Black and white pictures

Goldcoin79

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Hi

This may sound a stupid question to some but to get a black and white photo do you select black and white as a setting on the camera or do you take the picture then use software such as photoshop to change it to black and white?

I thought it was a setting on the camera but can not find such a setting on my camera.

James
 
My D5100 can do it in camera once you have taken a picture, but there's no setting to shoot in B&W.

On Nikon's in the Picture Controls there's one called Monochrome, you can set that one to B&W.
 
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Using the camera's monochrome setting, or a in-the-camera editing option, offers very little control of the contrast in the photo.

Controlling contrast is one of the major goals of making a good B&W photo.

Use image editing software to do the conversion if you want really good B&W photos.

SmallBank.jpg


iBlacksmithWm.jpg
 
You should be shooting in RAW anyways, and all RAW files are in color, so...
 
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I tried shooting in b/w but as soon as I put in LR it got switched back to color.
 
I tried shooting in b/w but as soon as I put in LR it got switched back to color.

That's what happens if you shoot RAW. There's no real reason to shoot in B&W in camera.

I shoot RAW 24/7 and convert to B&W. I hadn't done many B&W's before because I was never satisfied with my conversions in LR. I then got Visual Supply Co.'s "Film" plugin, and it works marvelously. Here are a few examples:

ibq5IMOU7Gtr5j.jpg


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ibuDWlK0HLDUtR.jpg
 
Man those look great I'll to try that plug in. I've always been too scared to try black and white photos.
 
Man those look great I'll to try that plug in. I've always been too scared to try black and white photos.

You'll love it. For the first time I was satisfied with my black and white's. :)
 
Just found out that I can change pictures in my camera to black and white after I have taken the picture, it is on the options in play mode. From what you are all saying though it is better to convert it into black and white using software.
 
Just found out that I can change pictures in my camera to black and white after I have taken the picture, it is on the options in play mode. From what you are all saying though it is better to convert it into black and white using software.

As you have discovered, either way will work. If your camera does not produce the results you are looking for, then try a software in PP.
 
Some camera's have it as a setting, although, I still prefer to edit it in Photoshop. I like the better control with lighting I can set using just the software.
 
Shoot it on B+W film and then push it to iso6400
300542152_tdatV-L.jpg


And one of my digital B+W, always turn your digital shots to B+W on the computer this was using a long winded Lab color conversion

EmptyName-10b-w-L.jpg
 

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