The theme of week 4 is Before and After. The objective is to show an image straight out of the camera and then show after processing in LR and/or Photoshop. I chose to take an image of Rosie, my English Cocker Spaniel, and show various ways to convert from a color image to a black & white image.
First image is affectionately referred to as SOC, straight out of the camera. It is the raw file without any adjustments.
Even if this remained a color image several items would need some work. The sign on the right should be removed. I was practicing off camera lighting and since I was working without an assistant, I needed to secure her to something to keep her in one place “relatively.” The leash also should be removed. And her eyes need to stand out more. The exposure is okay, but could use a little more contrast or snap. And I think it needs a tighter crop. Since she was moving around I decided to give some room and crop as part of processing.
Conversion to B&W can be done in either LightRoom or Photoshop. I am aware of several conversion techniques in PS although I am sure there are probably many more.
The next image is the LR B&W conversion. It was then imported into PS for the other adjustments, i.e. leash removal, eye brightening, etc. I realized after doing this that I should have imported the color image into PS, done the adjustments, sent it back to LR, and then converted to B&W in LR. Because I did the other corrections to a B&W image in PS, I didn’t have a color image with the adjustments to apply the PS conversions to. So I had to make the other adjustments for a second time.
The next image uses the Calculations feature in PS.
The next image used the Gradient Map feature in PS.
The last image uses the Channel Mixer feature in PS. You could probably achieve the same in LR, but I prefer to work in PS as I feel that I have more control.
Viewing them on the Internet, there doesn’t seem to be a lot of difference. The LR conversion appears to have a cooler tone and less contrast than the PS conversions. Of the PS versions, the Channel Mixer and Calculations offer the most control of the individual RGB channels. The Gradient Map does not offer much control.
Overall, I prefer the Channel Mixer version. The foliage and grass is a bit softer, but the dog still retains good contrast. But a caveat in that contrast is greater on the screen than in a print, especially a print with a matte surface. The real comparison would have to be made with print.
So that is it for Dog Biscuit Photos “Before & After.” Please check out Elaine Mueller Tweedy of
I Got The Shot Photography serving Northeastern PA and surrounding areas to see what magic she has worked in her “After.”
Interesting. I rely on Lightroom when converting to black and white, but I may have to give these other approaches a try.
The only one that is a little tricky is the Calculations one. The saving is a little tricky and what channels to use is tricky. Let me know if you want to try it & I will send you the info that I have on it.
Thanks. LR does a good job. You just have a little more control in PS.
Gorgeous , Love black and white pictures but never really do the with pets, might have to give it a go
Thanks. Let me know if you need more info on the PS techniques. Gradient Map & Channel Mixer are pretty straight forward. Calculations is a little more obtuse.
Awesome! I love the info you’ve shared on the different ways you can convert to B&W, I’m also a fan of PS over LR and have great fun trying out all the different ways of doing things and seeing the different effects!
Thanks. I like PS because I feel that I can fine tune the adjustments.
I am not at all familiar with the PS features you used. Nice job on these and I believe I prefer the 3rd image.
Thanks. Let me know if you are interested in getting more info on the techniques. The Gradient Map & Channel Mixer are pretty straight forward. Calculations is a little more obtuse.
Wow, you clearly know your way around Photoshop! I’ve never heard of some of those features. Nice job!
I took a course in family photography, Laura Matthews Siebert, several years ago and she went over these conversion techniques. I wish I did know more about PS. It is a bottomless pit with regard to features.
Thanks for showing the different steps! I am going to check out these features in PS.
I learned these techniques from Laura Matthews Siebert. She is primarily a family photographer, but offers workshops. Her work is very beautiful.
Very nice! I sometimes convert to B&W in Lightroom and other times (usually if the image needs other editing) in Photoshop, but I do my PS conversions to B&W a totally different way. So interesting to see what others do.
Thanks. Would be interested in your techniques for converting to B&W in PS.
Good choice of B&W for the image. I think I too prefer the Gradient Map image. Great examples and tools!
Thanks. I also think given more time, you could achieve different effects.
Nice job with a gorgeous dog!
Thanks. She is a sweetie. Much more patient at posing than my other dog.
Excellent! I only use Photoshop but these techniques were new to me. Great post!
Thanks. I too, tend to stick with PS. I do some adjustments in LR, but not many.
Great example, I too use PS as I don’t have LR. Did you ever try the Topaz? I don’t have it, but I have seen some great options. Nice work!
Thanks. I have used Topaz clarity and Denoise on a file that was taken around sunset & had a lot of noise. The Topaz actions/plug ins helped a lot. But I don’t use them on a regular basis. I know Topaz has quite a few other plug ins but haven’t had the time to explore.
Lovely!!! I do more in LR than PS – have never tried B&W in PS. The image looks beautiful in B& W!
Lovely, the conversion to black and white is really nice and I love that you explained the different ways to try it.