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Retaining colour in black and white images

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Old 05-07-2008, 1:46 PM   #1
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Retaining colour in black and white images

Hi all,

Had a play around in photoshop this afternoon but struggling.

Does anyone have a tutorial to help please. Im trying to retain colour in only 1 part of an image which Im converting to black and white (think coloured brides boquet in an otherwise b&w image).

Thanks for any suggestions

Rich
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Old 05-07-2008, 1:53 PM   #2
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Re: Retaining colour in black and white images

Quote:
Originally Posted by Ninj View Post
Hi all,

Had a play around in photoshop this afternoon but struggling.

Does anyone have a tutorial to help please. Im trying to retain colour in only 1 part of an image which Im converting to black and white (think coloured brides boquet in an otherwise b&w image).

Thanks for any suggestions

Rich

Do you want to do something like this ?



If so:

Create your 2 versions. 1 black and white and the other colour.
Now copy your black and white to your colour image.
You will now have 2 layers.
Select the make selection based on colour selection.
Pick your colour and now create a layer mask.
Click on your layer mask and inverse.
Select your black and white and then touch up the selective colour via the layer mask.
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Old 05-07-2008, 2:08 PM   #3
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Re: Retaining colour in black and white images

Hi there thanks for the quick reply.

Thats exactly the idea, but still a newbie to PS, Ill work through that and see how I get along.

Thanks

Rich
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Old 05-07-2008, 2:25 PM   #4
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Re: Retaining colour in black and white images

Quote:
Originally Posted by Ninj View Post
Hi there thanks for the quick reply.

Thats exactly the idea, but still a newbie to PS, Ill work through that and see how I get along.

Thanks

Rich
Its in the section that allows you to make a selection. Its got colour. Us this and you will be fine. Also work with layers and masks.

Its very easy and wont take you long
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Old 05-07-2008, 2:26 PM   #5
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Re: Retaining colour in black and white images

Or, if your not trying to isolate one colour i.e. keep the colours in the bouquet, try this.

1. Duplicate layer and choose Image - adjustments - desaturate

2. From toolbox - choose history brush

3. Choose an appropriate size soft edged brush from the
brush picker.

4. Paint over the area you want in colour. Use a lower opacity if you want to reduce the intensity of the original colour.
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Old 05-07-2008, 2:34 PM   #6
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Re: Retaining colour in black and white images

Thanks guys,

Sorted - very powerful effect

Rgds
Rich
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Old 05-07-2008, 8:50 PM   #7
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Re: Retaining colour in black and white images

Quote:
Originally Posted by Ninj View Post
Hi all,

Had a play around in photoshop this afternoon but struggling.

Does anyone have a tutorial to help please. Im trying to retain colour in only 1 part of an image which Im converting to black and white (think coloured brides boquet in an otherwise b&w image).

Thanks for any suggestions

Rich
Yes, don't do it. It's dated now and everyone did it to death. Colour or mono...nothing in between.
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Old 05-07-2008, 9:33 PM   #8
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Re: Retaining colour in black and white images

Thanks very much for your concern - Ill be sure and delete the photos immediately - wouldnt want to be seen to follow any herd

Goodness me, tut tut

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Old 05-07-2008, 9:46 PM   #9
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Re: Retaining colour in black and white images

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fUID64bquHw

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Old 06-07-2008, 5:52 AM   #10
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Re: Retaining colour in black and white images

Thank you kindly - Loving the video tutorials

Rich
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Old 06-07-2008, 6:22 AM   #11
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Re: Retaining colour in black and white images

Quote:
Originally Posted by Ninj View Post
Thanks very much for your concern - Ill be sure and delete the photos immediately - wouldnt want to be seen to follow any herd

Goodness me, tut tut

You asked for suggestions, and I offered one.

It might not have been one you wanted to hear, but that's not the point.
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Old 06-07-2008, 7:32 AM   #12
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Re: Retaining colour in black and white images

Well then my friend - you need to read things properly.

I clearly asked how to do it, not for opinion on the effect - cheers though, your worthwile contribution was valued, I can assure you of that.
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Old 06-07-2008, 8:00 AM   #13
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Re: Retaining colour in black and white images

Good. Glad to be of help.

I was simply offering some advice regarding selective colouring in wedding photography as I have a little experience there. You are of course free to disregard it.

Last edited by Radiohead; 06-07-2008 at 8:26 AM.
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Old 06-07-2008, 9:27 AM   #14
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Re: Retaining colour in black and white images

Quote:
Originally Posted by Ninj View Post
Thanks very much for your concern - Ill be sure and delete the photos immediately - wouldnt want to be seen to follow any herd

Goodness me, tut tut

You tell 'em, it's your image and if that's the effect that you or a customer wants then go for it.

You see a lot of sepia and vignette effects on the forum and there's nothing more dated than those.
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Old 06-07-2008, 9:38 AM   #15
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Re: Retaining colour in black and white images

Quote:
Originally Posted by Radiohead View Post
Yes, don't do it. It's dated now and everyone did it to death. Colour or mono...nothing in between.
Ha Ha Guy, I can quite understand your reluctance to ‘colour popping’ as I believe it’s called now, just think that if it became ‘popular’ and your clients requested it, it would put hours on your PP of weddings, but I think it can be quite pleasing on some occasions!


