Using a Gradient Map to Create Black-and-White Images
Try this technique to transform your photo to black and white. You can even use the same method to give your photo a Sepia tone or other tinted look.
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Related Tags: black and white conversion, gradient map
Steven
November 12, 2010 at 5:12 am
Very nice tutorial. But tell me this… I look at vintage B & W photos.. Ansel Adams the master but also even some old pictures of JFK and these photos look much different than this photo and my own attempts at switching to B&W.. Is this just due to film vs digital or am I missing something here?
James
November 12, 2010 at 4:29 pm
I don’t think Lynette claims to mimic the work of Ansel Adams with her tutorial. Rather, it is a method of converting color images to black and white, while maintaining some degree of control over the tones in the image. To duplicate Mr. Adams’ technique would not only require far more control over the tonal ranges but would also require us to have a much higher level of understanding of his methods.
Lynette’s tutorial produces a very pleasing black and white effect, using a technique which all of us can understand.
Hope this helps.
Charles
February 3, 2011 at 9:26 am
I am working now on Elements 9 and find that I can’t open the gradient map dialog box, so the first part of the technique works, but I can’t colorize the b&w image. Any suggestions?
Rick LePage
February 3, 2011 at 10:20 am
It’s no longer a dialog box, Charles – it shows up as a panel in the side, under the Layers panel.
It’s identical to what you get with the dialog box, though, and clicking on the gradient in the panel will open the Gradient Editor dialog box, where you can choose the different gradients to work with.
Rick
Jean
April 19, 2011 at 10:45 am
These step by step tutorials are so fabulous. It takes the anxiety out of learning
a totally new program. I have so many photos I want to try all these new
techniques on!