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Photography - Tips/Tutorials: Lightroom 2.0 convert to B/W Workflow

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    By request I have outlined, in a general way, my Lightroom 2.0 convert to B/W workflow. First, let me debunk the axiom of editing first in color, then converting a Virtual Copy to B/W. Total waste of time, I even crop different in B/W...sometimes a color won't carry an edge in B/W. Start by making a Virtual Copy of the original. If you have edited the original, make a Virtual Copy then hit Reset. I shoot RAW, but should you shoot JPEG you might skip Develop - Detail below, or better yet turn off your camera's sharpening and noise reduction settings to retain some control.

    Develop - Basic

    Click Grayscale! I expose to the right by setting my camera to +EV's [YMMV] so I first make a "sometimes radical" Recovery adjustment to put texture back in the highlights. Be patient because your image will look YUK at this point, but we'll fix it in Tone Curves. Then I bump the Presence > Clarity slider to something like 75%. Close Basic, though we may return to it later. No other edits in Basic...discipline yourselves!

    *If you at anytime notice weird fringing, banding etc, a too aggressive Recovery most likely is the culprit!
    **If you need help with understanding histograms

    Develop - Tone Curves

    The two key sliders here are Lights and Darks. Twiddle them left or right until the desired contrast are achieved...usually both to the left in varying amounts. Occasionally, a Shadows adjustment is required. What you're looking for is balance, so be gentle with the Shadows slider. If you're confused, click on the Target Adjustment tool - that bulls eye thing - to activate it. [hereinafter TAT] Drag the TAT up or down on the troublesome area of the image. Watch the sliders move in Tone Curve panel, now you know the region where the correction lies. Don't forget to click the TAT off! [sounds funny : ]

    Develop - Grayscale

    Here you can adjust what was local color in the original image. Be gentle as large swings introduces large amounts of nasty noise...but you might like that! Again, troublesome areas can be identified with the TAT. TAT on - TAT off. [still funny : ]

    Develop - Detail

    Click on the image "at your focal point" to zoom in 1:1. I use the Landscape Sharpen preset [left Presets panel] as a start, then holding opt/alt drag the Masking slider to the right until just the focal point is apparent. Remember this is capture sharpening, not to be confused with output sharpening! Luminous noise can be reduced here, but it's of the consumer variety. Any serious noise needs a trip to a Photoshop plug-in like Noise Ninja...something with support for your specific camera.

    Develop - Vignettes

    I find a slight vignette resolves the corners, be gentle and feather.

    Tools

    At the top of the Develop Panel reside the icons for various - local edit - tools: Crop, Spot, Red Eye, Gradient and Adjustment Brush. The first four work as expected, but the Adjustment brush is a different kettle of fish. While the brush can be used [possibly with a graphics tablet] to accomplish minor retouching with a limited number of stokes...it is not, nor was it intended to replicate, tools available in Photoshop. I find it handy to work 1:1 with this tool, for broad local edits to light/shadow on landscapes, or to darken an eye then pop the highlight. Beware of the wonky edges this tool might generate, zoom in to check before moving on.

    Evaluate

    I hit G, then spacebar, then L twice to view the image full screen in Lights Out mode. How's it look? Now I might go back to Develop - Basic and add Fill Light, bump the Blacks, or both in varying amounts. In editing I err on the side of too dark, then lighten as necessary with minor twiddles.

    Export

    File > Export. Check the Export dialog box for proper Quality, Image size, and Output Sharpening. PixelGenius have provided the output sharpening algorithms and they are super!

    Reference

    Luminous-Landscape Lightroom 2.0 video tutorial. Martin Evening Lightroom 2.0 for photographers.

    Have fun! [and excuse the typos : ]
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    This is a great tutorial Jerry !! Thanks very much. I am sure a lot of people will find it useful, I sure did !!
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    You are welcome! If anyone needs a specific tutorial in Lightroom 2.0 I would be glad to oblige. I'm starting to forget Photoshop : ]
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      CommentAuthorjason (Admin)
    • CommentTimeMay 4th 2009
     
    Jerry - I'm with you on the power of Lightroom - I rarely use photoshop either

    This is a great quick tutorial - thanks for sharing!
    Would love to see more stuff like this in the forums and will try to add some of my own.
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      CommentAuthorjason (Admin)
    • CommentTimeMay 4th 2009 edited
     
    btw - I stumbled on a LR technique for B&W that involves combining two presets
    I believe the presets are called 300 v1 (or v2) and (B&W) Red Filter (High Contrast)
    (search on them and they should be available still in multiple places)

    It works well for clouds and architecture and even some edgy portraits...

    for example

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