This week I chose to share an image where I used not one, but two of my favorite filters, Color Efex Pro 4 and Silver Efex Pro 2.  Silver Efex Pro 2 is my go-to filter for black and white conversions, and usually has everything I need to make my black and white conversions look exactly how I want.  However, occasionally I like to use Color Efex Pro 4 to utilize a few specific tools before converting to black and white in Silver Efex Pro 2.

This shot was taken in San Diego’s Balboa Park, late in the evening.  The original capture is extremely flat and lacking contrast.  Here is the original:

I used Color Efex Pro 4′s Tonal Contrast to add the contrast that my original capture was lacking.  Knowing that I was going to convert to black and white, I was not too concerned with any changes to the color in the image.

Then, I opened Silver Efex Pro 2 to convert to black and white.  I chose a preset that I thought worked well with this image, Yellowed 2.  I adjusted the brightness, especially in the midtones and shadows, to really draw the viewer’s eye to the flower and stem.  I used Control Points to darken down a few bright areas in the background.

Here is the final image:

© Sara Schneider