B&W with D7k and CNX2 (comments welcome)

I was looking for an image to submit to the yearly book that folks at the Nikon Forum (Flickr) organize and I decided to go for a b&w version of one interesting image I had from a trip to London earlier in the year. This is the ooc version, opened in CNX2 with in-camera settings (Standard Profile):

OOC Standard Profile

This, with my standard B&W tools settings in CNX2 gave this result:

OOC Standard + B&W in CNX2

It's not bad but the tone gradation is too harsh, Using contrast and brightness would help a bit, but result was too bland. So frist I used some HLs recovery to bring brighter buildings areas back from oblivion, and U-Point tool to darken sky and buildings and add some local contrast, as well as brighten up a little the darker foreground, all in color. Here's the result:

Color version PPed, just before B&W conversion

I wouldn't use this color version except to finish it as b&w, unless I was looking for some strange effect. Even though I only played with local brightness and contrast, no colors change, it has an artificial look. Maybe some will like it that way.

Using exactly the same B&W settings as above, here's the final result (see at Flickr for larger and better view):

http://www.flickr.com/photos/rhlpedrosa/8199358309/sizes/o/in/photostream/

Finished b&w

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Renato. http://www.flickr.com/photos/rhlpedrosa/ OnExposure member http://www.onexposure.net/ Good shooting and good luck (after Ed Murrow)