See also our previous contests

To share experience it is not enough just to show the results. We need precise step-by-step descriptions of all image editing operations that had been performed.

Photo was taken with the Canon 1Ds Mk. II at ISO 100 (tripod).

Your task is to create a good B&W photo from this color image.

Rules:

• It is your task to create a B&W version (no toning!) of this image and send in a downsampled JPEG (compression 9 in Photoshop) with 600 pixels wide.
• You can download the original JPEG image (copyright Bettina & Uwe Steinmueller) from here (about 8.2 MB)
• Use any editing tool you like for your B&W conversion
• Describe the process step by step
• If your tools allows to save settings to external files (like most tools in Photoshop and many filters) please also send in these settings files.
• Naming of the JPG: first_lastname_3690OakPond.jpg
• Send only the instructions and the final image downsampled to 600 pixeles wide (JPG 9 in Photoshop) and your full name to: contest@outbackphoto.com
• Image should be in sRGB or grayscale (for internet display)
• No toning of the image!
• No frames and no layers.

• We used the Photomatix Tone Mapping plugin to enhance local contrast (saturation was very high) using a layer mask created with our Tonality Tuning Kit to only work on the midtones.
• EasyS Plus Sharpening
• Channel Mixer (R20, G110, B-30)
• Levels
• Gradient Map
• Here is the screenshot of our layer stack

#01 Michael Stockhill

• Opened in CS
• Pixel Genius Capture sharpener: Mid resolution digital capture; narrow edge sharpener
• Auto layers !
• Auto contrast !
• Auto color !
• Channel mixer: Red 16, Green 116, Blue -38, constant 4
• Brightness/contrast: contrast 12
• Pixel Genius creative sharpener: Haze cutter @18-35% selectively on image.
• Burn tool: 8-15%, selectively burning trees and "hot" felled tree.

#02 Goran Stenberg

• Photoshop CS2
• Selecting the white overexposed branch in middleAdjustment, selective color, white +100% two times only on branch
• Image, adjustment levels black and white point
• Left side of image selected, feather 150%, adjust curves, input 139 and output 116
• Channel Mixer, monochrome, Red +40, Green +140, Blue -80
• Intellisharpen FM Software, level 12
• Image adjust curves again, input 57 and output 46

#03 Christian Zufferey

-image opened with photoshop 7.01
-contrast mask level 2 with PhotoKit plugin ( by Pixelgenius)
-photoshop unmask sharpening filter ( 20-50-0)
-select right part of image, curve-lightening
-select left part of image-curve-darkening
-levels : black set at 52; white set at 221
-channel mixer ( R140; G34;B -30; constant -24)

#04 John Marshall

-image opened in Photoshop 5.0
-saturation -100
-brightness -18
-contrast +37

#05 Tim Gray

Initial sharpen with focus magic @ 1 pixel
New layer, 50% gray, blend mode=color
Curves
Shadow/Highlight – shadow 11, 32, 20 highlight - 0
Selective Photokit Creative sharpener
USM 20 60 0 50% opacity

#06 Lloyd Eldredge

• Processed in Lightroom (Beta 2)
• Applied increase of Black exposure to 13 (In Basic)
• Gray Scale Mixer:
  • Reds to -10
  • Yellows to 77
  • Greens to 98
  • Cyans to 55
  • Blues to 54
  • Magentas to 103
• Then applied Lightroom Preset "Tone Curve - Stong Contrast"