Dark Grayscale Tones in Adobe Camera Raw?

Lautermilch

Senior Member
I do all my work in ACR and can never get the darker tones in grayscale that I would like to get.

This is what I can do
35314174295_b20fe15ed1_c.jpg


And would like to get the more 'stark' results such as in the images on this page - https://www.picturecorrect.com/tips/are-you-making-these-10-common-street-photography-mistakes/

Anyone have any presets for ACR that do this or any kind of info?
 

Horoscope Fish

Senior Member
I do all my work in ACR and can never get the darker tones in grayscale that I would like to get.

And would like to get the more 'stark' results such as in the images on this page - https://www.picturecorrect.com/tips/are-you-making-these-10-common-street-photography-mistakes/

Anyone have any presets for ACR that do this or any kind of info?
So what you're wanting is a more contrast-y image, then;deep blacks and whiter whites? Well my first question is how are you converting your image to Black and White to begin with, because that's going to be crucial. I could work with the image you've posted but it's already been converted.

That being said, ACR can, most likely, get you where you want to be but it starts with the conversion. What you might want to do is download NIK Tools, it's free and all the applications will run stand-alone. The one you're looking for, in particular, is Silver Efex Pro; that's the B&W conversion application and it does an excellent job. Lots and lots of B&W presets to get you started and all of them can be modified extensively.
 
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Blacktop

Senior Member
What Fish said. After that, learning about levels and curves will help.
Also, you could play with the shadows,whites and blacks sliders.
 

BackdoorArts

Senior Member
There are plenty of tools to get high contrast/dark tones in ACR B&W. Are you adjusting the color sliders in the B&W section? Are you adjusting the curves? Are you using the brush tool? I could go on. If you want to upload the original I'd be happy to show you.

Also, sometimes the older processing tools (Camera Calibration -> Process -> 2010 or 2003) can be more "effective" in literal terms.
 
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Lautermilch

Senior Member
There are plenty of tools to get high contrast/dark tones in ACR B&W. Are you adjusting the color sliders in the B&W section? Are you adjusting the curves? Are you using the brush tool? I could go on. If you want to upload the original I'd be happy to show you.

Also, sometimes the older processing tools (Camera Calibration -> Process -> 2010 or 2003) can be more "effective" in literal terms.

Here is a few random RAW files from that shoot. I would greatly appreciate seeing them processed with the darker tones.

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/c1wuyx8c8389xsp/AACevBPjEPa-09u9dCpDb627a?dl=0
 

Danno

Senior Member
I tried working with it a bit, but it seems a bit overexposed to get the kind of photo you show in the Flickr example in my opinion. It blew out the details in the dress.

DSC_2543.jpg
 
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Stoshowicz

Senior Member
I do all my work in ACR and can never get the darker tones in grayscale that I would like to get.

This is what I can do
View attachment 258893


And would like to get the more 'stark' results such as in the images on this page - https://www.picturecorrect.com/tips/are-you-making-these-10-common-street-photography-mistakes/

Anyone have any presets for ACR that do this or any kind of info?
Is the idea that you want to present her as being in hard or harsh light ? or, that you want to see the textures of the darker tones -her dress- as being blackish without blowing out as flat shadow. ? It seems doable , but the strategy might not suit ACR.
 

Dawg Pics

Senior Member
I no longer have ACR. I have Affinity with NIK tools as a plugin, which are still available for download. Affinity works somewhat like ACR and PS. It opens up into a basic editor like ACR then you can open the image into a "develop" program and do more work with layers.

I had to increase the black point, reduce the highlights, and increase the contrast and vibrance. I also did some sharpening, hopefully not too much. I am still getting used to the Affinity program.
I opened Silver Efex Pro and did the conversion to black and white. Then I played around some more with it. Using levels and curves. I used a layer mask to take down some of the dark in the dress after making an overall adjustment for her face. I could probably have done another layer mask and brought up the dress some more.

Anyway, It didn't take all that long to do. However, if you want a contrasty grayscale image with black, white and all in-between, it is best to start with an image that would represent that. Then just tweak it to your taste. If not, then you take the chance that the image will likely look way over processed. At least that has been my experience with image processing. I am still learning so this was good practice for me.

I tend to like contrasty images.

Adjusting the black point and/or using the 'dehaze' adjustment will help get you there. I think 'dehaze' works similar to the black point adjustment.

Grayscale_2551.jpg
 
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Lautermilch

Senior Member
Thanks everybody but the answer is not Adobe Camera Raw but instead using Lightroom. I have Lightroom but never liked the 'flow' so I was happy to use Bridge and then ACR. I will continue to do that for color images but for grayscale I will now use Lightroom as that is where the tools and presets are for extended grayscale changes.
 

hark

Administrator
Staff member
Super Mod
Contributor
Thanks everybody but the answer is not Adobe Camera Raw but instead using Lightroom. I have Lightroom but never liked the 'flow' so I was happy to use Bridge and then ACR. I will continue to do that for color images but for grayscale I will now use Lightroom as that is where the tools and presets are for extended grayscale changes.

All the tools in Camera RAW are supposed to be the same as in Lightroom even though the two programs are laid out differently. Can you take a screen shot of the tools you are using in LR?
 
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