I'm not sure I can use the channel mixer method in the GIMP (unless somebody can explain it to me?), but using the hue/sat. adjustment layers works beautifully. I would never have thought to adjust the hue of a layer to fiddle with B&W!!
Thank you, I was just going to ask about this because I was having some trouble with a couple images I will try the hue/sat. I had never thought of using that before.
Leroy, according to Digidaan's site which is where I learned the Hue/Sat method, the desat layer is normal mode and the layer that you play around with the hue is in color mode... This is the way I've done b/w for advanced editing for the last couple years.
I'm not sure I can use the channel mixer method in the GIMP (unless somebody can explain it to me?), but using the hue/sat. adjustment layers works beautifully. I would never have thought to adjust the hue of a layer to fiddle with B&W!!
I believe GIMP has Channel Mixer and will be most convenient for you since GIMP doesn't have adjustment layers.
Adjusting the Hue of an image before B&W conversion is a digital equivalent to an old technique of using on-lens colored filters in B&W film photography. The advantage here is that you have the whole spectrum in your filters collection.
Leroy, according to Digidaan's site which is where I learned the Hue/Sat method, the desat layer is normal mode and the layer that you play around with the hue is in color mode... This is the way I've done b/w for advanced editing for the last couple years.
I just loaded the original image and set my Hue/Sat layers to your configuration and get the same results. I suppose just another variation :-)
I sometimes even use PICASA for this effect as I can go it simple by selecting the b/w conversion using filters and then can choose filter color and see the effect real time :)
The photoshop thing is very effective and offcourse I get benefit of using layers also :) Thanks for sharing!
I've submitted some fixes to the tutorial and also added a forth method for CS2 users, using the Photo Filter adjustment layer. I hope to see those fixes soon. :-)
In you last example where you apply the Curves adjustment, it looks like you are using the photo processed by the Hue/Sat method, while the text refers to it as the one processed with the Channel Mixer.
One method you didn't mention but which I've found surprisingly effective on occasion is to copy one of the original RGB Channels (usually the Green) to a new Grayscale document, as a starting point for further adjustments with Curves, or for making a Duotone. If you want a gritty, grainy look try copying just the Blue channel, which is usually full of noise.
A couple other weapons to add to your B&W arsenal...
Tip 1: One of the most well kept secrets in B&W conversion is the "Selective Color" adjustment layer.
"Selective Color" has black, white and neutral adjustment selections and because there are sliders in each for Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Black it can be used to great effect fine tuning the tonality of your B&W. Works well in Luminosity or Normal mode.
Tip 2: Don't forget about layer masking. Often you will perfect a tonal adjustment for one part of an image, say the face, that fouls up some other area of the image. Just simply use an appropriately feathered black brush and opacity setting to airbrush out undesired side effects in the layer mask.
In you last example where you apply the Curves adjustment, it looks like you are using the photo processed by the Hue/Sat method, while the text refers to it as the one processed with the Channel Mixer.
One method you didn't mention but which I've found surprisingly effective on occasion is to copy one of the original RGB Channels (usually the Green) to a new Grayscale document, as a starting point for further adjustments with Curves, or for making a Duotone. If you want a gritty, grainy look try copying just the Blue channel, which is usually full of noise.
I'm doing some more fixes and adding some illustrations and have fixed the oversight in which pic I used :-)
I'm also including your Channel Method and yes it does work, but using channel mixer IMO is more versatile.
Tip 1: One of the most well kept secrets in B&W conversion is the "Selective Color" adjustment layer.
"Selective Color" has black, white and neutral adjustment selections and because there are sliders in each for Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Black it can be used to great effect fine tuning the tonality of your B&W. Works well in Luminosity or Normal mode.
Tip 2: Don't forget about layer masking. Often you will perfect a tonal adjustment for one part of an image, say the face, that fouls up some other area of the image. Just simply use an appropriately feathered black brush and opacity setting to airbrush out undesired side effects in the layer mask.
