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Photographs Rick Sammon

Image and Post by Rick Sammon

Scott and I really enjoy the questions we get for our PhotoFocus podcast! Great fun and good learning.

Recently, a listener wrote, “Why not use Convert to Grayscale in Photoshop when making a B&W image?”

Well, here are six reasons why you should use the Black and White Adjustment (bottom left image) rather than Convert to Grayscale (top right image): Using the sliders in the Black and White adjustment panel, you can individually control the tones in an image: Reds, Yellows, Greens, Cyans, Blues and Magentas. What’s more, with the Black and White Adjustment, you can add a Tint, change the Hue and adjust the Saturation!

Here is a seventh reason: Grayscale images look flat.

And here is another reason: You can have a lot more fun with the Black & White Adjustment.

Oh yeah, you really should create your B&W images in ACR (Adobe Camera RAW 5.3) – where you have control over: Reds, Oranges, Yellows, Greens, Aquas, Blues, Purples and Magentas. As always, do as much work (and have as much fun) in ACR before you move into Photoshop.

Hey, the listener asked about Photoshop, and not ACR . . . or Lightroom or Aperture :-)

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