the many shades of black and white

It's not alwasy easy to decide how to process an image when the possibilities seem endless. Some images could go a million different ways and all feel 'right', making the decision on which one to share that much more difficult. Other times, a certain image only feels 'right' when it's processed a particular way.

Click. Slide up. Slide down. Slide up again. Click. Click. EUREKA! Click. Save. Upload.

But even when you know, for example, that black and white might be exactly what your shot calls for, then comes the question, what kind of black and white? Sharp, contrasty, grainy, warm? Again, more choices.

In Lightroom I have about a dozen different monochromatic treatments I like to choose from; each a little different than the other. What about you? How do you choose between monochrome and monochrome? What are your favorite black and white like treatments? How do you choose what should go where? DO you make them up yourself or do you use an action or preset that was perfectly plotted out by another photographer? Today, share your favorite(s) with us and tell us all about it!

Comments

[kristin]

i love deep rich black and whites.
b&w is so out of my comfort zone, but some shots just call for it and i am always surprised how they often wind up being some of my most favorites...
this is a recent one i love.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/14811117@N02/4505309789/in/set-72157621815819500/

[Kate.S @ Little House]

I use A LOT of black and white....
http://www.flickr.com/photos/30297021@N02/sets/72157623950867674/

In fact, I'm the opposite to Kristin - bright colour is outside my comfort zone (but I'm working on it... http://www.flickr.com/photos/30297021@N02/4555976475/ )

I tend to like deep and dramatic, especially for 'journalistic' or candid type shots, and often use gradient mapping in PSE for that. One of my faves at the moment is this:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/30297021@N02/3017373730/in/set-72157623950867674/
or this:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/30297021@N02/4296979134/in/set-72157623950867674/

At the moment I'm liking the almost black and white thing, with very subdued hints of colour.

Thanks for getting the creative juices flowing today :)

[Valerie]

I'm new to exploring the options of turning digital shots into black and white. Right now I just use Photoshop to desaturate. But I want to learn more! I hope to take a digital photography class soon.

At present, I often decide to turn a photo into black and white because it can rid a shot of distractions. Recently I tried over and over to photograph my sixteen month-old son's hand in mine. (I was recreating a favorite shot from when he was very small.) He's so wiggly that I had real trouble getting a workable shot and when I finally had something "good enough," a shred of my bright pink pants showed in one corner in a place where I really couldn't crop it out. Removing all color saved the photo for me.

http://journeyleaf.typepad.com/journeyleaf/2010/04/hands.html

[lauren]

Amy McCaster has a b/w action that I LOVE LOVE LOVE... best part it's free! And there's a complimentary action of tents and hazes.

http://amymcmasterphotography.blogspot.com/2010/03/yummy-b-action-freebie-with-delicious.html

This bw photo on this uses it, along with most of the bw images on my website:
http://www.laurensandersonphotography.com/sweet-peeks-the-faulks-huntsville-family-photographer/

And Valerie, I encourage you to explore alternatives to "desaturate" which can leave images flat and dull without contrast. If you're comfortable with actions, check out the free one I mentioned or you can also use gradient map adjustment layers and many other photoshop tools.

[lauren]

sorry, should have been Amy McMaster

[Jen]

I have found that I always have to tweak the b+w shots I take digitally. Not a ton, and I am not really a preset person, I judge what I need at the time. Usually it's a bit more exposure and deepening shadows. Sometimes on picnik I will use the advanced settings and tweak using Levels and the tri x1600 setting. In lightroom, it's exposure, sharpening and the like.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/32172714@N02/3826396378/in/set-72157622053096558?edited=1

But when I use film, it really comes out how I'd hoped. It just depends on the speed and what I am using. I never alter those shots. Maybe it's all up to the user too.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/32172714@N02/4187328291/in/set-72157623019453604/

[cigi]

I love experimenting with black and white although my means for achieving it aren't yet all that sophisticated. I do what I can with iPhoto:

http://instamaticgratification.wordpress.com/2010/01/29/29365/
http://instamaticgratification.wordpress.com/2010/01/14/14365/
http://instamaticgratification.wordpress.com/2010/03/23/82365/

[Michel]

