Tell me about your favorite B&W conversion technique/action/plugin.

Tell me about your favorite B&W conversion technique/action/plugin.This thread may be of interest to you...

http://www.retouchpro.com/forums/photo-art-101/4769-tutorial-05-converting-color-image-black-white-grayscale-bw.html

Of the umpteen methods, the one I use most often is the dual Hue/Saturation adjustment layer method (frequently attributed to Russell Brown) and a takeoff on that one where a Selective Color adjustment layer is utilized.

I'm looking forward to trying out the new CS3 BW adjustment layer.

I've got the Convert to BW Pro 2.0 plugin, but seldom use it anymore.

HTH...
~Danny~

Definitely the Pseudogrey Perlscript. I've used other techniques to give the approximate tones, but this script actually works on 16-bit greyscale. It also gives very clean (i.e., no dithering noise) that I see in the sky of other rendering techniques. When combined with s/h and other contrast enhancements, it really is bar none the bomb IMO. :)

http://r0k.us/graphics/pseudoGrey.html

My favorite is the B/W Styler plugin from Photowiz. It offers greater control and flexibiluity than anything else I have tried.

http://thepluginsite.com/products/photowiz/bwstyler/index.htm

I look at what I have, figure out where I want to be, and then go there. Depending on the data at hand and the data that I want to end up with, could take a variety of routes.

High sat and lots of hues? I go straight to HsY manipulation.
Low sat and low contrast? Curves.
A great deal of one hue? MinMaxY manipulation.

Look at the data for the contrast, then bring it out.

I could write a great deal about the subject.
Maybe some day I will.