> B&W conversion
It's a pain to do it in PS, so I'm looking for suggestions on the best software to quickly make a b&w version of a color photo. Hopefully it's easy to use and will give options like which film type to emulate, control over grain, and maybe stuff like tinting to give interesting looks like sepia.
Much obliged for suggestions.
It's a pain to do it in PS, so I'm looking for suggestions on the best software to quickly make a b&w version of a color photo. Hopefully it's easy to use and will give options like which film type to emulate, control over grain, and maybe stuff like tinting to give interesting looks like sepia.
Much obliged for suggestions.
Apr 1, 2014 19:41:33 #
I'd start this the freebe...Picasa. Nothing could be easier, and there are choices.
Apr 1, 2014 19:41:40 #
lighthouse
Loc: No Fixed Abode
Los-Angeles-Shooter wrote:
Request advice on best software for color -> B&W conversion
It's a pain to do it in PS, so I'm looking for suggestions on the best software to quickly make a b&w version of a color photo. Hopefully it's easy to use and will give options like which film type to emulate, control over grain, and maybe stuff like tinting to give interesting looks like sepia.
Much obliged for suggestions.
It's a pain to do it in PS, so I'm looking for suggestions on the best software to quickly make a b&w version of a color photo. Hopefully it's easy to use and will give options like which film type to emulate, control over grain, and maybe stuff like tinting to give interesting looks like sepia.
Much obliged for suggestions.
Nix Silver Efex - the complete suite of Nik Dfine, Colour Efex, Viveza etc is worth getting.
http://blog.kenkaminesky.com/nik-silver-efex-pro-2-review/
Apr 2, 2014 06:24:54 #
Apr 2, 2014 06:58:18 #
Lightroom, one click. Sepia and effects easy as well
Los-Angeles-Shooter wrote:
Request advice on best software for color -> B&W conversion
It's a pain to do it in PS, so I'm looking for suggestions on the best software to quickly make a b&w version of a color photo. Hopefully it's easy to use and will give options like which film type to emulate, control over grain, and maybe stuff like tinting to give interesting looks like sepia.
Much obliged for suggestions.
It's a pain to do it in PS, so I'm looking for suggestions on the best software to quickly make a b&w version of a color photo. Hopefully it's easy to use and will give options like which film type to emulate, control over grain, and maybe stuff like tinting to give interesting looks like sepia.
Much obliged for suggestions.
Apr 2, 2014 07:35:34 #
Nothing is as easy as one-click. Presets are just a starting place unless you built them. Even then they probably need tweeking for each shot. But Topaz and perfect B&W are pretty good.
Apr 2, 2014 10:54:46 #
Apr 2, 2014 11:19:29 #
I do not know of a single one-click conversion that works for every image. All the good ones require at least a little bit of work. NIKnSilver Efex is great, but the stuff by OnOne, and Topaz are excellent also.
Apr 2, 2014 12:41:08 #
Lightroom has a BW choice which instantly desaturates.Black ans White Of. course you have to to moer to it after that,
I kknow of now photo that is finished with one click.
I kknow of now photo that is finished with one click.
Apr 2, 2014 13:16:42 #
In my opinion, simply desaturating a color photo file or one-clicking the file produces flat, uninteresting photos with poor contrast and no pizazz.
Google recently bought out the NIK Complete Collection, including Silver Efex Pro, and is now selling it for $150, a huge savings. I confess I use only Silver Efex, a fantastic software, but the other apps in the suite look very good, too, if ever I had time to fool with them. You can use Silver Efex as a stand-alone application or a plugin for Photoshop, Light Room, Aperture, and Elements—or all of them if you own them! If you're serious about producing fine art b&w prints, Silver Efex has dozens of presets, such as High Structure (harsh or smooth), Push Process, High Contrast, Grad ND and many others. It has an almost unlimited number of tones, such as Sepia, Silenium, etc. with sliders; it emulates many classic films, offers a host of frames and other filter effects, such as vignetting, etc.
Another good b&w software for much cheaper is DXO's FilmPack Pro, which I used religiously until I discovered NIK Silver Efex Pro. You can get FilmPack Pro 4 at B&H for $42.95.
Google recently bought out the NIK Complete Collection, including Silver Efex Pro, and is now selling it for $150, a huge savings. I confess I use only Silver Efex, a fantastic software, but the other apps in the suite look very good, too, if ever I had time to fool with them. You can use Silver Efex as a stand-alone application or a plugin for Photoshop, Light Room, Aperture, and Elements—or all of them if you own them! If you're serious about producing fine art b&w prints, Silver Efex has dozens of presets, such as High Structure (harsh or smooth), Push Process, High Contrast, Grad ND and many others. It has an almost unlimited number of tones, such as Sepia, Silenium, etc. with sliders; it emulates many classic films, offers a host of frames and other filter effects, such as vignetting, etc.
Another good b&w software for much cheaper is DXO's FilmPack Pro, which I used religiously until I discovered NIK Silver Efex Pro. You can get FilmPack Pro 4 at B&H for $42.95.
Apr 2, 2014 13:49:13 #
I use Silver effects Pro and it workss great. Lightroom has many adjustments before and after the desaturate that improve the photo significantly as well.
loveandpeace wrote:
In my opinion, simply desaturating a color photo f... (show quote)
Apr 2, 2014 13:55:47 #
Los-Angeles-Shooter
Loc: Los Angeles
I'll mention for my kind and helpful colleagues that I am using a high-powered Windows machine running System 7. So I'm not able to use Mac-only software. I'm running Photoshop CS5 now, and don't have Lightroom.
Apr 2, 2014 16:36:47 #
lighthouse
Loc: No Fixed Abode
The price on the Nik suite is down to $126 at the moment I think.
This is a bargain, it is a much better set of programs than that price.
This is a bargain, it is a much better set of programs than that price.
Apr 2, 2014 16:57:53 #
Los-Angeles-Shooter wrote:
to quickly make a b&w version of a color photo.
Much obliged for suggestions.
to quickly make a b&w version of a color photo.
Much obliged for suggestions.
LA, this is just my personal opinion, but the whole process would be much easier if one starts with an image that lends itself properly to B&W.
B&W should be composed of at least some black, and some white. There should be extremes in contrast in the original pic, that being areas of black and areas of white.
I see a lot of pics that are all midtone, and then converted, thus producing poor results.
If you are new to B&W, I suggest before venturing out to start taking pics, that you google, "film noir", and look at as many examples as you can tolerate, to give you a good basis as to what constitutes a good B&W.
LA, it's just my 2cents. Good luck. ;-)
SS
Apr 2, 2014 17:00:27 #
SharpShooter wrote:
LA, this is just my personal opinion, but the whol... (show quote)
Excellent advice!!
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