Digital Black and White Photography

Ansel Easton Adams (1902-1984), was an American master photographer, best known for his black and white photographs, had ever said that “Only black and white photography is authentic photography”. Though he might be over exaggerated, black and white photography has continuing to dominate for decades, with its "classic" photographic look. Black and white photograph is crisp and clean with its patterns, shapes and lines to intrigue our minds. Black and white photography is honest. It's art, plain and simple. From the deep dark richest blacks to the crisp clean clear whites, it tells a story. With its gentle gradations of grey, it holds our attention and makes us want to see beyond the surface. However, since the invention of digital photography, the global photographic market has been undergoing a major upheaval, many key players withdrawing from traditional areas of the industry; the supply of silver halide film, photographic paper and relevant products is diminishing. Would black and white photography be extinct?
Let’s first look at some behaviours of digital photography. Digital cameras capture images through red, green and blue light sensors. Through the use of editing software such as PhotoShop, images are then transformed into photographic works. Compare to conventional darkroom techniques, digital editing is simple yet powerful in photo editing. Moreover, digital editing is non-destructive and is revertible; you are also not constraining by the physical environment as your computer, notebook is your darkroom. In fact the introduction of digital photography has lifted the level of black and white photography to a higher level.
Today most digital cameras are capable of taking black and white pictures. However it is unlikely to achieve the standard of a silver halide type of photographs. It is because taking picture using the in-camera black and white mode is similar to shooting picture with Kodak BW400CN and Ilford XP2 Super films which work with C-41 colour print film developer. The in-camera processor converts the RGB signals into greyscale with approximately 30% red, 60% green and 10% blue colours’ weighted average. The image produced is flat and uninteresting. (Figure 2)

The best way to produce a good digital black and white image is to capture it in colour (RAW format is preferred). Subsequently, use editing software to convert it into a black and white image. The rule of thumb is that do not capture grayscale at the input stage as the outcome is un-predictable. Converting a digital colour image into black and white utilises the same principles as with colour filters in film photography. Whether you specify it or not, all conversion techniques have to use some weighted combination of each colour channel to produce grayscale brightness. Though with the current technology, digital sensor can only capture tonality up to 5 zones (2 less than that of a properly exposed silver halide film), it is still possible to produce a good digital black and white image if we over exposed the highlight within 2 stops and under exposed the shadow within 3 stops. The following are some of the black & white conversion methods using PhotoShop editing software.
1. Grayscale:
The most obvious way to get black and white from colour in PhotoShop is simply to do a mode conversion from the menu bar:
Image > Mode > Grayscale
PhotoShop produces a grayscale from 30% red，59% green and 11% blue lights and discard all colour information. This method does not allow alteration of the colour combination. It may be used to convert high contrast images however; some of the details and tonal quality may be lost.（Figure 3）
2. Desaturate:
Image > Adjustments > Desaturate
Desaturating the colours in an image is the simplest type of conversion, but often produces inadequate results. This is because it does not allow for control over how the primary colours combine to produce a given grayscale brightness. The colour channels are not re-distributed either; as a result the black and white image is very flat and with little details. (Figure 4)
3. Lab:
Image > Mode > Lab Color > Channels
Using the lightness channel in lab mode is quick and easy because it converts based on the luminance value from each pixel's RGB combination. After converting the mode to Lab, discard both channels a and b, the image changed to black and white. To save the black and white image, we need to further convert the Lightness channel into Grayscale (Image > Mode > Grayscale). The result is slightly better than the previous two methods. (Figure 5)
4. Gradient Map:Image > Adjustments > Gradient Map
After opening the image, press D to set the foreground colour to black and background colour to white.
Next perform the black and white conversion (Image > Adjustments > Gradient Map). Select Dither when the window pop-up to smoothen the gradient. The result is more pleasant than de-saturation. (Figure 6)


