Photo Tip Saturday-Better Black and Whites

Heya folks, Jen here, and I am so glad that it's Saturday! I can't believe how fast this month is flying by.
Saturday's on the Jennifer Fox Designs blog are reserved for tutorials-two times a month we do photo tips, two times a month scrapping tips. Today I get to bring you some tips about black and white photos.

I am a black and white photo addict. There is something about a great black and white photo that just speaks to my soul. There are several different methods of doing black and white photos and we will cover a few of them today and give tips on how to make your black and whites really pop!

All my screenshots today will be from Photoshop Elements, but these methods also work in Photoshop CS.

Here is the image we will be working with today. This is straight out of camera, no conversions done whatsoever.


Method One: Monotone Color through PSE
PSE has a section under effects entitled monotone color. One click of a button, and you have a black and white photo. This is a nice basic black and white, but its not my favorite.


Method Two: Convert to Black and White
Under the Enhance tab in the top menu in PSE, it gives you the option to convert to black and white.


Converting via this method gives you more control on how your black and white turns out, with several choices as to the style of black and white and intensity sliders. I went with the scenic landscape version since that is what this photo is of, and then tweaked the sliders, and this is the result.


Method Three: Gradient Map
This third method is the hardest to remember at first, but I find gives me the best results and the most control over my black and whites.



I start with adding a levels layer, then add a gradient map in black to white. Just with those two layers, I get a pretty decent black and white straight out.


Watch what happens when I go in and tweak the levels layer slightly, brightening things up and adding more contrast.


It's a subtle difference, but really makes an impact to me.


There is no wrong way to make a black and white photo, and I hope these tips and tricks will help you find a way that you love!
Happy Scrapping!
Jen