image improvement

[Kazrk]

Hey Damien I have edited this image and used your bW converter, can you tell me what I could do to improve this image.  I had trouble with background.  Thanks again

[Christina Keddie]

Could you post your SOOR, please?  Your background is looking super funky, and it would help to see what you started with after your raw processing.

[Kazrk]

So sorry Chistina I'm very new at this.  What is SOOR? Straight out of raw.  I edit in LR and pull across to PS.  Also I have just bought a new Eizo monitor and my JPG  photos are quite saturated straight out of camera which I'm surprised at.  I have calibrated it.  Not sure how it looks at your end.

[Samantha LaRue]

Yep, straight out of raw. 

And just checking - when you say you calibrated your screen, you mean your prints now match your monitor, right?

[Kazrk]

No I used my spyder 4 ?.i have not done a test print yet as have only had my screen for a couple of days. 

[Christina Keddie]

Please follow these instructions to calibrate, starting with the "read this first" link.  You aren't calibrated unless and until your screen matches your pro lab prints. 

http://www.damiensymonds.net/calibration.html

[Kazrk]

ok I will do this but apart from that do you  think I need to do anything more with this photo?

Thanks so much for your help.

[Christina Keddie]

4 hours ago, Kazrk said:

ok I will do this but apart from that do you  think I need to do anything more with this photo?

Thanks so much for your help.

A lot, yes.   But until you're working with a calibrated screen, you're literally editing blind.  So once you've got that sorted out, come on back and we'll see what we can do to help you with this image!

[Damien Symonds]

I know it must think we're labouring this point very painfully, but a good black-and-white conversion really relies on a nice raw edit.  Once you have your calibration done and confirmed against prints, let me know and we'll talk about the editing.

Also - VERY IMPORTANT - do this.