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Old 06-07-2008, 9:49 AM   #16
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Re: Retaining colour in black and white images

The effect is much easier to achieve if you listen to some 1988 vintage Kylie Minogue while you do it.

this
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Old 06-07-2008, 10:04 AM   #17
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Re: Retaining colour in black and white images

Quote:
Originally Posted by Liquid101 View Post
The effect is much easier to achieve if you listen to some 1988 vintage Kylie Minogue while you do it.

this
Sound Advice
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Old 06-07-2008, 11:34 AM   #18
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Re: Retaining colour in black and white images

My Boss ( the Wife) doesn't like those 3 shots in mono/colour. She thinks they look false and spoil very good pictures, I have to agree. On the other hand, as for Radiohead's vignette, all you can hear off her whenever I show her R's wedding pictures is "Look at that!!!omg look at that ...!!!" She now wants a divorce so we can get married again and have pictures taken as nice as them. Tried to tell her there's nothing we can do it's all about subject matter....slap!

Remember whose the boss and who really wants those photo's.

Last edited by Gingerbillc; 06-07-2008 at 11:38 AM.
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Old 07-07-2008, 10:46 AM   #19
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Re: Retaining colour in black and white images

Quote:
Originally Posted by Radiohead View Post
Good. Glad to be of help.

I was simply offering some advice regarding selective colouring in wedding photography as I have a little experience there. You are of course free to disregard it.
Disregarded as requested - many thanks
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Old 07-07-2008, 12:19 PM   #20
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Re: Retaining colour in black and white images

Excellent, you'll go far.
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Old 07-07-2008, 12:44 PM   #21
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Re: Retaining colour in black and white images

Quote:
Originally Posted by liquid101 View Post

the effect is much easier to achieve if you listen to some 1988 vintage kylie minogue while you do it.
lol

I think everybody needs to have a go at selective colour just to get it out of their system

Last edited by springtide; 07-07-2008 at 12:47 PM.
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Old 07-07-2008, 1:10 PM   #22
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Re: Retaining colour in black and white images

Quote:
Originally Posted by Liquid101 View Post
The effect is much easier to achieve if you listen to some 1988 vintage Kylie Minogue while you do it.
Damn having no sound on my PC at work!!!
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Old 07-07-2008, 1:12 PM   #23
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Re: Retaining colour in black and white images

Whoa, Radiohead and Ninj, chill out fellas! Not really the tone we generally find on these forums.

Maybe photography is a little like reading - you get a certain distance down the line then kind of scorn the earlier books you used to enjoy. Just because T S Eliot exists, doesn't mean someone else can't get a lot out of Roald Dahl, for instance! It might not be great literature, but it's certainly a reasonable inroad into using layers in photoshop...

You get me?
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Old 07-07-2008, 1:18 PM   #24
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Re: Retaining colour in black and white images

The other way to do it is to use the magnetic lasso tool to make a selection around the bit you want to be coloured, then invert the selection to select the rest of the image and convert to B&W.

It's kind of an HDR effect really - you either like it or you don't. However, more germane is likely the timing with which people discover these effects. It's only natural that someone would want to try this out if they've only just heard about it or seen it, regardless of whether it in fashion or otherwise.
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Old 07-07-2008, 1:33 PM   #25
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Re: Retaining colour in black and white images

Quote:
Originally Posted by Radiohead View Post
Excellent, you'll go far.
Awesome - youre the man

ps, might come as a total shock to you, but I'm not doing this for my own edification nor am I a professional photographer - just a Photo Shop biff helping out his mate. If I thought for a second the effect they asked for caused such personal offense to a professional wedding photographer - Im absolutely certain I wouldnt have bothered - good god, Im ashamed of myself.

No doubt youll pop yourself along shortly for the last word though, as always, I look forward to that with glee
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Old 07-07-2008, 1:38 PM   #26
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Re: Retaining colour in black and white images

Quote:
Originally Posted by py6km View Post
The other way to do it is to use the magnetic lasso tool to make a selection around the bit you want to be coloured, then invert the selection to select the rest of the image and convert to B&W.

It's kind of an HDR effect really - you either like it or you don't. However, more germane is likely the timing with which people discover these effects. It's only natural that someone would want to try this out if they've only just heard about it or seen it, regardless of whether it in fashion or otherwise.
Thanks py6km, Ill give that a go too I think.
At the risk of being shot (its bound to have been done to death!) I rather like HDR generally although Im sure you can have too much of a good thing. Just recently exploring the capabilities of PS and enjoying learning from tutorials.

Im going to start having a play with some skies next I reckon.

Rgds

Rich

Last edited by Ninj; 07-07-2008 at 1:41 PM.
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Old 07-07-2008, 1:51 PM   #27
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Re: Retaining colour in black and white images

Quote:
Originally Posted by Ninj View Post
Awesome - youre the man

ps, might come as a total shock to you, but I'm not doing this for my own edification nor am I a professional photographer - just a Photo Shop biff helping out his mate. If I thought for a second the effect they asked for caused such personal offense to a professional wedding photographer - Im absolutely certain I wouldnt have bothered - good god, Im ashamed of myself.

No doubt youll pop yourself along shortly for the last word though, as always, I look forward to that with glee
Here's the thing. My original advice was genuinely intended as such. It's an effect that's been killed by over-use and I honestly think that either leaving the image in colour or converting the whole thing to mono will end up with an image that isn't going to look dated.

That said, I accept that I've come across as, how shall I put it, a bit of a cock and for that I'm sorry.
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Old 07-07-2008, 2:30 PM   #28
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Re: Retaining colour in black and white images

Quote:
Originally Posted by stevegreen View Post
Damn having no sound on my PC at work!!!
You should be so Lucky, Lucky, Lucky.
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Old 07-07-2008, 2:49 PM   #29
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Re: Retaining colour in black and white images

2 Minutes 16 Seonds in and there it is.........
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Old 07-07-2008, 2:52 PM   #30
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Re: Retaining colour in black and white images

Quote:
Originally Posted by stevegreen View Post
2 Minutes 16 Seonds in and there it is.........
Well who could resist such a temptation
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