File :-(, x, )
Anonymous
I have a question:

On a digital, JPEG color photograph, would desaturating it in Photoshop be the same as taking it on B&W straight out of the camera?

The camera's a Canon S3IS, if that makes a difference.

Pic related in that it is a photograph I've taken, but I'm not particuarly planning on desaturating this particular one or anything.
EXIF data available. Clickhereto show/hide.
Camera-Specific Properties:Equipment MakeCanonCamera ModelCanon PowerShot S3 ISMaximum Lens Aperturef/2.7Sensing MethodOne-Chip Color AreaLens Size6.00 - 72.00 mmFirmware VersionFirmware Version 1.00Image-Specific Properties:Image OrientationTop, Left-HandHorizontal Resolution180 dpiVertical Resolution180 dpiImage Created2007:03:22 15:02:54Exposure Time1/320 secF-Numberf/5.6Lens Aperturef/5.6Exposure Bias0 EVFlashNo Flash, CompulsoryFocal Length6.00 mmColor Space InformationsRGBImage Width2816Image Height1584RenderingNormalExposure ModeManualScene Capture TypeStandardExposure ModeManualFocus TypeManualMetering ModeEvaluativeSharpnessNormalSaturationUnknownContrastUnknownShooting ModeManualImage SizeUnknownFocus ModeManualDrive ModeTimedFlash ModeOffCompression SettingSuperfineSelf-Timer Length2 secMacro ModeNormalSubject Distance65.530 mWhite BalanceAutoExposure Compensation3Sensor ISO Speed149Image Number101-2323
>> Anonymous
what happened to the top right corner? and why dont you just take 2 pictures exactly the same except do 1 in black and white mode and see if they are different.
>> Anonymous
>>39494

I don't know what happened to the top corner. Maybe a smudge, or something with the way the light was hitting the camera lens.

I don't take two like that because I've not had a tripod until very recently, and so couldn't take exactly the same pictures up until now, and because I don't mean the "the same" in a literal sense, I mean, "are there any photographic problems doing this?" Especially with JPEG files, no two images will ever be exactly the same.
>> Anonymous
1) set camera down on desk
2) take a picture
3) don't turn off the lights or add any lights
4) take a picture in BW mode
5) desaturate first picture
6) ???
7) compare.

you'll then have a good comparison about if it has the same look to it. you can compare "real" black and white to fake black and white and see if they are different in whatever sense you want.
>> Anonymous
Alright, forget the words "the same."

From an artistic-photographic perspective, is there any reason why the image produced by either option would be preferable to the other?
>> Anonymous
Okay, basically the answer is "no." However, there will be a slight difference. Professions choose often to shoot their pictures in RAW mode and then black and white them while processing them afterwards in photoshop. If you don't like how it looks after desaturating it in photoshop, go to Image>Adjustments>Curves and play around with the curves a little. Hope that helps.
>> Anonymous
>>39507
Thank you.
>> Anonymous
Not true!

There is a difference between using in-camera BW and Photoshop BW.

If you use the in-camera BW you'll get a desaturated image. Sure, that works alright, I suppose.

If you use a color image, though, you can use photoshop and use the different channel curves to make your "film" more sensible to red, green, blue light, etc. You can be more selective and precise with how your color image is "translated" to black and white.

I've only done this in Lightroom, in which doing that is really easy (and it's actually a tool in that program). You can do it the following way in Photoshop, too:

1) Get the image.
2) Make a layer on top of the image and set it to Saturation. Color that layer with a big black block. This will make the image look desaturated, although color information will still be there.
3) Pick the photograph's layer.
4) Open Curves (Ctrl + M) and play with each of the channels individually for different BW exposure effects.
5) That's practically it.
>> Anonymous
>>39689
Thank you.

How does one "Color that layer with a big black block?"
>> Anonymous
>>39693

Disregard, I figured out how to color blocks.
>> Anonymous
lol Just fill the Saturation layer with black. Marquee+Fill, Brush, Paint Bucket, your choice.

I hope that worked for you.
>> Anonymous
>>39694
was actually me making silly /b/ joke, not someone else making silly /b/ joke on me.