How To: Perfect Black and White - High Contrast

[I Am A Photographer]

How would you like to be able to create perfect high contrast black and white images without blowing out your whites? The ability to make conversions like this....





I could teach this step by step, but I thought, why not just share the PS action instead? After all, it will help the creator of the action. So credit goes to Murkar for creating this excellent action. If you do not have Photoshop, I recommend getting it. A Gimp tutorial is coming soon.

-Link to the action-
http://murkar.deviantart.com/gallery/24374610#/d2aez8v

 

[I Am A Photographer]

Nasuh

Hello Captain, What do you mean when you said saying without "blowing out whites"?

I don't have Photoshop, this following is done with Black and White button in my favourite free image editing tool (the software name is called Paint.NET).



From what I see, there are more white dots in your edit, also the lines between each leave is more clear. Are those how you mean by saying high black and white contrast?

"Blown out" is a term used to describe the highlights that are over exposed to the point they lose details.

By high contrast, I mean the blacks are truly black and the whites are truly white as opposed to a grey cast. (Notice on your edit, how there is a grayish tone rather than true blacks)
Now, in any other image, white dots would mean background noise. However on my image, it is snow. ^^
Background noise is also common with bad black and white conversions.
If you haven't already downloaded it, I would recommend trying out GIMP. It is almost like Photoshop. 3nodding

Jonathan Uriah Denney
Guild Owner
Photographer  

[scelestic]

I just downloaded it to see what it did and it does convert to LAB which is how I was taught. It also sharpens with a high pass filter which is also how I sharpen. I tend to like a warm b&w duotone for most of my b&w conversions though. Its just a personal preference. Actions are great but i think you should also look at and understand what that action is doing to your image.  

[I Am A Photographer]

scelestic

I just downloaded it to see what it did and it does convert to LAB which is how I was taught. It also sharpens with a high pass filter which is also how I sharpen. I tend to like a warm b&w duotone for most of my b&w conversions though. Its just a personal preference. Actions are great but i think you should also look at and understand what that action is doing to your image.

Indeed. The conversion is incredibly simple. Though if you've planned to convert a lot of photos to black and white, actions are the way to go. I was thinking about making a Photoshop tutorial on how to do it manually, but I think you pretty much summed it up. Lol

Jonathan Uriah Denney
Guild Owner
Photographer  

[scelestic]

I Am A Photographer

scelestic

I just downloaded it to see what it did and it does convert to LAB which is how I was taught. It also sharpens with a high pass filter which is also how I sharpen. I tend to like a warm b&w duotone for most of my b&w conversions though. Its just a personal preference. Actions are great but i think you should also look at and understand what that action is doing to your image.

Indeed. The conversion is incredibly simple. Though if you've planned to convert a lot of photos to black and white, actions are the way to go. I was thinking about making a Photoshop tutorial on how to do it manually, but I think you pretty much summed it up. Lol

Jonathan Uriah Denney
Guild Owner
Photographer

Actions defiantly are the way to go which is why I make my own.  

[I Am A Photographer]

scelestic

I Am A Photographer

scelestic

I just downloaded it to see what it did and it does convert to LAB which is how I was taught. It also sharpens with a high pass filter which is also how I sharpen. I tend to like a warm b&w duotone for most of my b&w conversions though. Its just a personal preference. Actions are great but i think you should also look at and understand what that action is doing to your image.

Indeed. The conversion is incredibly simple. Though if you've planned to convert a lot of photos to black and white, actions are the way to go. I was thinking about making a Photoshop tutorial on how to do it manually, but I think you pretty much summed it up. Lol

Jonathan Uriah Denney
Guild Owner
Photographer

Actions defiantly are the way to go which is why I make my own.

Indeed. 3nodding