5. Calculations：
Image > Calculations
For Source 1 and Source 2, select one colour each from Gray, Red, Green and Blue for the channels.
Try different colour combinations for the two source channels as different colour combinations produce different grayscale. Also try different Blending modes such as Multiply, Overlay, Soft light etc and different Opacity to achieve best result. (Figure 7)
6. Hue/Saturation:
Layer > New Adjustment Layer > Hue/Saturation
Set the Hue/Saturation value to -100 when the window pop-up. Noticed image changed to black and white.
Again apply Layer > New Adjustment Layer > Hue/Saturation to bring up a new Hue/Saturation layer. Place this new layer under the first Hue/Saturation layer at the same time change the Blending mode from Normal to Colour.
Adjust the Hue’s value by dragging the slider in order to change the contrast. You may also adjust the Saturation and Lightness values if desire.
Two Hue/Saturation adjustments, provides better control over the tone and contrast of the image. (Figure 8)
7. Channel Mixer:
Layer > New Adjustment Layer > Channel Mixer
First check Monochrome; follow by setting the percentage values of the R, G, B channels to your satisfaction.
This probably is the most versatile conversion method prior to the introduction of PhotoShop CS3. It gives you all the control of parameters setting. (Figure 9)
8. Black and White:
This is new in PhotoShop CS3. It provides users with the most comprehensive and versatile black and white conversion method. With the introduction of the Black and White Adjustment Layer, we probably should forget all the 7 methods mentioned before. It is so easy that any inexperience PhotoShop user can handle it with no difficulty.
Layer > New Adjustment Layer > Black and White
The pop-up window shows 6 sliders to control the amount of luminosity in the Reds, Yellows, Greens, Cyans, Blues and Magentas. The default setting is 40% red, 60% yellow, 40% green, 60% cyan, 20% blue and 80% magenta. (Figure 10)
If Auto is checked, PhotoShop adjusts the different colour channels according to luminosity. (Figure 11)
Those who prefer more filter effects, PhotoShop actually provides 10 commonly used filters including Infrared filter in the Preset. (Figure 12, 13)

“Photo art” has a very wide range of definitions. It can be in the form of a composite, a simple effect or treatment added to a single image, an abstract, a double exposure, etc. Photo art is any photographic image that does not represent reality in true form. In the past, people would cut out parts of printed photos and paste them into a scrapbook to create photo art in the form of a montage, or create a simple arrangement in a scrapbook in the form of a collage. Of course, these “cut and paste” techniques are still practiced today, but not as frequently due to the widespread use of computers.
Today’s technology has made it possible to create a single, seamless image from parts of several different photos. With the use of imaging software, such as Adobe Photoshop, elements of multiple photos can be combined into a single image. Starting with a “base” photo that will serve as the “canvas,” elements from other photos are added as layers to produce the final image. These “composite” images can be as complex as you wish to make them and can be used for a variety of purposes. Photo Art images can be used for commercial purposes, or simply as a means of individual artistic expression.
Just as creative, you can add a treatment or series of treatments to a single image using Photoshop filters. These filters can be used to add a glow, add grain or noise, blur, etc. The trick to successful photo art is to select the treatments that enhance the qualities of the base image. For example, adding grain or blur can enhance the effect of an image that depicts fog or mist. A combination of sharp and blurred elements can be combined as well, to better accentuate the subject. If a background appears “cluttered” in the original image, selectively blurring the background and sharpening the subject can add a sense of dimension to the image. With today’s imaging software packages, the possibilities are endless.
Creating photo art is a great way to expand your imagination, editing and photographic skills as well. Like assembling a jigsaw puzzle, you have to pay particular attention to how you photograph each element that will become part of the final product, including the angle that you capture an element, the direction of light, and how the element will fit with the final image. Once you learn the types of effects that can be achieved with your computer, you can start looking at otherwise uninteresting photo opportunities that can be made interesting by a certain effect you may like. It could even be a way to break out of a slump in your normal photography practices.
Photo art is displayed alongside “traditional” photographs and paintings in art galleries, used as cover images for magazines, billboard advertisements, web pages, album covers, etc. There seems to be a fairly large and growing market for this type of work, and advertising agencies will often hire someone to create specific images for their ads. In talking with a couple of local advertising agents, they say that they use composite photo art because it’s the best way to catch the public’s attention and a way to creatively make their product seem more enticing.
When displaying photo art, be sure to indicate to the viewer that the image is a composite, created in-camera or in-computer (or both) from several images. As we have seen in the NPN image critique galleries, honesty is paramount – no viewer likes to be deceived, especially when the final image could be construed as an authentic photograph. That said, photo art is not only fun to create, but can be pleasing to view as well. Give it a try, and have some fun with it!

