How to Shoot… Black & White – Photoshop: Simple B&W Conversion

There are three simple ways to convert to black & white in Photoshop Elements and Photoshop  CS; the first two are variations on the same process, simply removing the colour from the image, while the third allows you to adjust the filtration.

Desaturate/Remove Colour

This is a one-click method to turn your images mono and can be achieved in both Elements and CS with a keyboard shortcut of Ctrl+Shift+U. Alternatively it can be found in the top menu under Enhance>Adjust Color>Remove Color (in Elements) or Image>Adjustments>Desaturate (in CS).

How to Shoot... Black & White - Desaturation

Hue/Saturation palette

This method offers a slider for your saturation, enabling you to leave a small amount of colour in your image, should you wish. For a straight mono conversion it’s still quick too, as the palette can be opened with the Ctrl+U shortcut, or from the top menu bar and simply takes a drag of the Saturation slider all the way to the left.

How to Shoot... Black & White - Hue & Saturation

Black & White filter

This is a recent edition to Elements and Photoshop, offering differing degrees of colour filtration to be added either using sliders or a series of presets. What this means is that straight from conversion you have a more dynamic-looking mono image, rather than the often flat, grey image the desaturation route leaves you with. The Elements version features a before and after image, while CS’s palette offers more control. 

How to Shoot... Black & White - B&W Filter

 

  1. 1. Know Before You Go
  2. 2. How to Shoot... Black & White - Camera Functions
  3. 3. How to Shoot... Black & White - Coloured Filters and Depth of Field
  4. 4. How to Shoot... Black & White - Landscapes, Symmetry and Pattern
  5. 5. How to Shoot... Black & White - Documentary Style and People
  6. 6. How to Shoot... Black & White - Shadow Play and Bad Weather
  7. 7. How to Shoot... Black & White - Photoshop: Simple B&W Conversion
  8. 8. How to Shoot... Black & White - Photoshop: Advanced conversion
  9. 9. How to Shoot... Black & White - Photoshop: Step-by-Step B&W Conversion
  10. 10. How to Shoot... Black & White - Using Corel Paintshop Pro
  11. 11. How to Shoot... Black & White - Essential Gear
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