Please critique my effort at B&W

[Ken Huizenga]

I'm new here and have just started using Photoshop Element in the last month. I tried one of the old challenges...Binary Road...which requires converting a scene from full color to pure Black and White (no grays).

My basic approach was to separate the grayscales for the Red, Green and Blue channels, and used USM before Threshold. Then I turned the white content in each layer transparent and looked at them over a bottom all-white layer. I did some selective additional cutting in the three layers until I was reasonably satisfied with the result.

I would appreciate feedback and suggestions for improvement.

Thanks,
Ken Huizenga
Appleton, Wisconsin

[Vikki]

Hi Ken,
I think I see what you were going for (stippled effect?).
I would like this if there were more detail. Maybe if the stippling were smaller, the details would not get lost.

[Ken Huizenga]

Vicki:

Thanks for your comments. I agree that it could use more detail. That seemed to be a recurring theme amongst those who took the challenge. BTW, this is Manipulation Challenge #13. Other than adding in detail in B&W with a 1 pixel pencil, I am having trouble figuring out what more I can try software-wise since this has to be pure black and white, no grays allowed.
One thing might be to do a layer which captures the critical edges of the building, etc. only?

Also, when uploading challenges I am restricted to 100K file site and 800 pixel width. The file that I start with is about 1100 pixels wide and in full color. I noticed that there is a major loss of detail that occurs when I downsize and then some more loss of detail converting from PSD to GIF. The slightly larger, PSD version looks a lot better...but I'm trying to learn how to play by the Challenge rules

Perhaps if I convert at the greyscale stage to 800 wide first and then do USM and Threshold I will be able to retain more of the detail when converting to GIF, since I won't have to also do a size adjustment which I'm pretty sure is mucky things up.

Thanks, I'll keep trying a little more with this one and then move on to something else. This is just to learn (and have fun) ... nothing important to be about the image itself.

Ken