Simple B&W

[Mslanh01]

So after our ice/snow storm was over here in Louisville, i decided to take a walk and take some photos. I tweaked the initial image in RAW first, then I took the jpg into photoshop and converted to Grayscale, and then I burned the sign alittle and here it is: Which do you like better?

Before:


After:

The B&W PP is good, but i think the photo actually looks better with the red sign. The red draws your eye and gives you something to look at.

Just my $.02

[Mslanh01]

Yeah now that i take another look at it i think you're right!

Maybe a different photo to show the B&W would help

i really like the color photo, the red really makes it stand out. in the B&W in kinda blends in and you cant really see it very well.

[superdewa]

I might try selective coloring in this one for the sign, and maybe bringing back just touch of color into the background.

[kencaleno]

A better, simpler way:-

Black & White conversion from colour

Ctrl+J
Image> Calculations
Background layer
green
Background Layer
green
Multiply
New channel
Image> Mode> Greyscale
flatten/save

[markjdos]

I use:

Image
Adjustments
Channel Mixer
Click on "Monochrome"
(You will notice that your file size won't change like it does when you use the convert to Greyscale. I mean why would you want to throwaway 2/3 of your data?)
Now you can adjust Red, Blue, and Green to what looks best to you. Generally, you want the total close to 100% but it is all up to you.

[wulf]

I prefer the overall feel of the B&W but, as Max noted, the red draws the eye. In the monochrome version, the contrast of the writing on the sign is rather low and so it recedes. I think the ideal compromise would be B&W but using a different method or even just dodging and burning round the sign to keep it unambiguously as the the focal point.

Wulf