In pursuit of perfection

George Farmer’s brief was simple. Set up the best Amano-style planted aquascape you can — in just one day! Here’s how he did it.
Copyright © Practical FishkeepingWhen PFK’s Deputy Editor Jeremy Gay said he wanted the ‘ultimate planted tank’ for a step-by-step feature, I knew it would take something special to satisfy both of us. The UK planted aquarium and aquascaping scene is enjoying huge popularity and some creations are impressive to say the least. Check out the new PFK Great Planted Tank series for ideas. Unfortunately this makes my job, as this magazine’s planted aquascaping expert, even harder in maintaining the ever-high standards expected of me. It certainly keeps me on my toes!
Best equipmentI decided that, to do justice to the aquascape, I would need the best equipment possible. I wanted to emulate the ultra-modern ADA style by using a full opti-white glass, braceless and rimless tank with full glass CO2 and filterware with overtank lighting. The cabinet was chosen to reflect the minimalist look of the aquarium and the finish matched the light unit perfectly. I considered using a 90 x 45 x 45 cm/35 x 18 x 18” aquarium, but decided it would be a too big a task to aquascape effectively in one day. Creating a mature look would be almost impossible. A German 60 x 30 x 35cm/24 x 12 x 14” opti-white glass tank with a total volume of 63 l/14 gal was used instead. Opti-white is different to regular aquarium glass in that it is of higher clarity due to a lower iron content. This is particularly noticeable when viewing the glass cross-section that is normally green with common glass. With opti-white it is a light blue. The aquarium’s glass thickness was only 5mm, so clarity difference was negligible — but I can see it making a significant difference with thicker glass required for larger tanks that are also braceless and rimless. One area where this aquarium is superior to all others I have seen is in its silicone work: It’s almost invisible and extremely neat. The cabinet, also German, was very well made, pre-assembled, with a high quality look and feel. There is a pre-drilled large hole in the rear for such as electrical cables, but I decided to carefully drill more holes in the sides to allow access to the filter and CO2 hoses. This prevents any ugly hoses and cables spoiling the clear background — another feature of ADA-style aquariums.Backgrounds aren’t generally used. Instead a pale wall or plain wallpaper would provide a nice contrast to plants and fish. Backlighting can also be used to create interesting photography effects, as many may have noticed in some recent aquascapes from Amano and other enthusiasts.
Uniform heatFiltration was by an Aqua El Max 250 external canister filter with a flow rating of 650 lph — an ideal turnover for this size of aquarium. A Hydor ETH 200 external inline heater was used to heat the water to 25oC/77oF. I prefer these to the regular internal heaterstats as they heat more uniformly and don’t look ugly sitting in the tank. Cal-Aqua glass lily pipe filter inlet and outlets were used instead of the supplied plastic spraybar. The glass looks subtle and adds class to the whole set-up, and PFK Editor Karen Youngs was particularly impressed by the design. Clear filter hose was also used to enhance the minimalist feel.Lighting was supplied by the Arcadia overtank luminaire; a 60cm/24” 4 x 24W HO T5 unit with Arcadia Plant Pro tubes. This is very high lighting, enough to grow any plant with ease. There are two separate plugs for two tubes each, allowing independent switching or timer-controlled staggered lighting. I also like these units because they can be tilted in situ, allowing easy access to the water and glass for maintenance.
Clean lookOverall, the overtank design suits the clean appearance of the whole set-up and the units can also be suspended by using Arcadia’s suspension kit. With this quantity of light, pressurised CO2 injection and regular liquid fertilisation is essential, otherwise algae would quickly take hold. A D&D CO2 system with 600g disposable bottle and built-in solenoid was used with glass non-return valve, glass bubble counter and glass diffuser. Liquid fertilisers, ADA Green Brighty Step 1 and Ferka Balance-K are added daily, according to instructions. Dosages can be increased if the plants display signs of nutrient deficiency. A permanent CO2 glass dropper/tester sits inside the aquarium to indicate gas levels present. It turns blue with too little, green with correct and yellow with too much. It is filled with 4KH water to achieve this colour reference with green indicating 30ppm CO2. My substrate choice was easy, going for the reputable ADA system consisting of ADA Power Sand Special and ADA Aqua Soil Amazonia. These are incredibly rich in nutrients and many professional aquascapers swear by them. They are designed to be used in conjunction with the ADA Green Brighty Series range of liquid fertilisers, but the substrates are great when also used with other fertilisers.Unlike most step-by-steps this aquascape will remain intact with minimal changes for the next few months.I will maintain it and report back with pictures to show how it has grown in.The whole set-up is relatively expensive, but I believe it is worth the outlay if wanting to take the next step from regular off-the-shelf set-ups.The whole minimalist concept will suit some more modern homes or offices and I think this style of planted tank is a viable alternative to the reef. It offers colour and interest, but at a faster pace. One can achieve a fully-grown aquascape in a couple of months using the equipment and techniques outlined here.
