B&W Background

[kbreit]

I am noticing that a lot of people take a picture, keep the subject (or a piece of the subject) in full color, while making everything else black and white. How do they go about doing this?

[AjP]

really easy, Photoshop, create 2 layers one color one bw, then use extract or lasso to extract whatever u want from color layer, some other effects might take place, some adjustments...this is kinda short version

[PicOlio]

I just did my first one today.... and it ummmm is pathetic at best... but it worked for proof of concept :)

http://www.picolio.com/Albums/2005/DragonColor.jpg

In photoshop I CTRL+A to select the entire color image I'll be working with.
CTRL+C to copy the image.
CTRL+N to open a new image
Select Image -> Mode -> Grayscale from the menu
CTRL+V to paste the image into the new image box
Then CTRL+A to select the entire b&w image
CTRL+C to copy the entire b&w image
Then select the original color image to bring that window forward
Then CTRL+V to paste the b&w image onto the color image so they align perfectly.

Then I select the eraser tool from the tool bar and change the brush to a soft brush of appropriate size and set the opacity down to 50%

From there I just erased over the parts I wanted to be in color.

In short... put a B&W version of the image over top of the color version and erase the parts you want in color :)

(that's how I did it anyway... might be an easier way?)


p.s. the more times you erase over the same spot, the brighter that spot will be... so using opacity you can adjust how much color you want to shine through)

[kbreit]

Thanks for the tips. I'm practicing now. How do people go about selecting frizzy hairs and other really fine details?

[AjP]

extract or use overlay brush(more compicated) to create mask

this is great book, recommend:
http://a1204.g.akamai.net/7/1204/1401/04042013011/images.barnesandnoble.com/images/7630000/7630991.jpg

[PicOlio]

Magnify to 500% or more if needed... take it down to the pixel by pixel squares where required.... or, you can be like me and just pray ;)

[kbreit]

Here's my first effort. Critiques?
http://kbreit.dyndns.org:8080/code/photos_board/scuderia_small.png

[goatee]

I like it - the colour that is there is so vibrant that it contrasts really well with the background, which would have been dreary compared to ferrari red anyway.

[kbreit]

Yeah, that's why I chose that picture. Ferrari red on almost anything will appear bright and offer great contrast to b&w.

[goatee]

You can also use the colour selector tool to do things, like this

[AjP]

here is my 2c (did it with extract)

http://www.ajp-photo.com/gallery/purvi_don/wedding_saturday/photos/rsz_125.jpg

[goatee]

here is my 2c (did it with extract)


Extract? Sorry - I'm still quite new to using image editors for more than just cutting / pasting / resizing :)

[mickle]

Oh well, if everyone else is showing examples.....

Did this one ages ago. It was an easy one to do.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v440/mickleuk/yellowfloweronbw.jpg

[kbreit]

I tried the extract tool. I had a hard time making the edge of its "selected area" smooth enough. Instead, I just used the path tool and the erase tool.

[Rick Baker]

duplicate the image layer, convert the original layer(the bottom one) to black and white(use the desaturate command) and just erase/delete everything on the top layer you don't want in color.


You could use the extract filter to remove everything you don't want in color on the top layer

[Rick Baker]

or you can just hand color what you want in color after turning the image into black and white

check out this tutorial

http://www.rickbakerimages.com/photography_advice/coloring_black_and_white_photos.html