# Selective Colouring or Black+White with Colour



## pilgrim

Edited due to broken linkhttp://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=14000di


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## Digital Matt

Great shots Pilgrim.  I love the color in the first one.  Here's a couple I've done.


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## pilgrim

wow matt! that first one is very creative   I would have never thought of that.

The leaf ones are also most excellent, great texture and detail on the leafs. Though that last one is kinda hard to see..


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## Paradigm_Shift

Edited due to broken linkhttp://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=14000di


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## Digital Matt

Thanks Pilgrim.  I fixed that image of mine.  Sorry about that.


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## Harpper

Edited due to broken linkhttp://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=14000di


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## manda

Anyone want to write a tutorial on how this is done for the How To forum?
Unless there is one already that I haven't seen...

They are great shots.


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## markc

Wow. Cool stuff, everyone. Matt's green leaf just makes me smile as I look at it.  I love the feel of it. The detail and contrast in the orange leaf is amazing.


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## Digital Matt

Thanks Harrper and Markc for your kind comments.  I'd be happy to write a tutorial for this stuff, if nobody else is planning on.


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## wwjoeld

Edited due to broken linkhttp://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=14000di


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## james m

Edited due to broken linkhttp://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=14000di


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## Digital Matt

That last one is totally cool James


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## Digital Matt

Edited due to broken linkhttp://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=14000di


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## pilgrim

Edited due to broken linkhttp://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=14000di


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## Digital Matt

Cool idea   Nice shot.


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## pilgrim

Edited due to broken linkhttp://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=14000di


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## Lungfarmer

Edited due to broken linkhttp://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=14000di


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## pilgrim

Lungfarmer said:
			
		

> Sorry for so many, I was having fun, heh heh.



There can never be too many   

I like your first one the best, seems almost abstract, and has great color.


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## oriecat

These are all really nice!    I especially like that red bucket tho.


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## Digital Matt

pilgrim said:
			
		

> I'm sorry Matt, I couldn't resist



Haha, looks great.  A leaf on a rock is the perfect way to do this kinda thing I think.


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## slacker(jedi)

Edited due to broken linkhttp://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=14000di


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## pilgrim

Edited due to broken linkhttp://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=14000di


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## slacker(jedi)

OOOooohhhhh, and he does the fire hydrant!   

where'd you find one way out there in the woods anyway


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## Digital Matt

Edited due to broken linkhttp://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=14000di


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## pilgrim

dude, matt, that is awsome   . It made me smile, and infact I'm still smiling while im typing this.


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## Lungfarmer

These are all great 

Ha ha! What a funny fire hydrant. They should paint all of them that way.


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## slacker(jedi)

oriecat said:
			
		

> These are all really nice!    I especially like that red bucket tho.


I too, am a huge fan of the red bucket


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## pilgrim

Edited due to broken linkhttp://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=14000di


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## Digital Matt

Pilgrim, that's stunning!  Great contrast and a beautiful simplistic composition.


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## Harpper

Digital Matt said:
			
		

>


LOL. That's a classic D Matt.


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## pilgrim

Edited due to broken linkhttp://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=14000di


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## photong

Wow, a lot of these are great! They look so real. I should learn how to do this better.

Mine is a bit ugly, I admit I'm too lazy to go get the better version. Sorry it's so small.


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## MDowdey

Edited due to broken linkhttp://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=14000di


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## pilgrim

coolio md, I like the second one  I also dig your boarder idea


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## MDowdey

thanks pilgrim, you were definately the catalyst for me trying it out...



md


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## Jaffapie

aw pilgrim, that is excellent. 

the girl in the red dress.... 

All the work here is just lovely


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## dandaman555

Edited due to broken linkhttp://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=14000di


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## pilgrim

no worky dead man


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## DarkEyes

Edited due to broken linkhttp://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=14000di


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## ZacKrohn

Edited due to broken linkhttp://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=14000di


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## DarkEyes

Here's my Latest Effort's. Not spectacular or nothin, but still an effort.

Pond:





Old Hospital:
*BROKEN LINK *

Be glad to hear people's opinion's.

P.S. Were the F#(% did you find that Hydrent? A Circus? What a crack-up! Good work!


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## ZacKrohn

Edited due to broken linkhttp://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=14000di


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## jadin

Edited due to broken linkhttp://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=14000di


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## Daniel

Edited due to broken linkhttp://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=14000di


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## Sharkbait




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## Alison

Taken at Laconia Bike Week in NH this past weekend. Bikes are a little bit darker here than on the actual print.


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## ZacKrohn

Edited due to broken linkhttp://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=14000di


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## mistakendavis

this one was done with real hand coloring, i printed it on matte and colored it in with colored pencils


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## jadin

Edited due to broken linkhttp://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=14000di


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## DarkEyes

mistakendavis said:
			
		

> this one was done with real hand coloring, i printed it on matte and colored it in with colored pencils



Not too bad! However, I myself prefer doing it on computer, 'cos it's much easier


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## mistakendavis

it is much easier but i have got my darkroom roots that i have got to stay true to


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## pilgrim

That's really cool Jadin!


