Graphics Programs Reference
In-Depth Information
There are two auto conversion methods for converting your images from color to
black and white (one in the Basic panel and another in the HSL/Color/B&W panel),
and no matter where you choose to do it from, the results are the same. Now, to
me they just look really flat, and I honestly think you can do much better by doing
it yourself. We'll start with my preferred method for most color-to-black-and-white
conversions, which lets you build on what you've already learned in this chapter.
White Images
Step One:
In the Library module, find the photo you
want to convert to black and white, and first
make a virtual copy of it by going under the
Photo menu and choosing
Create Virtual
Copy
, as shown here (the only reason you do
this is so when you're done, you can compare
your do-it-yourself method with Lightroom's
auto-conversion method side by side. By the
way, once you learn to do the conversion
yourself, I doubt you'll ever want to use the
auto method again). Press
Command-D
(PC: Ctrl-D)
to deselect the virtual copy,
and then go down to the Filmstrip and click
on the original photo.
Step Two:
Now press
D
to jump to the Develop mod-
ule and, in the right side Panels area, scroll
down to the HSL/Color/B&W panel, then
click directly on B&W on the far right of the
panel header (as shown here). This applies
an automatic conversion from color to black
and white, but sadly it usually gives you the
flat-looking B&W conversion you see here
(consider this your “before” photo). The
idea here is that you adjust the B&W auto
conversion by moving the color sliders. The
thing that makes this so tricky, though, is
that your photo isn't color anymore. Go
ahead and move the sliders all you want,
and you'll see how little they do by them-
selves. By the way, if you toggle the panel
on/off button (circled here in red), you can
see how bad this black-and-white would
have looked if Lightroom had done the auto
conversion for you without using the default
conversion settings.
