Black and white for printing

[illmonkey]

After some help, as not familiar with this.

We've 3 photos, all iPhone (sorry), that we'd like to get printed pretty large, 50x70cm. Currently all colour shots, but we think they'd look great in B&W.

I'm trying to get them well balanced, so they'd look good next to each other on a wall, but can't see to. Sky/sea/etc don't seem to 'match'.

I've got photoshop, just not used to playing with B&W. Any tips? "auto" just washes them out, then I mess them up with the sliders!

[C n C]

Hard to say really. I guess it partly depends on how different the original colour photos are.

Are you using the B&W conversion with specific presets, or just taking the colour photo and desaturating it as a start point?

Once in B&W either way, try adjusting the levels to get similar contrast and tonal range?

Maybe if you posted the 3 original photos some on here could have a go?

[Simpo Two]

illmonkey said:

After some help, as not familiar with this.

We've 3 photos, all iPhone (sorry), that we'd like to get printed pretty large, 50x70cm. Currently all colour shots, but we think they'd look great in B&W.

I'm trying to get them well balanced, so they'd look good next to each other on a wall, but can't see to. Sky/sea/etc don't seem to 'match'.

I've got photoshop, just not used to playing with B&W. Any tips? "auto" just washes them out, then I mess them up with the sliders!

Don't use 'Desaturate', use 'Channel mixer' which splits RGB into tones separately, then you can then adjust each one until you get the look you like. 'Gradient map' is another tool which gives lots of contrast. See which works best for each photo.

Note that if a photo depends mainly on colour for effect, it may not work as b/w.

[illmonkey]

Simpo Two said:

illmonkey said:

After some help, as not familiar with this.

We've 3 photos, all iPhone (sorry), that we'd like to get printed pretty large, 50x70cm. Currently all colour shots, but we think they'd look great in B&W.

I'm trying to get them well balanced, so they'd look good next to each other on a wall, but can't see to. Sky/sea/etc don't seem to 'match'.

I've got photoshop, just not used to playing with B&W. Any tips? "auto" just washes them out, then I mess them up with the sliders!

Don't use 'Desaturate', use 'Channel mixer' which splits RGB into tones separately, then you can then adjust each one until you get the look you like. 'Gradient map' is another tool which gives lots of contrast. See which works best for each photo.

Note that if a photo depends mainly on colour for effect, it may not work as b/w.

Tried both and can't really tell the difference! Maybe it won't matter what they look like on my walls after all

[Simpo Two]

illmonkey said:

Tried both and can't really tell the difference! Maybe it won't matter what they look like on my walls after all

Hmm, maybe time to get a new guide dog