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## sobi

my girlfriend.


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## jadin

Just a recommendation sobi, but whenever you leave something in color in a black and white photo, you're drawing attention to it. In your photos your drawing your attention away from your subject, and to the objects in the background. Usually this style of photo works better on something you want the attention brought to, that you normally might not notice.

Just a friendly suggestion, I'd like to see more of what you come up with.


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## ZacKrohn

well I konw I did alot of these allrady but its fun so heres another one...my best yet I think...this shot was realy awesome...I was with a photography class shooting these flowers and then this woman just bent into my field of view. Completly candid shot!


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## Alison

ZacKrohn, I really like this shot! Good catch!


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## Karalee

Edited due to broken linkhttp://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=14000di


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## ZacKrohn

Thanks Alison...I think I finally figured out the trick that using the history brush is much eiaser then what I was origonaly doing


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## sobi

heres another try while paying mind to constuctive criticism.


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## jadin

Brilliant... fast learner?? Must be natural talent :b


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## Jaffapie

sobi that is wonderful


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## simnine

does duotone count?


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## CrazyAva

Wow, some really great pictures!  Here are a couple that I have done............I don't know why but mine won't show up, so you have to click them, hope you don't mind......  

http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b4da11b3127ccebd9e3b03cd0f0000003610
http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b4d809b3127cceb171d7dbb9e10000001610
http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b4d808b3127cceb16e4a7881f30000001610


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## DarkEyes

Edited due to broken linkhttp://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=14000di


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## Camper Dave




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## jadin

Reviewing images for the Critque Club for this challenge, I've realized a few things.

*Choosing a photo:*
For starters, the photo you choose is very important. Having a chaotic shot works very well. Having a relatively calm shot does not. Let me explain.

When you desaturate all but a small portion of a photo, the part left in color becomes the foreground. Everything else becomes the background. This means leaving the background in color, and the foreground black and white, the background *becomes* the foreground. It's where your eye goes to first. Keeping this in mind when choosing a shot will help you leaps and bounds.

A bland background desaturated:


 



As you can see there is virtually no impact on the photo. There's barely any change, especially none that would draw your interest to an area of the photo where you wouldn't normally think.

Compare that to using a chaotic picture, where you see the colored object(s) as the foreground right off the bat. Only after which your eye allows you to look at the rest of the picture.

A chaotic photo selectively desaturated:


 



There are better examples obviously but these at least demonstrate my point.

*Choosing what to desaturate:*
Since your creating a new foreground in essence, you only want that foreground in color. If you keep other parts that you don't consider part of the new foreground in color, you're only detracting from the impact the selective desaturation provides.

You've learned that distractions are best cropped out of your photos, so why would you put a spot light on parts of the photo you don't want highlighted?

Highlighting extra information:


 



And really that's the whole gist of it. I have a bright spotlight to shine on my photo. What do I want to highlight, and what do I want to mute.

Choosing the right photo, and the right thing(s) to highlight are essential to a good selective desaturation. The rest is just your photoshop skills.


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## pilgrim

Edited due to broken linkhttp://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=14000di


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## jadin

Very nice pilgrim. Love it.


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## pilgrim

Edited due to broken linkhttp://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=14000di


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## Studio Rhoad

Edited due to broken linkhttp://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=14000di


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## Scott WRG Editor

pilgrim said:
			
		

> Thanks Jadin
> 
> Simnine, those duotones look really cool!
> 
> here's another one.



Heh, thats how I see all cats


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## Alison

Nice one, Scott!


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## raul_the_truck

Edited due to broken linkhttp://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=14000di


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## AIRIC

Edited due to broken linkhttp://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=14000di


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## sabman




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## colin

Edited due to broken linkhttp://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=14000di


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## aggiezach

Nice work! Love the colors in the flag.


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## JonMikal

COME ON GUYS.....HOW ARE YOU DOING THIS??????????


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## MDowdey

jonmikal said:
			
		

> COME ON GUYS.....HOW ARE YOU DOING THIS??????????




take your pic and get into photoshop. then, create a channel mixer layer and click monochrome. the paint with the color black, any thing you want in color!!!!

zoom in too!

md


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## colin

Edited due to broken linkhttp://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=14000di


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## hobbes28

Edited due to broken linkhttp://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=14000di


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## aggiezach

nice one Hobbes!


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## sabman

jonmikal said:
			
		

> COME ON GUYS.....HOW ARE YOU DOING THIS??????????



You can also desaturate the image then use the history brush to re-color whatever you want to have stick out.  There are several ways to do it.


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## hobbes28

aggiezach said:
			
		

> nice one Hobbes!



Thanks


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## Alison

I use the lasso tool to select the area that I want self in color, then choose Select >> Inverse and then go to Image >> Adjustments >> Desaturate. Works good for me. The other ideas seem easier but I just can't get the hang of it because that's the way I learned.


