Creative Photography Ideas: Using Adobe Photoshop: Mono Effects and Retro Photography

By Tony Worobiec

Mono effects and retro photography is an excerpt from Creative Photography Ideas Using Photoshop which presents 75 comprehensive workshops that have been specifically designed for photographers; each offers a clever and creative technique that can be immediately applied.
Mono effects and retro photography workshops focus specifically on mono effects such as sepia toning, lith effects, and selective colouring, as well as creating retro photography effects such as pinhole camera, adding borders, and disressing images.
Each workshop offers ingenious creative techniques to immediately enhance images in Adobe Photoshop.
From basic techniques to more advanced, all guidance is ‘best practice’ and shown via clear explanatory texts, photographs, ‘before, during and after’ manipulations and screen grabs.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Open Road Integrated Media
• Release date: Aug 31, 2012
• ISBN: 9781446359372

Book preview

Mono Effects

One of the best ways of changing an image is to convert it to monochrome. We live in a world of colour, so making that change to black and white immediately introduces a certain abstract quality. But more importantly, by producing monochromatic images, we are reconnecting with a rich tradition that goes back to the dawn of photography. Colour has been with us for a long time and yet the allure of black and white remains as strong as ever.

Converting a File to Monochrome

Ironically it is far better to convert a RGB file (ideally a Raw file) to black and white than it is to use the monochrome facility on your camera, as in this way you are retaining the full image quality. The simplest method for converting an RGB file to black and white is either to desaturate the image or to convert it to Grayscale. Neither of these produce satisfactory results; I would suggest that you opt for one of the following methods instead.

Start image 1. Often the most difficult task is identifying a file that will make a good monochrome. The strong tonal contrast, the obvious graphic qualities and a general lack of colour would suggest that this should translate well as a black-and-white image.

Method 1: Convert to Lab Color. An interesting, and quite a popular method that many Photoshop users prefer, is to use Lab Color; this should be available on most versions of Photoshop. Open the Channels palette for reference. To convert your file, go to Image > Mode > Lab Color. This has the effect of separating monochrome from colour, which should be visible in the Channels palette.

To remove the colour information, select the Lightness Channel, but then convert the image to Grayscale. This method offers advantages over simply converting the image to Grayscale as it retains good shadow detail and exceptionally smooth midtones.

Method 2: use the Black and White command. All Photoshop versions from CS3 onwards feature the Black and White command. To access it, make an Adjustment Layer and select Black and White. This dialog offers six sliders; Reds, Yellows, Greens, Cyans, Blues and Magentas; these allow you to fine-tune the tonal values of your converted black-and-white image. So, for example, if you want to lighten or darken a blue sky, use the Cyans and Blues sliders. The principle is very similar to Channel Mixer except that the Black and White command adjusts the actual colours in the image. Put simply, when using the Red slider in Channel Mixer, all the colours are adjusted to a greater or lesser degree. However, when using the red slider in the Black and White command, Photoshop is able to identify only those parts that are red and responds accordingly. This command also has a useful range of Default settings that you may wish to experiment with; they replicate the effects of a red, yellow, green or blue filter, which can prove particularly useful.