Comments on: How to Create Black & White Images from a Single RGB Channel

By: lovephotography

lovephotography — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 14:21:42 +0000

I love the look of black and white photography. Thanks for the tip.

For those who don’t care for black and whites, don’t do them. I do like color and yes color is all around us. For me, it is same ol same ol, where black and white is much different on my walls than my husbands color photos. When we give out school photos, family and friends love the color photos and they love the black and whites.It gives them a choice of what they want to hang and what they want to album.Half of our family and friends like color and the other half like the black and whites.

I like to be drawn into the photo and I find that black and whites are natural,they pull me into the photo more than alot of color photos. Then again I like to be different and with all the color in the world black and whites set my photos in a whole different perspective.

Whatever you like color or black and white, the most important thing is to enjoy photography. There are so many ways to photograph these days. Why be limited?

Happy picture taking whatever you choose to do.

By: metronomad

metronomad — Sun, 29 Mar 2009 20:16:44 +0000

Another great technique to add. Thank you for sharing!
I have been shooting in both film and digital and still inlove with it. There are subjects that just scream colors and there are times that you just have to opt for color reduction.
I’m currently taking up a course in “traditional black and white , analog/film photography” and i’m loving every moment of it.

By: Ginger

Ginger — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 18:48:18 +0000

There are many, many of us out here who love B&W photos and so I’m glad Peter isn’t ruling the Photo world. Interestingly enough at an Art competition I went to last spring, the only photos winning over the Digital Imaging stuff were B&Ws. Some done with film, some done with digital.

My daughter’s shot that won one of only 75 awards was a B&W of a rope anchoring a boat at a harbour. On that day, I took an almost identical picture of the same thing in colour and it simply wasn’t the same eye catching picture. Colour just didn’t cut it.

By: Sherrie

Sherrie — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 21:24:46 +0000

Awesome! Thank you!

By: Ken

Ken — Sun, 25 Jan 2009 01:49:33 +0000

Ultimately, there is no “create great photo” button in Photoshop. It’s still up to the photographer. But post-processing digitally is no different than developing film with different methods, etc. Just much more flexible.

If we’re trying to create an artistic photo, why should we insist it be used “as shot”? Why let the camera create? It’s just a machine. I am the artist!

Ken

p.s. And yes, B&W can be depressing, but not everything in life is cheerful.

By: Vic Morphy

Vic Morphy — Sat, 24 Jan 2009 22:51:27 +0000

This is a very, very useful and well presented tutorial. I will definitely put the information within to use. Thank you so much. Vic

By: Deirdre

Deirdre — Sat, 24 Jan 2009 13:48:53 +0000

Peter, I live in the digital age and don’t even own a film camera. I appreciate that digital still gives me the option of presenting my photos in black and white or in a myriad of other ways, if I so choose.

I am personally a fan of photos looking realistic — not overprocessed. I personally put a priority on learning how to use my camera to get the photos I want over learning how to use photoshop to fix those photos. However, a photographer who shoots in film has options in the darkroom. A digital photographer uses the computer as his/her darkroom. And digital opens worlds beyond the film photographer’s darkroom.

I think everyone takes and presents photos in their own way, just as they appreciate art in their own way. I think making judgments on people’ artistic sensibilities is futile, because art is subjective.

By: Peter

Peter — Sat, 24 Jan 2009 00:26:07 +0000

Deirdre, If you want b&w photos, then put a roll of b&w film in your camera and go and take your pictures. You will get much better results than removing the colour in Photoshop. Just using the blue channel to get your results is akin to changing the sky to red and the grass to blue. The only reason a picture would look better in b&w is because it is different, and being different does not make it artistic. If the picture does not stand out on it’s own merit in colour then the picture should end up in the trash. On the other hand if someone sent you a picture of Photo 9 or 10 above to show you where they live, Surely you would want to see the coloured photo, but I could understand if, that was where you lived then you would want to do anything you could to change the picture (not necessarily improve the picture). This is a factual picture of the landscape, not something that would win any competitions or anyone else would like to hang on their wall. Unless of course they were in a deep state of depression. Colour is a very important part of our lives, don’t dismiss it so readily. There are other ways to keep the viewers eye where you want it such as framing, depth of field, light and shadows. You will find many excellent articles on this website about ways to hold the viewers attention use these and forget the b&w get out. The less post production you have to do in Photoshop the better the photographer and photographic artist you will be.

By: Deirdre

Deirdre — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 18:47:59 +0000

Peter, I just think sometimes a photo has more impact in black and white. Sometimes colors can be distracting, or sometimes the black & white really brings out the composition or the lighting. Also, black and white can add a mood, or make something feel older. I understand where you’re coming from though — I think it’s really an artistic choice.

By: Steph

Steph — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 11:14:50 +0000

@Ken, I’m sure I had only the one channel selected when I hit grayscale – i tried several times, I gave up in the end. It was getting late and I was getting frustrated. Will approach it again today. Myabe I’ll see better results!