Black and white conversion: tone, contrast and mood
Great black and white images are made, not just desaturated. Learn to control tones with color mixing, contrast and grain.
Black and white removes color distractions and emphasizes light, shape, texture and emotion. But simply removing saturation gives flat results.
Choose the right images
Strong contrast, interesting light, texture and emotion translate well. Scenes that rely on color, like a turquoise cenote, usually do not.
Use the B&W mix
In Lightroom’s Black & White panel, each color slider controls the brightness of that color in gray. Darken blues for dramatic skies; brighten oranges for luminous skin.
Contrast
Set a true black and a true white, then shape midtones with the tone curve. An S-curve adds punch.
Local dodge and burn
Brighten the subject and darken edges to guide the eye, the way darkroom printers did.
Texture and grain
Clarity and texture emphasize detail in faces and architecture. Adding fine grain can give a film feel.
Toning
A slight warm or cool tone in shadows or highlights adds depth, like selenium or sepia prints.
