Black and whites (Page 2): I shoot raw and convert to black and white using Capture One Pro. When you say you may shoot color and then convert you may find hard to obtain quality black...

bweber Loc: Newton, MA

I shoot raw and convert to black and white using Capture One Pro. When you say you may shoot color and then convert you may find hard to obtain quality black and whites if you are converting color jpgs. Raw images always start in color because they import all of the data. However, they give you all the data you need to produce high quality black and whit images. I am not familiar with the post processing software you are using, but most software has a method of producing black and white images from raw photos. You can reduce the saturation and produce an image that looks like black and white, but you are much better off using the black and white conversion that should come with your software. I would look for better software if your's does not permit conversion.

camerapapi Loc: Miami, Fl.

I believe you will be a step ahead shooting in color and using a program specifically made for converting b&w images. In my case I use Topaz B&W Effects 2. Photoshop has a very good B&W conversion and so Affinity Photo.

gvarner Loc: Central Oregon Coast

High contrast is a virtue. Graphic images are a virtue. That’s all I have to offer.

Fredrick Loc: Former NYC, now San Francisco Bay Area

Longshadow wrote:

That and maybe using Canon's DPP and adjusting the contrast/highlight/shadow values?

POVDOV

tarsen wrote:

I have seen some beautiful black and white photos on this site. I have only been able to get grey and white with my Rebel T6i set to monochrome and my 18 to 135 lens.
How can I get better black and white images? Should I be taking pictures in color and then converting to B&W? I have both Picasa (that I still use) and Luminar 3 which I don't know very well. Attached is an example.
Appreciate any good comments, but flames to dev/null.

Luminar is a good place to start. It has light controls that let you darken and lighten areas. Contrast is a good place to start. Contrast is in the LIGHT controls. It lightens lights and darkens darks. Individual darkening and lighting can be done with the brush tool.

All this is will take a dive into the learning effort you will have to make to get the results you want. Luminar has preset black and white modifications you can look view at the bottom of the page.

Luminar has wonderful toutorials by excellent professional photographers. You subject will be addressed there.

burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

tarsen wrote:

I have seen some beautiful black and white photos on this site. I have only been able to get grey and white with my Rebel T6i set to monochrome and my 18 to 135 lens.
How can I get better black and white images? Should I be taking pictures in color and then converting to B&W? I have both Picasa (that I still use) and Luminar 3 which I don't know very well. Attached is an example.
Appreciate any good comments, but flames to dev/null.

The possibilities are endless... if you start with a raw file. Raw data is all the information from the sensor, digitized. A raw editor converts data to color, monochrome, or any "look" you want.

A good parametric editor such as Lightroom Classic Develop Module or ACR in Bridge or ACR in Photoshop CC can let you adjust dozens of parameters to get a look you just can't get with silver halide film.

I'm pretty sure that you have a raw editor in Luminar 3 or Picasa, or Canon's DPP (downloadable free from Canon's site, with camera serial #).

donmenges Loc: Rochester, NY

There are many good suggestions here. I might add, as someone has already stated, that you need to practice, practice, practice. Join a local photo club. Post in many places asking for feedback. Getting your work critiqued is the best way to improve... and you can't have a thin skin.

I decided to only produce B&W images about 5 years ago and I think I'm getting the hang of it. After a while, you begin to "see" in B&W and the images will find you.

A basic workflow for me is to shoot RAW in color. I use Photoshop to process my RAW images. I use "Levels" to improve contrast. Levels allows you to make sure you have pure black (just a little usually) somewhere in your photo and pure white (again, just a little), and then use the middle slider to adjust the midtones dark or light to your preference. I then use NIK Silver Effects Pro to convert my photo to B&W. There are many presets that are quite good and you can tweak them.

Linda From Maine Loc: Yakima, Washington

burkphoto wrote:

...I'm pretty sure that you have a raw editor in Luminar 3 or Picasa, or Canon's DPP (downloadable free from Canon's site, with camera serial #).

Not in Picasa. There is a blurb somewhere online in the old Google/Picasa FAQ's that says a raw file will be automatically converted to jpg when opened.

That was before Picasa stopped being supported. With the Canon SX50 circa 2013, my raw files had an unfixable red tint when opened in Picasa. Others had similar issues per a couple of UHH topics at the time.

burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

Linda From Maine wrote:

Not in Picasa. There is a blurb somewhere online in the old Google/Picasa FAQ's that says a raw file will be automatically converted to jpg when opened.

That was before Picasa stopped being supported. With the Canon SX50 circa 2013, my raw files had an unfixable red tint when opened in Picasa. Others had similar issues per a couple of UHH topics at the time.

I believe there is a workaround involving Adobe's free DNG convertor, but it has been awhile...

And yes, Picasa now would be among my last choices for post-processing software. The last time its raw converter was updated was 2013! Most people use something else to convert raw to TIFF, then run the TIFF through other software to post-process.

Actually, if the OP can get Canon DPP downloaded and installed, it is an excellent tool for creating a TIFF from raw files that can be passed on to about any other image editing application.

donmenges Loc: Rochester, NY

I have always been a PhotoShop user, so I stay in my comfort zone. I understand that Luminar is a very good alternative.

spaceytracey Loc: East Glacier Park, MT

What Linda said & study Ansel Adams.

Shirlzey

I love film. Making a b&w photo, I shoot b&w film, process it, and make the b&w prints in my darkroom. No problem getting all the gradations I want.

spaceytracey Loc: East Glacier Park, MT

Shirlzey wrote:

I love film. Making a b&w photo, I shoot b&w film, process it, and make the b&w prints in my darkroom. No problem getting all the gradations I want.

Ah, the good ole days. Wish I still had my darkroom.

burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

Shirlzey wrote:

I love film. Making a b&w photo, I shoot b&w film, process it, and make the b&w prints in my darkroom. No problem getting all the gradations I want.

Absolutely nothing wrong with that. I used film for 40+ years, from childhood hobby to running departments in a photo lab.

Digital's great advantage is the degree of micro control possible, and the absolute immediacy of the digital image. When needed, a JPEG from a WiFi or NFC or BluTooth enabled camera can be sent to a smartphone and uploaded to a remote server for immediate use.

Here's a sample of an image pulled three ways from the same raw file.

(Download)

burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

spaceytracey wrote:

Ah, the good ole days. Wish I still had my darkroom.

Film image from 1969 I made for my 9th grade yearbook — 35mm Tri-X, digitized by re-photographing the negative with a macro lens. Finished in Lightroom Classic CC.

(Download)