Comments on: Working with Gradient Maps: Photoshop Creative

By: Granger

Granger — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 22:35:02 +0000

Wow. Thanks. I finally got the picture :)
There are so many uses for this. I like the overlay approach for contrast. But it also made me think of other types of overlays. For instance a two color gradient could give could give you a duotone over a black and white or a split toning effect over color. I think this will quickly become a staple of my photo processing.

Jackie – some thoughts about your bluish black and whites. I’ll bet if you were to print your black and white out at a lab it would really be b&w. Two things could be happening. If you’re looking at a print, your printer may have a calibration problem. Or your monitor may have one if its your screen that seems blue. Most monitors tend to have a bluish cast, and laptops are especially bad. This is why monitor calibration is so important.

By: Jackie

Jackie — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 16:18:39 +0000

I love using gradients for my black and whites. However, I have found that digital black & whites (whether thru gradients or removing color or ‘black and white’) tend to turn out blu-ish – this is not optimum.

I have found that after the black/white gradient, I create a hue adjustment layer and colorize it to a sepia. Then, I bring down the opacity to my own liking – this outs the blu-ish tint. Since I get to set my own ratios, my photos are uniquely my own brand of black and whites. I stumbled upon this technique after reading one of the DPS blogs! Thank you!

By: PRH

PRH — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 11:00:10 +0000

Great little tutorial. I never considered creating b/w with gradient maps. I gave it a go and the results were wonderful. I’m definitely going to keep using this technique.

By: Justin

Justin — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 22:01:44 +0000

Thanks for this, it helped me produce this.

By: jong

jong — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 13:51:43 +0000

very hepful tutorial especially in converting image into BW…thanks very much…..

By: cortlander

cortlander — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 13:23:36 +0000

Camera Raw in the new CS4 has a really easy to use gradient tool.

By: jpm8jpm

jpm8jpm — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 09:44:38 +0000

tnx helen…i was enlighten

By: Ken

Ken — Sun, 25 Jan 2009 01:53:35 +0000

Really cool article! I love the gradient map and how it can render B&Ws as well as some color, in images. It kind of reminds me of a duotone.

Ken

By: Michael Warf

Michael Warf — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 20:07:30 +0000

Either this is a feature I skipped for my Adobe Certification, or something that I’ve simply forgotten how to use. Thanks for showing the rest of us the value of the gradient map.

By: octavian

octavian — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 19:27:47 +0000

this isn’t the best example of gradient used as it’s very edgy and hard, with lots of colours. try using 2 colour blened gradients.
you can also achieve great contrast in your photographs by making a black and white gradient map layer adjustment, setting it to overlay then lowering the opacity until it suites you !