Much has been said about how to convert colour photographs to black and white photographs, but still there are many people out there thinking that converting a colour photograph to black and white is as simple as converting it to grayscale, usually from a JPG-file direct from a digital camera.

For some it might work, but if you want really good black and white you must make sure you have different exposures on different parts of the image, so to do local dodging and burning, to the different zones in the image is essential. Also, to have a properly exposed RAW-file to work with is preferred if you want the best possible end result.

You could use an assembled bracket sequence of files to extend the dynamic range even further, and continue working on it in Photoshop using the HDR function. We're not going to do that here, but instead we will use just one single Nikon D200 NEF-file and enjoy the benefits of shooting in the RAW file format.