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Post by Sydney on Jun 9, 2018 1:53:56 GMT
Some fine conversions on the thread. As for mine, I started with noise reduction using Nik Dfine and then the Antique Plate II preset in Nik Silver Efex. I modified it by tweaking brightness, contrast and tone. I then added a vignette and burned the edges for additional effect. Lastly, I brought it back into PSE for some slight sharpening.  |
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Post by hmca on Jun 9, 2018 2:57:25 GMT
Thanks for the detailed explanation, Sydney. Beautifully toned and has a somewhat dreamy quality.....beautiful.
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Post by Peterj on Jun 9, 2018 4:55:28 GMT
This was captured on a hike in Saguaro National Park. I was captivated by the beauty of the bloom in stark contrast with the formidable spikes.
Processed On1 PR 2018: Dynamic contrast applied with luminosity mask, tone enhancer to reduce background brightness, Black & White filter, custom vignette using tone enhancer
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Post by Bailey on Jun 9, 2018 6:38:21 GMT
I see some really nice subjects in this thread, so just a quick reminder that whether an image is B&W or monochrome, they generally look their best with maximum depth and contrast when the full tonal range is used. Images not using the full tonal range tend to look flatter and low contrast - that's just the nature of B&W and monochrome images. So if anyone is dabbling with a B&W conversion and not sure if their image has the full tonal range, open up the histogram for the image and you will see immediately if it has or hasn't. If it hasn't, and you really want a full tonal range, you can use adjustments like Levels, Brightness/Contrast and others to adjust the whole image or specific elements, using layer masks, to create specific effects and utilise the full tonal range. Hope this helps someone  |
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Post by hmca on Jun 9, 2018 13:39:55 GMT
While Bailey's statement above is generally accepted as technically correct, what also comes in to play is the photographer/artist's vision for their image. As an example, if we were to adjust the histogram in Sydney's image above, we would lose the soft dream-like quality which I find so appealing.
So I just wanted to add a word of caution about interpreting his comment.
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Post by Bailey on Jun 9, 2018 23:58:30 GMT
No problem hmca That's why I said: ... So if anyone is dabbling with a B&W conversion and not sure if their image has the full tonal range, open up the histogram for the image and you will see immediately if it has or hasn't. If it hasn't, and you really want a full tonal range, you can use adjustments like Levels, Brightness/Contrast and others to adjust the whole image or specific elements, using layer masks, to create specific effects and utilise the full tonal range. ... "If it hasn't, and you really want a full tonal range..." as opposed to "If it hasn't, then you must have a full tonal range...". As you used an image as an example, in the image you referred to, for me at least, if you adjusted the Levels to use the full tonal range imho you would loose the low contrast and create an image with more depth and contrast with a subject that "pops". Generally speaking, low contrast images tend to leave more to interpretation. Some will see a "dreamy" effect or something similar, some will see a low contrast image. B&W images using the full tonal range generally leave much less to interpretation and it is much, much more likely the viewer will see what the creator intended. The purpose of my earlier post was to mainly try to help people who aren't familiar with Levels and the Levels Adjustment layer who end up wondering why their images are looking flatter and with less pop than they would like. |
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Post by fotofrank on Jun 10, 2018 1:21:36 GMT
Dahlias - conversion done in the DXO version of Nik Silver Effect Pro 2 - personal preset from the old version.  Histogram from the image - no whites, great contrast  |
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Post by Bailey on Jun 10, 2018 1:46:52 GMT
Hi fotofrank, Yes, you have no pure whites, but plenty of whites and blacks (maybe too much black perhaps?  ). Not every image needs actual pure blacks or pure whites, but they should, imho, at least be pretty close depending on the scene and the effect you are aiming for. Too much pure black and pure white will lead to loss of detail. It's when an image has no tonal values below, say 30 or above 220 that it can look a little flat and/or low contrast. The histogram on the right is the one from the flower image I posted earlier in this thread. |
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Post by Peterj on Jun 10, 2018 3:48:25 GMT
Back to the challenge ... Here's a night blooming cereus cactus in my front yard. Processed with On1 Photo Raw 2018   |
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Post by Peterj on Jun 10, 2018 4:07:22 GMT
clematis in the rain  |
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Post by hmca on Jun 10, 2018 4:48:21 GMT
Thanks for sharing the night-blooming cactus flower, Pete. I have never seen one. Especially like the detail in your clematis.
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Post by Bailey on Jun 10, 2018 5:55:13 GMT
One way you can create a "dreamy" effect with a near enough to full tonal range is with a shallow depth of field
Black and white conversion done solely in PSE and Elements+.
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Post by hmca on Jun 10, 2018 12:55:45 GMT
Beautifully composed, Bailey!
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Post by fotofrank on Jun 11, 2018 0:01:53 GMT
dogwood  |
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Post by Bailey on Jun 11, 2018 6:51:02 GMT
Beautifully composed, Bailey! Thank you hmca. Glad you like it |
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