B & W workflow (Page 2): Preferred? It depends on the subject and the capture method. For processed black-and-white film, read my white paper PDF, attached below. For digital images, I...

burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

RobertP wrote:

Would like to review workflows for converting photos into B & W. What is the preferred workflow for eventually printing your own B & W photos ve sending the photos out to a "professional" house for printing. Just wanted to see how all of you think about the topic. Thanx.

Preferred? It depends on the subject and the capture method.

For processed black-and-white film, read my white paper PDF, attached below.

For digital images, I start with a raw file (color). I might have set the camera for raw plus JPEG, and set the menus to monochrome, so I can "see in B&W" in the electronic viewfinder, but all raw files contain color information. The color balance can be adjusted to lighten and darken the gray values of colors in the original scene.

I use the raw file in Lightroom Classic, and play around with *all* the color options there, to find the "look" that is right for the subject. Like my old radio engineer friend said, "Tune for minimum smoke!" I adjust the sliders until I like what I see on my calibrated and profiled monitor. I proof on my office printer, and send to a lab (I use several).

Attached file:
(Download)

photoman43

I process the RAW file in DXO PL5 with emphasis on just needed global and local adjustments. Then I crop if needed (with noise reduction taking place) and take a TIFF into NIK Silver Efex Pro for making the B & W Tiff. I start with one of the Presets and adjust if needed. Take the tiff back into DXOPL5 to make any Jpegs as needed.

BobHartung Loc: Bettendorf, IA

RobertP wrote:

Would like to review workflows for converting photos into B & W. What is the preferred workflow for eventually printing your own B & W photos ve sending the photos out to a "professional" house for printing. Just wanted to see how all of you think about the topic. Thanx.

B&W conversion is best done from a RAW image. I always experiment with each image by altering colors; changing saturation and luminance; and especially wildly altering vibrance. You will find that many images that may look hideous in color make great B&W conversions. Your goal is to have tonality separations in the important part of the image.

Curmudgeon Loc: SE Arizona

I'm one of those odd ducks that does all my PP in Photoshop. I first produce the best color image I am capable of then, still in PS, look at in B&W. If I think it has potential (not often) I use the NIK Silver Efex Pro plugin on the color image.

Photopharma Loc: Mountainside, NJ

I started in the out dark room many years ago. The biggest challenge for me, in the digital world, is to obtain varying shades of grey to represent the colors that originally attracted me to the take the photo initially. I use a combination of LR +PS. Use LR to open photo and make adjustments to size, artifacts et al. The take photo into PS and use AUTO COLOR for some adjustments, then 2 layers - first is BW layer and adjust the colors in the BW image. Next is the selective layer - only using white, neutral and and black sliders to create a good BW image. Then back to LR to finish up.

bonjac Loc: Santa Ynez, CA 93460

rmalarz wrote:

I'm quite familiar with the "reset" and start over approach.

--Bob

Yep!

Jack 13088 Loc: Central NY

CHG_CANON wrote:

Personally, when doing a digital B&W conversio... (show quote)

My flow is identical to CHG_CANON. I add the observation that as of a few months ago LrC added B&W templates that I find most excellent. According to MattK they were newly developed by the same guy that previously designed those in Silverfix. You just mouse over the templates to see what they yield with the photo you are editing.

I add this in case Paul hasn’t yet seen the Lightroom in the subscription versions.

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

Jack 13088 wrote:

My flow is identical to CHG_CANON. I add the observation that as of a few months ago LrC added B&W templates that I find most excellent. According to MattK they were newly developed by the same guy that previously designed those in Silverfix. You just mouse over the templates to see what they yield with the photo you are editing.

I add this in case Paul hasn’t yet seen the Lightroom in the subscription versions.

Thank you Jack! I'll keep them in mind when someday I join the subscription crowd.

profbowman Loc: Harrisonburg, VA, USA

I do as many others have said already--adjust the color photo to my liking and then convert it to grayscale. Usually, I will end up doing some adjusting of the b&w image, also, since it is a "new" image with different constraints than the colored one has. In the image below, I reduced the contrast and also reduced the brightness. --Richard

terryMc Loc: Arizona's White Mountains

I set my camera to B&W so the screen shows a grayscale image, and shoot in raw and jpeg fine. I put the raw file on the primary card and the jpeg on the secondary. The raw file is always in color, and I can do a full conversion, or I can just adjust the tones in the jpeg as desired for immediate posting to forums, etc.

On the raw file, I will usually do the standard tone and color corrections in ACR and then open it in Photoshop where I will use either a B&W or gradient map adjustment layer (sometimes both) for the conversion. I usually make a neutral gray layer for dodge/burn, and I will make additional adjustment layers, like curves, as needed. I save my raw files and a tiff, .psd or .dng file and for posting to social media I'll save a jpeg.

Photocraig

DWU2 wrote:

Typically, after basic editing in Lightroom Classic (straighten, crop, remove distractions, exposure adjustments, sharpening) I then export to NIK Silver Efex Pro. After using Silver Efex, the photo imports back into LR.

That's my "workflow," too.
C

Photocraig

rmalarz wrote:

I'm quite familiar with the "reset" and start over approach.

--Bob

YUP! Except it doesn't involve expensive pieces of Phot print paper!

RobertP

I really want to thank all of u guys. Learning is such a great part of photographic life. I value these comments and will definitely try to use more Silver Effects Pro which for some reason stopped using. Wow! Great conversation. Thanx again.

Picture Taker Loc: Michigan Thumb

Boy, in the old days it was simple, we just bought black and white film. Too bad we can't just buy a black and white memory card.

burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

Picture Taker wrote:

Boy, in the old days it was simple, we just bought black and white film. Too bad we can't just buy a black and white memory card.

I'd much rather sit at my computer than mix chemicals, temper solutions, deal with dust, waste paper testing... With my setup, what I see is what I get. Move the sliders around 'til I like it, and print or send to lab.