Both result in a loss of detail, but while the former is considered to be unsightly, film grain is often thought to add character. Just as a high-ISO digital image displays greater noise, a high-ISO film stock (and with film, anything above 400 was considered as such) would display noticeable film grain. These days we refer to noise in our images, but in the days of film we would instead have to consider the film grain. It’s an essential skill to learn – not just for black & white photography, but all image-editing.Īpply a Selenium look using Photoshop’s Gradient Map tool. What’s more, we can control the brightness of the black & white points by dragging the top and bottom points of the curve line up or down, inwards or outwards. By plotting two or three points on the curve line to form an S-shape we can boost contrast by lightening the highlights and darkening the shadows. Available in Photoshop, Lightroom and numerous other editors, Curves lets you alter brightness by affecting different parts of the tonal range. There are a number of tools for boosting contrast, but the most intuitive has to be Curves. When our digital images are first converted to mono they can often look disappointingly flat, so a quick boost in contrast is usually necessary. Traditionally, different film stocks would display characteristic levels of contrast, and that contrast would increase if the film was pushed during processing. Credit: James Paterson Contrast and tonality You can create a semi-negative effect easily in Photoshop with Curves. Be sure to shoot in raw quality, otherwise the colour information will be stripped out of the file – and that colour information is very useful for controlling the look of the black & white image. ‘Seeing’ the world in black & white takes practice, but it can help to set your camera to a monochrome picture style to give you a better idea of how the finished image will look. Images with bold contrast tend to work in monochrome, as do stark landscapes, and photos with a strong shape or an interesting balance between light and shade. Removing colour draws attention to form, shapes, textures and patterns. But which ones? There are no firm rules, but there are a few factors to look out for. Some images just seem to work better in monochrome. However, before we delve into how to make an image black & white, perhaps we should first consider why. Of course, there are lots of apps and plug-ins that can apply these effects for you (a few of which are listed here), but you can also do it manually in Photoshop, Lightroom or any competent image-editing app. Silver Efex offers a whole host of presets, film stocks and contrast controls. First there’s the removal of colour then there’s the control of contrast and tonality and finally there’s the addition of monochrome tropes like film grain, vignettes or split toning. As such, if we want to replicate the characteristics of black & white film then it’s helpful to think of it as a combination of three image-editing tricks. Granted, it’s probably the most universally accepted of all image effects, but in the digital age it’s an aesthetic choice rather than the practical necessity it was in the early days of photography. But an effect is exactly what a black & white conversion is. When it comes to image editing, the term ‘effect’ is sometimes seen as a dirty word. These days there are lots of tools and techniques for achieving that classic black & white film look, from Lightroom tools to in-camera tricks and plug-ins that replicate particular film stocks, right down to the specific grain structure. Whatever the reason, it’s clear that, as a medium, black & white photography is as strong today as it’s ever been. Or maybe it’s because the absence of colour can draw attention to other things, like the stark shape of a building or the texture of a person’s skin. It creates an aesthetic link to an earlier time and a rich heritage of film photography. Why is the appeal of black & white photography so enduring? Perhaps it’s because a monochrome treatment lends our photos a nostalgic, timeless feel that’s difficult to achieve in this pristine, high-resolution digital age. Alien Skin Exposure offers a variety of film presets – this one is Ilford Delta 3200.
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