How to get those great dramtic skies in B & W

[windrider86]

Start out with any image. (this one has been heavily staturated all ready but you dont have to do this.But try and use one that has a lot of contrast) Open your image and duplicate it. Clone out any areas that you may want to get rid of. The best way to do this is with your clone tool set at zero hardness and at 100% opacity and then go back over that area again a couple of times with the clone tool now set at about 20% opacity using other areas of the image as a clone point. This will leave you with a natural looking area and not so copied.
Next open a new adjustment layer, using the channel mixer. Check off the monochrome so your image is now black and white.
Slide the red slider over to about 160, slide the green slider to about 190 (its going to look very blown out at this point but thats ok) Now take the blue slider and slide it to the left to about 200, and you'll now have a very dramatic image.
You can always play around wth the sliders to get the look you are looking for.
Merge your layers.
If it needs a little dodge or burn create a new layer to do this on and you now have a great image!

That is a good B&W image, love the sky too

[SusanH1970]

Love it....thanks for the how-to!

[belladoja]

Amazing--thanks for the "how too"S". I love how too's

[fozzeee]

Very interesting post, thanks for sharing it.

[Unipsychle]

Black and white HDR ish.