It's Black, It's White, Woohoo

The first thing you should do when preparing to convert your image to black and white is to first make a very nice color version of the image. Of special importance is the color correction/determination of correct white balance. Most of the methods used to convert an image to black and white are based on assigning tone based on color. If there is a color cast, then this will make it harder to make targeted edits to tone based on color.

Here is the handout that I wrote up back in 2006. It is a little dated, but most of it still applies. It covers many of the techniques that I demonstrated in class. All that is missing is the conversion available via Camera Raw and the Black and White tools within Photoshop proper.
Being a UT student, you have access to the wonderful resources that the University of Toledo library offers students in the form of online books. If you connect to the internet via a UT connection, you will not have to sign in. If you are at home, then you will have to sign in using your name and R number. I will try to remember to demonstrate how to do this in class tomorrow.

To access the online books through UT's library system, begin by going to:

http://www.utoledo.edu/library/

Go to the Quick Links section and run a search on the relevant subject matter, let's say Photoshop Pen Tool. Look over the books . You will see that most of them have an ebook icon on to the right of the listing. You will see a link just below the book title which says Connect to Electronic Resource. This will take you to the book within Safari Books Online. You will see a large blue button which says Start Reading.

Or go directly to the search by going to:

http://utmost.cl.utoledo.edu/search

Additional reading on Converting images to Black and White - please read these online books available via the library by Wednesday

Real World Digital Photography, 2^nd Edition, pp. 556-567, well written section on converting to black and white and some novel means to toning images. I used to use this book as the assigned textbook at Owens. A bit dated now, but still an excellent read.
Digital Infrared Photography, Chapter 5, we will briefly discuss digital infrared in the near future, but this book covers some interesting digital conversions to grayscale some of which are specific to IR images.

Mastering Digital Black and White: A Photographer’s Guide to High Quality Black-and-White Imaging and Printing Chapter 5, the Color to Black and White section which discusses the Calculations method of conversion.

Here are some links to tutorials on using the Dodge and Burn technique that I will demonstrate next week

Non-Destructive Dodge and Burn in Photoshop

Why dodge and burn?.

Here is an article about why you might want to Dodge and Burn.

Here is an article about using the Gradient Map method to convert an image to B&W. 

Here is an article about using the Gradient tool to make a sky darker.

Here is an article demonstrating multiple ways to split tone an image.

Here is another about multiple ways to add a Sepia tone to an image.

I will demonstrate Quadtone RIP for you one at some point in the next few weeks.