Pick your favorite - BW

[Lauren MKS]

Using my ticket on this one since I just posted the same thing for another set of pictures

(As I mentioned in my last post...)I am planning on entering a picture in the North Carolina Our State Magazine photo contest. (http://www.ourstate.com/best/reader_photo_contest.asp) You can enter one photo per category. I've put my options below...I need help deciding!

The category for these pictures is black and white. I'm really not sure these are good enough to enter, but I figured there's nothing to lose, so why not go for it.

I can only send one, so let me know your favorite...or if you wouldn't send any, that's ok too! Would love some heavy critique, especially if there's anything I can do to fix these up better in post. Thanks!

[ScottWood]

I like the 3rd the best, but I really don't like the B&W treatment. It looks like a color image that has simply been desaturated. It really needs some more tone and contrast. What did you use to convert to B&W or was it done in camera?

[Saknika]

I'm with Scott on the last one. But I just don't feel the b+w in these images. The people are dark and the background is bright, and it just feels blah. It doesn't have the timeless kick that b+w normally yields. So I'd also like to know how you chose to turn these b+w.

[Lauren MKS]

I'm afraid I already knew that this would be the response, but I thought I'd put it out there anyway.

BW conversion: I took the images in color and then did one of two things - converted to BW in raw format using CS3 and then adjusted the levels/curves or I added a BW adjustment layer after I opened the image, made adjustments there, and then adjusted the levels/curves.

I knew that these weren't the best in terms of BW...I agree that they need more contrast. They're flat. I took these pictures on a sunny day around noon on a beach with subjects wearing white...that's my best guess as to why they are flat.

I won't submit any since they don't beautify BW, which is what an image in a BW category should do, but I'll work on that last one again and see if I can get any more depth/contrast to it. I remember having some issues trying to get that when I edited it before, but now I can't remember what they were!

[Saknika]

Well, when you do the B+W conversion in PS, first off make sure it's on a copy of the bg layer so that you don't destroy the original and can compare. To make a bg copy, while on the bg layer click ctrl+j or just drag it down onto the "New Layer" button. Then make your conversion.

While you're still in the dialog for converting to b+w, play with those tabs. Especially the red, since that will control a lot of the contrast. It should help you some.

You might also want to try making some selections, and working the curves, brightness, and contrast that way to really get what you need.

To help in just tinier areas, make a new layer while holding down the alt key. It'll prompt a dialog box. Make this a soft light layer, and fill it with 50% neutral gray. On this layer, use the dodge (lighten) and burn (darken) tool at about 11% to just make some minor adjustments.

I think utilizing everything PS offers you might help the conversion to B+W for you a bit.

But you're right, the noon light did kind of hurt you. Not necessarily in making it flat, but too bright with little shadow. It's a very harsh, direct light at noon.

[ScottWood]

If using Photoshop for the conversion, I strongly suggest using the channel mixer. Just make a channel mixer layer, in the mixer, select monochrome and then play around with the filters until you are close to what you are looking for. After you are close, you can play around with the sliders to get it perfect.

[MarianMurdoch]

Simple level adjustment and a little dodging. I didn't have time to fine tune it, just took about 1min to give you an idea:

[Lauren MKS]

Thanks Marian. I'm hoping to get some time to work on it tomorrow. Yours will provide a great comparison.

[Lauren MKS]

I was doing some reading about metering, and I'm wondering if I failed to use partial metering. I thought I did, but it would explain why the image ended up so gray and flat.

Finally got around to working on this. Here's the new version -



Old one:

[ScottWood]

I have to be honest, I really don't see much difference. Marian's re-work of your image is a much stronger black and white. Both of yours seem to really lack contrast.

You haven't said what steps you took to convert to B&W, other than using a RAW image and doing it in CS3. I can think of about 100 ways to convert to B&W in CS3 :-).