The Black & White action, available in the Actions download, provides an intuitive way to convert to black & white and incorporate filter effects. The action generates the following layers:
The layers, and initial settings, are listed below.
The Film layer is a black fill, with Color blend, that converts the image from color to black and white. Before the image reaches the film layer it passes through the Selective Color layer. The Selective Color layer has been calibrated to work in conjunction with the Film layer to produce results similar to those obtained via Image > Mode > Grayscale.
Vary Hue in the Filter layer to change filter color. Varying Opacity in the Contrast layer is equivalent to adjusting the slope on an S-shaped curve in the Curves dialog box. In addition to increasing contrast, it emphasizes filter effects because it works on the original colored image. For more punch you can make further adjustments in the Selective Color layer to target specific colors.
If you're working with an image with high noise levels (taken at a high ISO value) and mottling is present on flat surfaces, disable the Correction layer and be gentle when adjusting the Hue slider on the Filter layer. This will prevent a single channel from dominating the scene and minimize noise levels.
This is similar to Russell Brown's Tonal Conversion Technique except he implements the Film layer using a Hue/Saturation layer with saturation set to -100. Instead I've simulated a true grayscale conversion by utilizing a black fill in conjunction with a Selective Color adjustment layer. This yields more dramatic and film-like results. The Selective Color layer was originally suggested by Kent C. This technique was later adapted to simulate visual response to colors.
