Replacing a color photo to black and white picture

Currently, every digital camera offers the possibility of shooting in black & white. Personally, I sincerely advise using this mode. Why?

- Black and white never replace the colorful picture without the painstaking work in a graphics program.

- An algorithm for black and white photos on the camera is very simplified. We do not have the possibility of correction of many parameters, so our opportunities are significantly limited.

I recommend shooting in color, and convert images to black and white to stand for time in the program.

Photoshop offers us several ways to change color photos into black and white. Each of these methods can achieve other effects, so everyone should find something for theirsevels depending on their choice.

Here I present the picture in color, which we will modify:

1. Desaturate / Discoloration

Open the image, choose Image (Picture) -> Adjustment (Match) -> Desaturate (discoloration). 
We may also was to use the keyboard shortcut Shift + Ctrl + U 
the effect of this action looks like this:

2. Greyscale / Greyscale.

Open the image, choose Image (Picture) -> Mode (Mode) -> Greyscale / Greyscale.

Confirm the removal of color from the photo. the effect looks like this:

3. Black & White / Black and White (Photoshop CS3)

This option is an extension of the possibility of Hue & Saturation with additional presets already saved in the program. Open the image, choose Image (Picture) -> Adjustment (Match) -> Black & White (Black and White). Then, we match each color sliders. That is a sample image obtained using this function.

4. Hue & Saturation / Hue and Saturation

This option is very similar to that described above and is also present in earlier versions of Ps.

Open the image, choose Image (Picture) -> Adjustment (Match) -> Hue & Saturation / Hue and Saturation. Alternatively, you can use the shortcut Ctrl + U

We will open up a window option ofHue / Hue, Saturation / Saturation, Lightness / Brightness. Just move the slider Saturation / Saturation completely to the left (-100) and we get black and white picture, practically the same as when you use Desaturate / discoloration.

However, we can continue to edit our photos. When you move the slider fully left Saturation, let us open a drop down list Edit / Edit in the top of an open window. We can choose the different colors, and then edit each slide Lightness / Brightness. This is an example of the effect after using this function:

An interesting fact is that using the described functions can be obtained if we use Duoton this feature on a black-and-white photograph works best. Simply select the function Colorize in the same window. Move the sliders you can freely paint your picture accordingly.

5. Channel Mixer / Mixing Channels

This is a very useful and gives many opportunities to function. I recommend its use because of the possibility of stunning visuals effects. Open the image, choose Image (Picture) -> Adjustment (Match) -> Channel Mixer / Mixing channels. We will open a window with sliders for the Red / Red, Green / Green, Blue / Blue, Constant / Fixed. At the bottom of the window select the option Monochrome / Black and White and start playing the sliders. With this feature, we can get a shot in the style of High Key.

This is a sample image after using this function:

6. Duotone / Duotony

Very interesting and gives many opportunities to function.

Open the image, choose Image (Picture) -> Mode / Mode -> Greyscale / Greyscale. Accept the removal of color and then select the Image (Image) -> Mode / Mode -> Duotone. We will open a window Duotone. In the drop-down list, see below 2 Monotone and windows. Click the box to the left, on which the black line is positioned at an angle of 45 degrees. By clicking this box will open up further - Duotone Curve / duotonu curves. Make sure you pointed in the previous window click Preview / Preview. Now we can edit the curve immediately seeing the results of our work in the photo.

This is an example of the effect:

There are several ways to edit pictures in black and white (gradient maps. LAB mode), but they give much less room for maneuver, and rarely they are used.

I hope that through this tutorial you will be able to edit your pictures in any way and obtain the original effects with out having much technical knowledge of photoshop.

Austin Ames has many years' experience in article writing and he has written many more in the past.