I wasn't sure which I'd pick. I originally liked the contrasty blue channel, but since the block is my subject, I was tempted to use the red channel as my working image. The way I made my decision was by switching between the channels and tinkering with level adjustments. I found that a nice, strong level adjustment on the blue channel created a really strong looking image, as shown in Figure D.

FIGURE D


Try different channels with different levels and see what grabs you. Roll over picture for a larger image.

Once you've chosen a channel and, possibly, made some adjustments, it's a simple step to making that image your primary RGB image for further work. While you're in the channel (in this case, the blue channel), simply select the entire image, copy it, and -- here's the trick -- select the RGB channel in the channel's palette, and then paste.

Your channel-modified black and white image will now be your main editing image.

Denise Amrich is co-founder and managing editor for ZATZ Publishing. She can be reached via email at denise@zatz.com.