To convert to black and white, I used that option in CS3, (image, adjustments, black and white) and I hit the auto button which I guess optimizes the conversion, but I have no idea why or how. This is a great topic and opportunity to learn. I don't know what I'm going for when I convert to black and white, apart from more contrast...but I'm not always sure that more contrast is a good thing. In case you are interested, here is a link to a jpg made from the cRAW file at the original size: http://www.fototime.com/0F4A07AA70BC775/orig.jpg; You will need to remove the semicolon at the end to view the jpg.