The set-upTank: High clarity opti-white 60 x 30 x 35cm/24 x 12 x 14” (63 l/14 gal), bespoke cabinetLighting: Arcadia overtank luminaire; 4 x 24W HO T5 Plant Pro tubes, 8 hoursFilter: Aqua El external 650lph, glasswareCO2: D&D pressurised system, glasswareSubstrate: ADA Power Sand Special (S) and Aqua Soil Amazonia (43 l/9.5 gal)Fertilisers: ADA Green Brighty Step 1 and Ferka Balance-K dailyHardscape: Midori Wood, Mini Landscape RockPlants: Glossostigma elatinoides, Pogostemon helferi, Anubias barteri var. “Nana”, Cryptocoryne wendtii ‘Green’, Microsorium pteropus, Blyxa japonica, Alternanthera roseafoliaFish: Black neon tetras, Hyphessobrycon herbertaxelrodi.
Step by step1 Tank and cabinet. The clean-cut look is designed to ensure minimal distraction from the aquascape when complete. The hole in the side is for filter hoses. The cabinet’s colour was chosen to match the Arcadia overtank luminaire.2 ADA Aqua Soil Amazonia is added on top of the ADA Power Sand. It is sloped toward the rear to add an illusion of depth, being 3cm/1.2” at front to 10cm/4” at rear. Aqua Soil lowers pH/KH and keeps it stable, making it ideal for sensitive soft water fish, as well as supplying nutrients. The Power Sand and Aqua Soil are pre-soaked to allow easy planting. 3 Several small mini-landscape rocks are added around the Midori wood to enhance the natural appearance of the aquascape. Nooks and crannies are ideal for attaching plants at a later stage, such as Java fern and Anubias.4 Glossostigma plantlets are inserted into foreground areas. Each one is individually pruned and inserted using aquascaping tweezers. Glosso is a classic foreground carpeting plant that requires high lighting, good CO2 and other nutrients. A full carpet can be achieved in as little as three weeks with strong lighting and good nutrients.5 Pogostemon helferi is planted into remaining foreground areas. It is a beautiful and undemanding slow growing, low plant. Small Anubias barteri var. “Nana” plants are added in between some rocks. These will cover the rocks. Some Cryptocoryne wendtii ‘Green’ is added to the midground behind the glosso. 6 The background plants are added; Blyxa japonica along the back and sides with bright red Alternanthera roseafolia positioned just off-centre to act as a focal point. The Alternanthera will fill out and require regular pruning to keep in shape. Growth will become more compact and brighter red under the intense lighting.7 Microsorum pteropus (Java fern) plants are inserted in between rocks. It is important not to bury the rhizome into the substrate. Eventually the plant will attach itself to the rocks. After a couple of months the fern will need pruning to prevent it from dominating the aquascape too much. Ugly leaves should be pruned off regularly.8 All equipment set up. Filter gear added, including glass lily pipes, on left: CO2 equipment set up, including gas tester, on right. Filter outlet/inlet and CO2 diffuser should be positioned to achieve efficient CO2 microbubble distribution.9 Water added slowly to prevent clouding and dechlorinator added. Filter and CO2 set to run. Bubble rate set to one per second and adjusted according to achieve green colour in CO2 tester. Temperature set to 25oC/77oF. First dose of liquid fertiliser added. The tank was left to run for a week to allow new plant growth and safe addition of fish.10 One week’s growth after daily fertiliser dosing, CO2 and lighting set on timers for eight hours. The Glosso had leggy growth due to too short a photoperiod. There was no visible algae and all the plants have significant growth.11 20 Black neon tetras added in bag to acclimatise to temperature. These were chosen due to their simple colouring balancing with the bright colouring of the planting. Rapid plant growth ensures that ammonia/ammonium is never an issue, even with an immature filter. But always fish-less cycle.12 Fish swimming happily! Equipment removed temporarily for photography purposes. The fish complement the aquascape well and the whole layout works together with a nice range of textures and colour in balance. Longer-term maintenance will include daily fish and plant feeding, weekly 50% water changes and plant pruning.
Thanks...Thanks to Aqua Essentials for donating the following products:German high clarity opti-white glass aquarium 60x30x35cm*; German bespoke cabinet – Manhattan finish 60x30x70cm*; JBL AquaPad 60x30cm; Aqua El Max 250 external filter; Clear filter hose; Hydor ETH 200 external heater; Cal Aqua filter lily pipe glassware, inlet and outlet*; D&D pressurised CO2 kit; Clear CO2 hose*; Glass bubble counter, non-return valve and diffuser*; ADA Green Brighty Step 1 liquid fertiliser*; Ferka Balance-K liquid fertiliser*; ADA Aqua Soil Amazonia (9 l/2 gal)*; ADA Power Sand Special (S)*; Midori Wood* and Mini Landscape Rock; * indicates products unique to Aqua Essentials.Thanks also to Dan Crawford (UKAPS) for his assistance when aquascaping this tank — and to Arcadia for supplying the lighting.

