Black and White

[choudhrysaab]

Is it better to shoot in color and then convert to B/W while post processing or should one shoot in B/W to get better results?
Is B/W setting in camera more believable or converting color picture into B/W gives a better result?

i'm asking cuz our this month photo challenge is to shoot "monochrome".

 

[AlexGray]

Ive read ALWAYS shoot in colour and then convert in PP, not in camera, as PP is more dedicated to it. Even has a nifty auto level feature.

 

[musicaleCA]

Shoot colour, covert later.

Ive read ALWAYS shoot in colour and then convert in PP, not in camera, as PP is more dedicated to it. Even has a nifty auto level feature.

PP is better because you have more control over the final result. Auto Levels...is...handing back that control to the computer. It's self-defeating.

 

[choudhrysaab]

Thanx guys =)

 

[Bitter Jeweler]

Shoot colour, covert later.

Ive read ALWAYS shoot in colour and then convert in PP, not in camera, as PP is more dedicated to it. Even has a nifty auto level feature.

PP is better because you have more control over the final result. Auto Levels...is...handing back that control to the computer. It's self-defeating.

Thank you for that post!

(since that button is gone, or I used up my thank you's )

 

[musicaleCA]

No problem. Must've used-up your thank-yous; I've still got mine.

That link has become a default for me whenever someone's new to B&W conversion. Heh.

 

[UUilliam]

Always shoot in colour
as if you ever decide "that would have looked better in colour" it saves you painting the colour back into the photo which can take hours or days... (sometimes gets a better result but never the True colour) so save your self the hassle and save as colour then if you want to convert to B&W, Open photoshop and use Channel Mixer (in monochrome setting) as it will add more depth to your image than just putting the saturation down.

Example.

Original colour photo

Saturation B&W

Channel mixer B&W

notice the difference?
Forgive me for the banding (Jpeg compression was too low)
also this is a pretty bad example, done it in about 2 -3 mins

 

[choudhrysaab]

Thank you for that post!

(since that button is gone, or I used up my thank you's )

its okay ... i'll thank him on your behalf.

 

[c.cloudwalker]

From what I read here and in other forums it doesn't seem to make sense to shoot in B&W. It seems like you will get better results shooting in color and converting later.

But, from what I can see, that is a very small problem. The best B&W photos will come from photographers who are looking in B&W. How you shoot makes no difference as far as that is concerned. When I look through my viewfinder, it's in color. Only my training allows me to see the image in B&W. The only way to shoot consistently good B&W is to see in B&W.

When I see a post that goes: This didn't work in color so I turned it to B&W, I cringe. A bad color is not going to make a good B&W. Yes, sometimes it works but it's pure dumb luck.

You want to shoot B&W, try to think in B&W.

 

[musicaleCA]

Eeee! I like being thanked! It pumps up my over-inflated ego! :lmao:

You want to shoot B&W, try to think in B&W.

Too true. Though I would argue that sometimes if the colours aren't working in a photo, it works in B&W because it removes the colour issue and leaves you with contrast. I've done it a couple times, but it wasn't because the image was composed poorly or technically deficient, it was because colour took away from the mood. (For most of my B&Ws though, I've shot it knowing that the image was going to be a B&W.)

It's incredibly true though, that to shoot B&W, you've got to think in B&W. Doing the conversion in PP just gives you a little extra leverage to really get it to where you want.

 

[UUilliam]

here is a conversion tutorial (not made by me btw but i did upload it...)
It is on another forum i used to be a member of, before this forum
Pretty good tutorial
(I just searched for the tutorial on the website then i saved the webage and compressed it then uploaded here)

RapidShare: 1-CLICK Web hosting - Easy Filehosting

 

[AlexGray]

i feel like an idiot. But i shouldve thought of it. *SELF REDENPTION* I change the levels and contrast/brightness too and curves!!!

eh i tried.

 

[Bee Bee]

I always shoot in colour and convert to B&W in PP, but when shooting I do think about if it's going to be a B&W shot at the end because this can affect lighting etc xxx

 

[choudhrysaab]

any of you guys using Google's Picasa software? My Windows RAW Image viewer crapped out so I started using Google Picasa to view my RAW files and that viewer for some odd reason shows all my shots taken in B/W as color. It shows B/W shot for a few seconds and then converts it to color.

From now on I will be shooting in color and then converting to B/W.