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DPChallenge Forums >> Tips, Tricks, and Q&A >> B/W Toning Method
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 06/04/2005 11:30:22 AM · #1
Greetings...

I have been experimenting with an interesting way to tone a black and white print with some interesting results.

Example Comparison

The first step is to do your normal post processing to the image. The second step is to add a channel mixer layer and do your normal black and white processing. The third step is to change the opacity to 95% on the channel mixer layer to allow a very slight amount of the original color to show through.
06/04/2005 11:32:31 AM · #2
I really like this method. I did it in this shot but with a sepia hue layer too.



You can see the curtains are slightly redder and the leaves are slightly green.

And in this one I did the same but faded it more.



Message edited by author 2005-06-04 11:33:37.
 06/04/2005 11:33:04 AM · #3
I like the results! I'll have to try this out. Thanks John.
 06/04/2005 01:41:53 PM · #4
Looks very sweet John. I've doen soemthign similar, but at a less extreme density so there was more color, used it as a sort of a controlled desaturation. I'llhave to try it for "pure" B/W.

Robt.
 06/04/2005 03:11:18 PM · #5
Maybe I'm the odd one out here but I don't like it, I much prefer no.2

To me no.3 looks like when you try a sepia type effect but see that it's not suited to the image.

I have great admiration for your b/w and 'mild sepia' images, and do consider you to be a leading light when it comes to the masters of exposure (where can I find the tutorial you wrote?) but please don't take this technique into your mainstream workflow.

Darren
 06/04/2005 03:15:09 PM · #6
Originally posted by colda:
Maybe I'm the odd one out here but I don't like it, I much prefer no.2

To me no.3 looks like when you try a sepia type effect but see that it's not suited to the image.

I have great admiration for your b/w and 'mild sepia' images, and do consider you to be a leading light when it comes to the masters of exposure (where can I find the tutorial you wrote?) but please don't take this technique into your mainstream workflow.

Darren


With all due respect, I believe that the photographer's liking for a method is the end all and be all of what should determine how his/her general workflow goes :) If I absolutely love to warp curves on all my photos, then I'll do that, regardless of opinion. heh.

Having said that.. I think that Setzler understands that each and every photo will have it's own look in his mind, and he'll B&W convert it however it suits that photo best to him.

As we all do..
 06/04/2005 03:28:46 PM · #7
Originally posted by Artyste:
Originally posted by colda:
Maybe I'm the odd one out here but I don't like it, I much prefer no.2

To me no.3 looks like when you try a sepia type effect but see that it's not suited to the image.

I have great admiration for your b/w and 'mild sepia' images, and do consider you to be a leading light when it comes to the masters of exposure (where can I find the tutorial you wrote?) but please don't take this technique into your mainstream workflow.

Darren


With all due respect, I believe that the photographer's liking for a method is the end all and be all of what should determine how his/her general workflow goes :) If I absolutely love to warp curves on all my photos, then I'll do that, regardless of opinion. heh.

Having said that.. I think that Setzler understands that each and every photo will have it's own look in his mind, and he'll B&W convert it however it suits that photo best to him.

As we all do..


...and with all due respect to you Glen, you have to remember that Setz is my inferior clone - sometimes he needs such direction ;)

On a serious note, you are right, I replied in the assumption that John was asking for feedback; my error. When re-reading his original posting it is clear that he is simply sharing a technique with us.

My apologies John, thanks for sharing :)

Darren
 06/04/2005 03:29:54 PM · #8
Originally posted by colda:

...and with all due respect to you Glen, you have to remember that Setz is my inferior clone - sometimes he needs such direction ;)


hahahahhahhaha.. touche.
 06/04/2005 04:10:17 PM · #9
Originally posted by jmsetzler:
Greetings...

I have been experimenting with an interesting way to tone a black and white print with some interesting results.

Example Comparison

The first step is to do your normal post processing to the image. The second step is to add a channel mixer layer and do your normal black and white processing. The third step is to change the opacity to 95% on the channel mixer layer to allow a very slight amount of the original color to show through.


-----------------------------------------------------
Jmsetzler, thanks for sharing.

I've been doing a similar process to this on many of my "old Style" works. I think it's an awesome look when applied to the right photo. It's that personal taste thing that decides which picture will work well and even more importantly to what degree the color merge should be applied. Another great topic for interesting and educational discussion Jmsetzler.

Over the past several months I have uploaded both a black/white version along side the "colorized" version of several of my photos. In most cases the slightly colorized version seems to have greater appeal. I often wonder if it's because of the busy nature of my compositions. I have also experimented with more simple compositions (see the "Garden Wall" below) I think loud color works well on some of the gas stations and cars. But I much prefer the subtle addition of color in a general sense. It's still a challenge for me to decide which photo and how much color to apply. I often find myself going back to some of these months later and liking them better the other way.

(I hope you don't mind me sharing these here jmsetzler).

A few recent shots along with some older photos using this technique to some degree:



And of course:


Please feel free to slash and trash any of these with honest opinions. I would love to learn more about likes and dis-likes and when this technique should or shouldn't be used.
 06/04/2005 04:50:19 PM · #10
im not working with layers yet but this method is on my list
Gringo these are Brilliant!!

thanks in advance jmsetzler

Message edited by author 2005-06-04 17:21:25.
 06/04/2005 05:56:04 PM · #11
You can also use the blending modes to add some interesting affects. Using overlay and soft light in particular along with adjusting opacity can be very effective.
 06/05/2005 04:49:48 AM · #12
Originally posted by moodville:
You can also use the blending modes to add some interesting affects. Using overlay and soft light in particular along with adjusting opacity can be very effective.


Thanks for the compliment Messerschmitt.

Moodville, do you have any examples you could post here showing the overlay and lighting techniques? Maybe before and after shots?? I would love to learn some new processing techniques. Are they also applied to the photo similar to using the technique Jmsetzler just described here?
 06/05/2005 09:42:46 AM · #13
Originally posted by Gringo:
Originally posted by moodville:
You can also use the blending modes to add some interesting affects. Using overlay and soft light in particular along with adjusting opacity can be very effective.


Thanks for the compliment Messerschmitt.

Moodville, do you have any examples you could post here showing the overlay and lighting techniques? Maybe before and after shots?? I would love to learn some new processing techniques. Are they also applied to the photo similar to using the technique Jmsetzler just described here?


Gringo, you're already using an overlay layer to accomplish the partial desaturation. Moodvilles is suggesting changing the blending properties of that layer so it integrates differently. You have like somewhere around 20 options, in a drop-down list in the layer pallette, for each layer except the locked BG layer.

Super interesting to play with. How you use it will vary dramatically from image to image.

Robt.
 06/05/2005 10:10:48 AM · #14
without blending properties i would have very little skill as a photographer...

seriously though, i don't think i could live without them.
 06/05/2005 10:11:31 AM · #15
Nice John. it's basically a less saturated version of the Muted Technique I talked about a while back. I have a Photoshop action for it if anyone is interested.

P

06/05/2005 12:09:52 PM · #16
It is just a technique, and as with any, it will not work well on all images. Each image will require its own post processing. No one should ever create a single workflow that is applied to all images if you want to get the most out of every image.
 06/05/2005 12:21:33 PM · #17
of course. the action in this case only opens the dialogue boxes. you still control the settings.
 06/08/2005 02:30:03 AM · #18
Thanks for posting the steps for the "muted technique" Pedro. It's actually a lot easier than the way I've been doing it all this time. I don't know my way around many of the techniques and layers and all. It was helpful to read.
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