I love love LOVE black and white. I would turn everything into monochrome or a variety of this if I it were up to me. Lately I have forced myself away from this pushing more color, with spring and all. But I snuck this one in a while back on my blog;

http://www.wishfulthinkingblog.com/wishful-thinking/2010/4/9/holy-crow.html

I also like turning the unexpected into B&W. like flowers. Like the second and last shot here;

http://www.wishfulthinkingblog.com/wishful-thinking/2010/2/4/a-few-of-my-favorite-things.html

[AnnGeeDee]

This shot was almost black and white on it's own- the black chairs, the silver legs, the white tile floor. But the whole thing was almost ruined by the blast of offensive colors in the background that betrayed the secret that I was at the local mall. A quick "convert to black and white" in PSE let me retain some sense of artistic dignity, but alas - now you all know my secret...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/40070449@N08/4385765139/

[red or gray black and white]

your black and white have such a special feel Tracey!

I am enjoying a yearlong black and white blog project ..I usually shoot a couple in black and white and use no set treatment ..just what i feel at the time..also when doing a daily series I don't have a lot of time to spend post processing

my favorite so far is a simple apple:

http://redorgrayblackandwhite.blogspot.com/2010/02/22.html

[Vanessa]

When I convert to b&w I like there to be lots of contrast. Really rich black & bright white.
My favorite b&w action is the pioneer woman's pw's b&w. I love how you can control the light & vignetting, which I almost always turn down nearly all the way.
Sometimes if I'm feeling punchy I run tra's boutwell magic glasses and adjust the settings from there.
One of my favorites..my 97 year old grandmother on her birthday:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/lochnessmommy/4489229208/

[mosey]

Your photos always have such a beautiful dreamy feeling.

I had to put my thinking cap on for this one, and really go through my photos to see what my sometimes unconscious process is. My tendency is to make people portraits black and white, but everything else is bright saturated colour, which I sometimes enhance even more and also boost the contrast. I do like making some of my b/w have a warmer or cooler tone, or a sepia treatment if it seems warranted.

My most recent samples are ones you've seen already, Tracey! (Picture Spring)
portrait:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/7687752@N03/4510021782/in/photostream/

"scene": (for lack of a better word)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/7687752@N03/4495412743/

[Trude]

Great post! I really love the look of My Four Hens' Vanilla B&W action, warms it up just enough and doesn't blow out the highlights like many others do: http://www.flickr.com/photos/trudem/4299253392/

I've also been playing with a LR preset that I got from X-Equals, it mimics the look of old T-Max film and I really love what it does for portraits: http://www.flickr.com/photos/trudem/4396930879/in/set-72157623531281298/

[sarah]

i use picnik for all my editing so it is limited compared to other options. i often layer some of the effects with b&w or i find myself lightening the exposure and elevating the contrast:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bradleysofaustin/4521657760/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bradleysofaustin/4535084899/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bradleysofaustin/4329260096/

[georgia]

love the bubble! gorgeous shot.

i'm still quite the novice when it comes to black and white. but it doesn't keep me from playing. i usually shoot in color, than convert to b+w in photoshop. on this one, i did just that, played around with duotones and then merged with a sepia texture shot. i couldn't even tell you the exact recipe i used, 'cause i was just playing spontaneously, but i love how it turned out!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/4516509623/

[Mindy]

I'm totally digging playing around with b&w's! I shoot in color and then convert them (aka play around for insane amounts of time when I should be doing laundry or mopping the floors). for some reason, my eye has been drawn to images that are darker and have more contrast - not sure why that it is, maybe it evokes more feeling from the photo for me.

http://frecklesanddimplesphotography.blogspot.com/2010/04/goofy-yummy-lovey.html

[Sarah]

Hmmmm I do love black and white..sometimes with just a hint of color..but the shot has to be just right..great contrast to make it pop..but when it does..I loooove it... here are a couple that I was happy with...Sarah
http://www.flickr.com/photos/cottagegardenstudios/4276593553/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/cottagegardenstudios/4178498011/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/cottagegardenstudios/4178498007/in/photostream/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/cottagegardenstudios/4178497995/in/photostream/

[Leslie]