Artist Provocateur

He's put Gerber's baby food logos on condom wrappers, embedded icons such as Che Guevara in Dolce & Gabbana ads and run for governor of California. Even though he has a double major in history and international economics from UCLA, it is as a super pop artist that Trek Thunder Kelly '92 is making waves.
Q: How did you become an artist?
A: I was grounded a lot as a kid and had two choices to escape boredom: read or draw. I read comic books and drew superheroes. My dad imbued in me the prejudice that you couldn't create any sort of art until you could paint, so one day I bought a canvas and just started painting. Now, because I have my own specialty-advertising business, art allows me to do what I want to do, which is to create art that isn't solely for the marketplace.
Q: What's your view of art?
A: Art is anything that creates an emotional response and provides structure for questions — the viewer provides the answers for himself. I think it's an artist's responsibility to use technologies that weren't available to artists before. If Warhol or Picasso were alive today, they'd be using new possibilities, because the only way art can affect the world is on a person-to-person basis or if the artist hooks up with the media.
Q: How does performance fit in that point of view?
A: I use reality itself as a medium, just like paint or clay, and combine it with art. That is, I take art and insert it into people's lives out of context so that they are forced to look at a piece of art twice. It's reality-based performance art. And there's no "audience" — everyone and everything that interacts with a piece becomes part of it. Just the simple act of witnessing or reacting makes you part of the art.
Q: What was your first reality-based performance art piece?
A: In 1999, I wore a black tuxedo for the whole year. I was always in a black tuxedo jacket, black tuxedo pants, black vest, black tie, black socks and black shoes. It made choosing clothes every day really easy. For example, if I went skiing, I wore a tuxedo under black ski gear.
Q: What sort of reactions did you get?
A: Kids thought I was a magician. People asked me for water in restaurants; outside, they would hand me their car keys. Or people would think I was heading to or leaving a wedding. It was interesting, because you learn how people create a rationale for what other people do. The more people saw me, the more those constructs broke down — obviously I wasn't going to a wedding every day. These kinds of pieces are almost social experiments that color people's perceptions.
Q: You were making a larger point?
A: I was taking things out of context and, through repetition, causing some question to be asked by the viewer. First they see me in a tux and they make an excuse, a justification. But the more they see me, the more they think, "Why is this guy wearing a tux every day? Is it fashion? Is it art?"
Q: And you had your own version of a blue period.
A: In 2003, I dressed in nothing but blue — royal blue. It was ugly — everything was the exact same shade, down to the blue socks and ski helmet. And blue underwear; even though it doesn't show, it was important to the integrity of the piece. During my blue year, the governor's recall election happened in California. My yearlong pieces are all about branding — creating impressions through repetition — and I knew I would get a lot of press if I ran for governor. So I did

Portrait Artist

In black and white or colorful pastels, these humorous caricatures make a wonderful keepsake. The lifelike portrait is completed while you wait in 15 minutes or less. Enjoy a break from the action while our talented portrait creates a timeless keepsake you'll treasure for years.