Another Tutorial! Don’t worry, I’ll get back to the photo posts soon!
I’ve had another request for a tutorial. This time someone would like to see how I convert to black and white. Believe it or not, there are TONS of ways to convert an image to black and white. However, there is one particular method that I use often. I believe I got it from a Scott Kelby photoshop book for CS2 purchased on Ebay. It’s a very easy process that makes for a great action.
Here we go…..
Here is what we are starting with:
![black and white start](http://malcolmmacgregorphotography.files.wordpress.com/2010/08/black-and-white-start.jpg)
Now, this is an HDR image and I am already finished with my normal processing. You can check out my other tutorials to see those steps. So now I decide I’d like to see it in black and white.
First step is to convert the image to LAB mode — Image, Mode, Lab Color:
![1-convert to lab](http://malcolmmacgregorphotography.files.wordpress.com/2010/08/1-convert-to-lab.jpg)
Next, in the “Layers/Channels/Paths” box, click on the “Channels” tab. You’ll see all the channels are selected, select the “Lightness” channel (which turns the others off)
![2-select lightness](http://malcolmmacgregorphotography.files.wordpress.com/2010/08/2-select-lightness.jpg)
With the “Lightness” channel selected, we want to convert it to grayscale — Image, Mode, Grayscale
![3-convert to grayscale](http://malcolmmacgregorphotography.files.wordpress.com/2010/08/3-convert-to-grayscale.jpg)
It will ask you if you want to discard the other channels, say yes:
![4-discard other channels](http://malcolmmacgregorphotography.files.wordpress.com/2010/08/4-discard-other-channels.jpg)
Now, back on the “Layers” tab, do a CTRL+J. This duplicates the layer. Put that top layer in “Multiply” blend mode and adjust the opacity to taste:
![5-layer copy-mult-opac](http://malcolmmacgregorphotography.files.wordpress.com/2010/08/5-layer-copy-mult-opac.jpg)
And that’s it! Black and white complete. If you write this as an action, leave the opacity at 100%, that way you can adjust it differently for each image you convert.
An alternate to changing the opacity, you could add a layer mask:
![5alt-layer mask](http://malcolmmacgregorphotography.files.wordpress.com/2010/08/5alt-layer-mask.jpg)
and then grab a soft black brush:
![5alt-layer mask paint](http://malcolmmacgregorphotography.files.wordpress.com/2010/08/5alt-layer-mask-paint.jpg)
And paint the areas that you think are too dark:
(this image shows where I have painted)
Here is the final result:
![IMG_3254_5_6_7_9_tonemapped copy](http://malcolmmacgregorphotography.files.wordpress.com/2010/08/img_3254_5_6_7_9_tonemapped-copy.jpg)
Now, to answer the question that was posed regarding my First Tutorial. If you’ve read that one, you’ve seen that I often layer a black and white image on top of a color HDR image to make it dark and achieve a dramatic look. When I do that, I do not copy the layer and put it in “Multiply” blend mode. After I convert to grayscale, I copy that layer and paste it on top of my color image.
Hope this provides some useful information.
Here are some helpful links for learning more about Photoshop:
Photoshop Support Group
Photoshop Tutorials by Allan Gengler
Actions by Allan Gengler
CoffeeShop Actions