Very lovely warm tone on this photo!
I recently discovered a really cool vintage effect in photoshop. It gives a classic old school effect and works great on vintage themed shots. I added a Polaroid template to the photo afterwards, in a new program called Polaroid effect. Please let me know what you think!
http://lesliephoto.blogspot.com/

[suzie]

well, I really only ever shoot film and have only very recently been experimenting with black and white. Firstly I developed in caffenol and the images are wonderfully grainy and lo-res like this one
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ascatteredbrain/4503093326/in/set-72157623680406013/
I also developed a roll in regular developer, this one is my fave
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ascatteredbrain/4540928454/in/set-72157623778819985/

[DorkyMum]

I would like to do more in black and white - but like some of the other posters I just use iPhoto and Picnik, so my options are quite limited.

Even with that caveat, I like how b&w can be used to illustrate something quite stark:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/dorkymum/4437739323/

But also something quite soft (more bubbles!):

http://www.flickr.com/photos/dorkymum/4562214785/

[Juju]

First, I love that selectively colored shot! I've been experimenting with the selective coloring myself lately, as well as b&w in general. I process in Photoshop Elements, and sometimes do my own b&w conversion, sometimes use Pioneer Woman actions.
( http://thepioneerwoman.com/photography/ )

Here, I did my own b&w--the shot was already mostly b&w anyway--then recolored the collar and tongue:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/juju-b/4465617386/in/set-72157622712787235/

And here's one of my recent favorites, using PW's b&w beauty action:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/juju-b/4553317712/

Looks like more b&w processing is in my future!

[stacy]

I like a warm B&W picture and I process mine pretty much all the same with an action I wrote for myself. First I process the photo in color and then I do a gradient map layer, then a hue/saturation layer with a little bit of brown in it. It doesn't look like sepia, but it just gives it a bit of a warm cast to it.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/kraft/4424280802/in/photostream/

[Deirdre]

I am love color, but some photos seem like they were made for black & white. I use whatever method of b&w conversion seems to work best for the photo. Often I use a b&w gradient map and tweak contrast and colors to suit me. Two other favorite ways are:

- using one of "Dawn's presets" in Adobe Camera RAW (free and also available for Lightroom at http://www.flickr.com/groups/helping_hands_photo_editing_and_photography_help_group/discuss/72157616158869027/?search=presets):
http://www.flickr.com/photos/superdewa/4529618932/

- The Nik Silver FX plugin (which among other things allows you to choose your film type, very cool):
http://www.flickr.com/photos/superdewa/4516624755/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/superdewa/4498790153/

[BlessedMess]

one thing I love about black and white is that it let's me blend in an otherwise distracting color or object in a picture. For instance, I loved this picture out of the camera, but a BRIGHT orange sippy cup was stealing the show. After muttering "damn cup, why didn't I move it" a billion times, I tried some black and white and viola! Better.

Still wish I had moved the cup though. Right in front of his face...ugh.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/12418609@N00/4520874425/

[Aia]

i love B&W! i remember the first time i was introduced to the late ansel adams, and his images captured me immmediately. if i want B&W i shoot that way. i may take a thousand pics of the same thing, adjusting exposure & shutter speed to get it just right.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/aclamp/4561843685/in/photostream/

[wendy jane]

I love black and white and use it alot!! I love drama and one of my favorite Presets is by Dawn Gordon and called "Caramel". Here is an example

http://awebert.wordpress.com/2010/04/29/for-shutter-sisters/

I also like Kelsey Smith's Black and white preset group. I also do my own or tweek one of the presets to fit what I want. I never knew black and white could be in so many versions!

[shutterboo]

I love a monochromatic look. But lately, its been more blue and white rather than black and white. I just like it. Snagged a self-portrait the other day and had to play with it:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/shutterboo502/4556391882/

[Shannan]

I've been playing around with different photoshop techniques to get black and whites. Still haven't found one particular way I like the best yet. Still working on it. I do like contrast and warmth and sometimes a faint hint of color. I posted a few of my own.http://thisdancingstar.blogspot.com/

[galen]

for my own pictures, i generally stick with color. that's mainly because i don't have photoshop and don't really play around with monochrome, and my photography isn't exactly at the point where i want to fiddle with post-processing too much.

but i love looking at others' beautiful b/ws.

http://galendenali.blogspot.com/2010/04/color.html

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