Creating a black and white photograph with pops of color is a fun and creative way to add visual interest to an image. This effect draws the viewer’s eye to certain details or subjects by making them stand out in color against a monochrome backdrop. With some planning and photo editing skills, it’s easy to make part of a black and white photo appear in vibrant color. There are a few different techniques you can use to achieve this look.
Shooting the Original Photo
The first step is to take a well-composed photograph that lends itself to selective color editing. When shooting, picture how the image will look in black and white with a few key elements in color. Focus on strong shapes, interesting textures, and thoughtful composition.
It helps to shoot the photo in color first, even if you intend to convert it to black and white. This allows you to see how the colors naturally interact and determine which ones will stand out best later. Bright, deeply saturated colors tend to produce the best results when isolated.
Pay attention to lighting as well. Areas of high contrast and shadows may lose impact when desaturated, so try to capture ample illumination. The photo should have an even exposure overall that allows the selective colors to really pop.
Editing the Photo
There are several editing techniques you can use to create a black and white photo with color accents:
Masked Saturation
One easy method is to desaturate the entire photo then selectively restore saturation to certain areas using layer masks in Photoshop. Here are the steps:
1. Convert the image to black and white through Image > Adjustments > Black and White. This removes all the color.
2. Add a Hue/Saturation adjustment layer and use the saturation slider to reintroduce color to areas masked off. Use the brush tool to paint over parts you want in color with white to reveal saturation.
3. Fine tune the effect by adjusting the saturation level and the mask until you achieve the desired look.
Masked Hue/Saturation
For more precise control, you can use a Hue/Saturation adjustment layer instead of global desaturation:
1. Add a Black & White adjustment layer to remove color from the entire photo.
2. Add a Hue/Saturation layer and check the “Colorize” box. Brush over certain areas with black to block the color change.
3. Adjust the Hue, Saturation, and Lightness sliders to make the masked areas appear in the original color.
4. You can also use multiple Hue/Saturation layers with different color settings to add several colors.
Blend Modes
Blending layers using multiply can also create a selective color effect:
1. Make a copy of the color photo’s layer. Desaturate this new layer.
2. Set the blending mode of the desaturated layer to Multiply. This will remove color and make the image black and white.
3. Add a layer mask that hides the black and white layer from certain parts of the image. Paint with black over areas where you want to restore the underlying color.
4. You can lower the opacity of this layer to blend the color and B&W together.
Channel Mixer
The Channel Mixer provides advanced control over individual color channels:
1. Go to Image > Adjustments > Channel Mixer. Click Monochrome to convert to black and white.
2. Select each channel like Red, Green, and Blue one at a time.
3. Use the channel sliders to adjust how much of a channel is applied to the image. Removing a color will let some original color show through.
4. You can drag sliders to negative values to invert a color channel’s effect. Combining channels can produce custom colors.
Tips for Best Results
Here are some tips when selectively coloring a black and white image:
– Use strong, primary colors like red, yellow, and green for maximum impact. Blue has less visual presence.
– Allow plenty of black and white space around colored elements. Too many colors will look cluttered.
– Color areas with soft edges and gradients will look more natural than hard lines.
– Boost the saturation significantly on colored objects so they don’t get dull next to black and white.
– Use adjustment layers to maintain editing flexibility. Limit destructive changes.
– Change opacity levels to find the right balance between color and black and white.
– Dodge and burn certain areas to increase contrast if needed after desaturating.
Common Subjects for Selective Color
Certain types of photos are especially suited to selective color techniques:
Portraiture
Faces, lips, eyes, jewelry, and other small details can be made to pop with color against black and white skin and hair. This creates a dramatic focal point.
Street Photography
Colorful signs, graffiti, doors, and other urban features look striking when isolated on a mono background. The contrast draws attention.
Still Life
For composed arranges of objects, select 1 or 2 prominent ones to accentuate with color, like flowers or fruit. This guides the eye.
Abstract
Geometric patterns, textures, and macro subjects take on a new bold look when their defining colors are intensified against a gray backdrop.
Creative Uses for Selective Color
With a little creativity, isolated color can serve many artistic purposes:
Mood and Feeling
Certain colors evoke emotions and feelings – like red for passion or green for new beginnings. Strategic use of color can suggest ideas.
Branding and Recognition
Corporate logos and brands are easily identifiable by their signature colors. Leaving those in adds familiar symbolism to a photo.
Nostalgia
Sepia tone with bright blue or yellow can create a vintage look, as if the photo is from a bygone era. Old items work well.
Emphasis
Drawing the eye to points of interest is one of the main goals. Vivid color naturally attracts attention wherever it’s placed.
Storytelling
Color can symbolize concepts and roles. For example, highlight the protagonist in a crowd scene with color to show their significance.
Step-by-Step Example
Here is a step-by-step example to demonstrate how to make a black and white portrait photo with red lips:
1. Take a well-lit portrait photo in color. Ensure the lips have good saturation.
2. Convert to black and white through Image > Adjustments > Black and White.
3. Add a Hue/Saturation adjustment layer. Check “Colorize” and set it to a red tone.
4. Paint over the lips with white to reveal the red color. Adjust saturation and masking until it looks natural.
5. Optionally dodge and burn areas or tweak the original black and white mix for better contrast.
Conclusion
Creating a selective color effect is an impactful way to add artistic flair and enhanced visual interest to monochrome photos. The techniques range from quick saturation tricks to intricate channel mixing. With some practice and an eye for color, you can learn to produce custom black and white photos with eye-catching pops of color. The vivid accents draw attention to details and creatively transform the mood and feel of an image.