How to process photos to B&W in Photoshop?

[WomanInLove]

Hi
I have seen here some AMAZING black and white photos. What do you do personally to process a photo to great B&W quality in photoshop?
I realize that just clicking black and white or desaturation wont do the trick.
What are your tips?
Thanks

[Ads]

[Sbuxo]

Not all photos are photoshopped to B&W.
Some you've seen may have been film.
Those that are digitally B&W, could have been taken B&W on-camera, but either way. You want to take the photo at a good exposure, so when you do convert it to B&W, it won't be too flat or over-contrasted.
It is ideal to achieve all tonalities: blacks, whites, and grays.
Don't over-do saturation, you'll hinder details.
A lot of perfect b&w in photoshop is curve work.

[icassell]

Here are a couple of good reads:

[ame=http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1600592104/ref=oss_product]Amazon.com: Advanced Digital Black & White Photography (A Lark Photography Book) (9781600592102): John Beardsworth: Books[/ame]


[ame=http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1598633759/ref=oss_product]Amazon.com: Mastering Digital Black and White: A Photographer's Guide to High Quality Black-and-White Imaging and Printing (Digital Process and Print) (9781598633757): Amadou Diallo: Books[/ame]

You are correct that just hitting 'desaturate' doesn't cut it. Under 'adjustments', there is a B/W choice with color sliders that I like to use.

[KmH]

+1 ↑ ↑ ↑ ↑ ↑

In addition to making a B&W adjustment layer, people use the Curves and Levels adjustment layers as well as dodging and burning.

Some favor using Channels or plug-ins from software makers like Nik Software.