03 Adding a control point
Now that previous adjustment did have the desired effect on the cracked surface of the trunk, but the labels in the centre lack definition. The solution is a control point, placed right in the centre of the label.
The control point has a number of useful adjustments for enhancing this region. I’ve reduced the Brightness and pushed the Contrast and Structure sliders right up to maximum. The structure effect is applied on top of the global structure setting I applied in the previous effects, so it’s really at maximum power now.
04 Finishing Adjustments
I think the toning effect in the Antique Plate I preset really adds to the richness and depth of the picture, but I think the tint needs to be a little stronger. These adjustments can be found in the Toning section of the Finishing Adjustments panel, and here I’ve chosen a stronger Sepia option from the drop-down menu at the top. As you can see from the sliders, though, you can manually create any kind of toning effect at all.
05 The finished picture
This shows just how effective the structure too can be. Ordinary contrast adjustments don’t yield this kind of effect at all, and I have to admit I rely heavily on Silver Efex Pro’s structure enhancements to get the kind of black and white ‘looks’ I’m after.
Read more:
- Black and white photography basics
- 5 ways to convert color images to black and white
- More Silver Efex Pro tutorials
