Black & White Conversions CS5 - Calculations

[NicolaB]

CS5 Black and White Portrait Conversion using Calculations


Not all images will convert nicely to black and white. In my limited experience the best ones convert with a simple gradient map conversion. If however you have an image with less contrast as below, 'Calculations' creates a nice soft b&w. Playing about with the settings can create more dramatic effects.

Learning tip: To find any command, type the instruction into CS5 'SEARCH' and it will navigate for you (eg 'calculations' , 'gradient map' etc).

1. Clean process your image - ie get all the basic adjustments done to your image, exposure, colour etc. I use LR and then export to CS5

2. In CS5 add a layer cmd J on a Mac (PC: Ctrl J) and change it to soft light. I like the fill for most images around 20%



3. Image > Calculations

Play with the settings to see which gives you the best result. Here I chose Red, Gray, Soft Light at 30%



4. We now need to discard the colour information so:
Image > Mode > Grayscale (yes to discard and flatten)
Image > Mode > RGB

Landscapes can be done in the same way, but you can have more fun playing with the different settings to get the desired effect.

Nicola Bowen Illumine Photos learnt via a tutorial by the talented Andrea Joki

[JaxD]

Thanks so much for this, Nicola! I had never even heard of the Calculations method until you mentioned it in your other post. It has helped me so much with those images that never seemed to 'look right' converted by other methods.

BTW, I've been following your journey on DPS (gives me hope that I'll 'get there some day') and who would have thought a year ago that today you would be posting tutorials on DPS! Awesome!

[zona5101]

very nice write up!

[graciousness]

Nicola, you rock. I've often thought so and your work is simply one of the best ones around here, pro or not.

I really needed this tutorial to start learning monochrome conversions so this is just perfect