Attached here is one proposed way of creating the perfect mono image usin PhotoShop or Elements. I suggest yo print this before you try it .. it maybe easier to follow!
- Open a RAW image in Photoshop
- Use keys “U” and “O” to show clipping as blue and red in a photo.
- Use “recovery” slider to get rid of red clipping highlight
- (Maybe ‘Exposure Slider’ in some PS & Elements editions).
- Use “Fill light” to recover blue clipping shadows.
- (Maybe ‘Shadows’ Slider in some versions of PS & Elements)
- 1.Click “Open” to open the image in PS
- 2.Copy background layer
- 3.Make an adjustment layer for hue saturation
- reduce hue Saturation to –100 this will make your photo Monochrome.
- 4.Make adjustment layers for Levels for each zone
- To do this Just Highlight the hue saturation layer in the layers pallet and make whatever number of identical levels adjustments you require and name them. Such as sky, water, land, rock, etc.
- NB. Make no adjustments to the levels adjustment layers yet.
- Turn on the first layer e.g. “Sky” and click on adjustment layer icon in the sky layer in the pallet, which will either resemble half shaded circle or small thumbnail histogram. This will call up the levels histogram for the sky Layer.
- Adjust the 3 Levels sliders whilst paying attention only to the sky.
- Then switch off that layer (switch icon is on the left and resembles a human eye).
- Follow the same procedure for each zone/area adjustment Layer that you named.
- Turn off each layer as you finish, then move on to next Layer/zone.
- When all Level adjustment layers have been adjusted,
- Switch on all Layers …It might look like a Disaster J
- Switch all (Zone) layers off again (NOT background layers or hue sat layer) except the first zone as you are going to work on that.
- You are going to erase the part of each mask that is not required in each particular “zone “ Layer
Now The Magic!!
- Default foreground / background colours to black and white. “D” on keyboard. “X” to reverse or swap foreground and Background.
- Click into the Layer mask thumbnail(plain white square) on the layer box in the Layers pallet, and choose a large black brush(foreground colour will need to be black) soft edge and opacity 100%
- Rub out all areas you do not want in sky layer. i.e. rub out all except the sky, because the levels are as you want them in the sky.
- If you make an error you can paint it back with a white brush. Swap foreground/background colours.
- Zoom in out using short cut Ctrl + or – (apple + or -)
- Reduce opacity to 50% and brush size as you get into detail at edge areas.
- When done with that layer mask turn off the layer and begin work on erasing parts of the next adjustment layer mask. Continue this until all adjustment layer masks have been treated in this way.
- Switch back on all of the layers and you will now have a monochrome masterpiece.
- When done you might like (just for fun) to now highlight the hue saturation Layer and click on it’s mask thumbnail and brush away some of the layer mask to show one piece of colour underneath.
I hope this works for you!