Digital Darkroom @ The Light's Right Studio

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TLR B&W Conversion

TLR B&W Conversion is a Photoshop action set for making high contrast, Ansel Adam's like B&W images from a color image. It automates the tasks for converting to B&W with the technique described in the tutorial, "Making a Fine Art Black & White Image: Converting from Color to B&W with Style."

Advanced Conversion Actions

when you invoke one of the "Advanced" actions, two layers are created. With Photoshop CS/CS2/CS3, a layer set/group is also created.

The topmost layer is a new Hue/Saturation adjustment layer with the Saturation slider set to -100. This desatuates the image (e.g., it removes the color). The layer is named "Desaturation Layer."

The layer underneath will be one of three adjustment layers (depending on which action you select). The available options are Hue/Saturation, Curves, and Selective Color. The layer is named "Contrast Adjustment Layer" in each case. You can double-click on the adjustment layer to make adjustments to the resulting B&W tones.

Global contrast adjustment can be made on the "Desaturation Layer" by making adjustments to the Lightness setting.

Convert by HSB • Convert by Curves • Convert by Selective Color

(Hover mouse over text to see examples)

Basic Conversion Actions
There are three B&W conversion actions that use basic conversions. Each results in just a single layer. "Convert By Desaturate" uses Image|Adjust|Desaturate. The result is typically flat in apperance. "Convert By Grayscale" begins with a duplicate which is converted with Mode|Grayscale and copied back to the original image as a pixel layer. "Covert By High Pass" employs a little known "trick" for B&W conversion. High Pass filter is applied to the image with a Radius of 0.1 pixels and the Layer Blend is set to Color.

Convert by Desaturate • Convert by Grayscale • Convert by High Pass

(Hover mouse over text to see examples)

Quick B&W Actions
The Quick B&W actions use the Photoshop Channel Mixer to simulate the use of color filters with B&W film. There is also a high contrast B&W action and other special B&W conversions.

The Quick B&W actions create adjustment layers. Clicking on the Color Mixer thumbnail will restore the Color Mixer dialog with the settings used for B&W conversion. You can then adjust the settings to your liking, somrthing impossible to do with a traditional filter and film photography.