Digital BW, The Print

Greetings,

Any comments on the use of photoshop B&W conversion plug-ins? As  a
first class newbie I am finding them useful until I get more
conversant with the different PS techniques.

For example:
Powerretouche:http://www.powerretouche.com/Black-white_plugin_
introduction.htm

PixelGenius:ttp://pixelgenius.com/photokit-gallery/index.html

Thanks

Drime

Drime,

I am personally not a big fan of B&W plug ins because I don't believe 
they give you the control that you will want.  Here are some 
resources you may want to reference to learn non-plug in ways.

Russell Brown is a noted Photoshop expert and has featured a number 
of ways of converting to B&W.  His latest can be found at.
http://www.russellbrown.com/tips_tech.html

John Paul Caponigro is another noted expert and explains his 
technique in this pdf found on the Adobe web site.
http://www.adobe.com/digitalimag/pdfs/phs8bwconversion.pdf

I am a nobody in Photoshop, but I do explain a number of customary 
methods on my web site at the link below.  I also explain the method 
I devised and use on the web site.
http://www.zuberphotographics.com/page_CustIntro.htm

There is a simultaneous post going on (subject: channel mixer) that 
is asking whether or not John's technique is one of the best.  I
believe there is no `best' technique.  The `best' technique is 
probably the one that gives you the most control that you can handle 
at any given point in time.  As you get more comfortable, then you 
will probably want to look for a method that gives you increasing 
control.

Thomas

Dear Thomas,

Thank you for the pointers.

As a completed newbie to digital photography/printing I am completely
overwhelmed by both the amount of new knowledge required to produce
images and the plethora of conversion techniques. I am sure that over
time I will gain the required expertise.

In the interim I find the interface of Black and White Studio
http://www.powerretouche.com/Black-white_plugin_tutorial.htm#tutorial
somewhat familiar. I can get the look of Tri-X or HP5(tones) at the
click of a button. I can push or pull exposure and use simulated
multigrade paper. All with the additional use of sliders.

This is very helpful as I simultaneously try my hand at PSCS and build
up my skills.

Drime
(technically challenged) 






--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, "rgb2bw"
<jnk0941@e...> wrote:

> 
> Drime,
> 
> I am personally not a big fan of B&W plug ins because I don't believe 
> they give you the control that you will want.  Here are some 
> resources you may want to reference to learn non-plug in ways.
>