People ask alot, so I compiled the different info and stuck it here.

1. output tiff file from raw
2. output b+w very very low contrast from raw
3. open them in photoshop bw layer on the bottom, set the color layer to color
4. levels adjustment layer on the b+w, slam the gamma to the right
5. dodge and burn bottom layer until it looks right
6. probably add some cuvers adjustment layers here and there to fix contrast/brightness/color
7. fix skin with patch tool (sometimes you get too much texture and have to clean it up)

I had to process this image (drummer) 5 times to make it work. I don't know if all of these steps are necessary or if im leaving anything out. I make it up as I go and try different stuff everytime. Sometimes it does not work at all. I just keep making adjustments until it looks good.

Sometimes I nail it pretty fast and sometimes it takes hours (this one took days, I dont know why it was any harder than the next/previous)

If you get it to work let me know, and definatly let me know if you improve anything.

Other possibly pertinant info:
1. I light these things well, i'm not fixing lighting in post and im not adding colors, it's all in the original image, im mostly reassigning contrast or pushing whatever is already there
2. I shoot as low iso as possible but if it gets super noisy I cheat and and more noise (lame huh) and textures.
3. I try to expose as bright as I can without blowing the highlights, so if you looked at these on my camera you might sometimes think I didnt know how to expose right, because things would look oddly bright.