# Conversion



## hokies2379 (Jan 28, 2017)

If this is against the rules, I apologize. I posted this earlier in a set but I'm a fan of the b/w conversion. 







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## Ysarex (Jan 28, 2017)

I don't think there's any rule against posting a B&W version of an already posted photo.

Your B&W conversion needs some help. You've blown the photo's highlights in the process and lost a lot of important detail.

Have a look at two histograms:



 

The top one is your image above. Note how the graph reaches the right corner and then climbs up the right wall. All of that data that's up against the right wall is blown out and forced to solid white. Ideally we want to avoid that and keep the data close to the right corner but not piling up into it. The bottom histogram is for this version below of your photo (I saw the original in the other post and copied it from there).



 

Joe


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## hokies2379 (Jan 28, 2017)

Thank you. Very much.  I'm still learning and I do like your version better. Thanks for explaining 

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## Ysarex (Jan 28, 2017)

hokies2379 said:


> Thank you. Very much.  I'm still learning and I do like your version better. Thanks for explaining
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using ThePhotoForum.com mobile app



You're welcome. What processing software are you using?

Joe


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## hokies2379 (Jan 28, 2017)

Ps Elements. 


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## Ysarex (Jan 28, 2017)

hokies2379 said:


> Ps Elements.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using ThePhotoForum.com mobile app



OK -- can't help with Elements too much. Every once in awhile I get access to a copy. Watch that histogram -- Elements will display it. I keep a histogram display active 100% of the time while I work.

Joe


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## hokies2379 (Jan 28, 2017)

Better?






Here is the histogram 






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## hokies2379 (Jan 28, 2017)

And yes this conversion just now was my first attempt in Lightroom. 


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## Ysarex (Jan 28, 2017)

hokies2379 said:


> And yes this conversion just now was my first attempt in Lightroom.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using ThePhotoForum.com mobile app



You have Lightroom in addition to Elements -- OK. Yes this 2nd version is much better -- a little brighter might be nice.

Joe


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## hokies2379 (Jan 28, 2017)

I have trials of both, just trying to figure out which is better for me. So far I'm lost in both haha. 


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## Ysarex (Jan 28, 2017)

hokies2379 said:


> I have trials of both, just trying to figure out which is better for me. So far I'm lost in both haha.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using ThePhotoForum.com mobile app



How serious do you want to get about this? If the answer is not too and/or you're not sure then Elements will do to start and keep the costs low. If you do get serious you'll out grow Elements and move up to something professionally capable. Elements is deliberately crippled by Adobe so that it can't compete with the pro products. I swear Adobe created Elements by asking 10,000 pros to list the 5 things they absolutely can't live without in their processing software. They complied all those answers and made sure Elements can't do the top 10 things on the list.

Joe


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## hokies2379 (Jan 28, 2017)

Ysarex said:


> hokies2379 said:
> 
> 
> > I have trials of both, just trying to figure out which is better for me. So far I'm lost in both haha.
> ...



I want to be able to make my photographs look as good as they possibly can. So if Lightroom is the better of the two, then I'll start using/learning that. 


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## Ysarex (Jan 28, 2017)

hokies2379 said:


> Ysarex said:
> 
> 
> > hokies2379 said:
> ...



Lightroom it is then. You have two purchase options. You can buy the $10.00 per month CC option or you can still get Lightroom 6 as a perpetual license stand alone app. The 2nd option comes with some uncertainty.

Joe


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## jaharris1001 (Jan 29, 2017)

I use Adobe Creative Cloud, at $9.99 a month you get both LR and PS, I LOVE both !! I start all my RAW conversions in LR and make all preliminary adjustments there then take to PS where I LOVE the use of layers and adjustment layers, PLUS PS cloning and repair tools are superior to LR's, so if you truly want to make your photo's the best they can be then it's an easy answer, join Adobe CC and get the best of both worlds


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## Designer (Jan 29, 2017)

hokies2379 said:


> I want to be able to make my photographs look as good as they possibly can. So if Lightroom is the better of the two, then I'll start using/learning that.


Think of them as three steps on a ladder.  Elements being the lowest, Lightroom is in the middle, and Photoshop is on top.  PS will do anything.  LR will do probably 98% of what any hobbyist photographer will ever want to do.  Adobe has discontinued offering LR as a stand-alone perpetual license, and has bundled it with PS for $9.95 per month for as long as you need it.  The biggest advantage is that the software is updated automatically.  I might have gone for this already, but I'm still using Aperture which I bought, so I'm good for now.


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