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## Andrea K

Edited due to broken linkhttp://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=14000di


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## Xmetal

Edited due to broken linkhttp://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=14000di


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## anton980

Ahh, Xmetal, nice bright color, but you should make a guy's reflection into black and white as well as that bright orangy reflection next to him.  Or maybe dissaturate it a bit

I love your photo, Andrea!


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## Xmetal

Yeah I asked him to move so I could take the shot but the lil' bastard ignored me. :x

might have a stab at your suggestion though


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## anton980

it should be very simple - select his face and dissaturate.  He's wearing a white shirt, so no need to worry about that.  Oh, and dont forget the background through the rear window and reflection on the right side of the car, in the glass behind the door


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## DarkEyes

Im sure this theme has been done before as "B&amp;W with color", but here's one from me anywayz:


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## cactus waltz

Can you guys link me to a comprehensible site on how to learn this technique?


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## Andrea K

i just learned it a few days ago with this forum
http://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=7765&amp;highlight=selective+coloring


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## sillyphaunt

One of my favorite techniques to do in photoshop.


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## JonMikal

sillyphunt - love the first!


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## Nikon Fan

JonMikal said:
			
		

> sillyphunt - love the first!



I second that!!!!


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## P Bailey

Edited due to broken linkhttp://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=14000di


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## vonnagy




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## cmptrdewd

Nice one, vonnagy!

I got a really good idea! :idea: 

I have to take the photo first!


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## sonic

Here's one I was playing around with the other day:


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## JonMikal




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## Andrea K

Edited due to broken linkhttp://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=14000di


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## triggerhappy

lovely work sonic.  I haven't tried this in ages so here's a couple of old pics.  (and yes I was very much in the gf's good books after I bought her these   )


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## Corry

triggerhappy said:
			
		

> lovely work sonic.  I haven't tried this in ages so here's a couple of old pics.  (and yes I was very much in the gf's good books after I bought her these   )



How bout having a talk with my bf...I've never gotten flowers before 

Great job on these roses!


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## triggerhappy

core_17 said:
			
		

> How bout having a talk with my bf...I've never gotten flowers before
> 
> Great job on these roses!




 :shock:  :shock:  :shock: oooooh no no no no!   I'm not getting involved with this!!  :shock:  :shock:  :shock:


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## CrazyAva

Edited due to broken linkhttp://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=14000di


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## vonnagy

very cool, ava! was this a wedding for golfer or mini-golf enthusist?


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## CrazyAva

vonnagy said:
			
		

> very cool, ava! was this a wedding for golfer or mini-golf enthusist?


Haha, no, that's just the runner that the place they had their wedding at used and it was so bright and I wanted to make it stand out amongst all the green everywhere.


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## anton980

CrazyAva, have you tried leaving the child hands completely colored while the hands of the older person are in b/w?  Could make another interesting image...


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## DarkEyes

Yet another Floral B&amp;W with color from me.


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## colin

Edited due to broken linkhttp://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=14000di


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## Nan C

The spots on this photo are dust on the store front window.


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## DarkEyes

Yeh, I know I posted the full colour one under a new theme, but I still wanna post this one here.


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## CrazyAva

anton980 said:
			
		

> CrazyAva, have you tried leaving the child hands completely colored while the hands of the older person are in b/w?  Could make another interesting image...


I haven't taken any pictures with childs hands and older persons hands...........hmm......


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## CrazyAva

Edited due to broken linkhttp://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=14000di


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## nomore

Edited due to broken linkhttp://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=14000di


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## Picksure

I figured since this shot was mistaken for a desaturated or selective colour pic, I thought I'd post it here as well.


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## chloey




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## Nikon Fan

CrazyAva said:
			
		

>




Wow!!! I love this one especially out of the ones that you've posted  :thumbup:


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## DjBooduh2o9




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## Xmetal

Edited due to broken linkhttp://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=14000di


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## CrazyAva

eromallagadnama said:
			
		

> Wow!!! I love this one especially out of the ones that you've posted  :thumbup:


Thank you!  I was at the San Diego Zoo and this woman was painting these really neat things with words made out of animals........so awesome.  I had to take a picture of her doing it.


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## LaFoto

Now I really want to give this theme some new life:


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## jocose

This was my first attempt:






And this one is one of the few pictures that I've ever taken where I saw the finished product in my head before I even saw the pic in the viewfinder:


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## CrazyAva




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## Corry




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## LittleMan

One I shot while I was in Germany.


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## orion never sets




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## Miss V

LittleMan said:


> One I shot while I was in Germany.



Oooooooooooooooo i LOVE THIS!


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## Miss V

Couple of mine


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## skieur

It is an OK concept to play with, but it has become overused in general creative photography and as such it has become a less effective technique and more of a cliché.  Being very artificial and unnatural, the question design-wise becomes:  Why did you colour this element and not a different one, why the particular colour, and do the other pictorial elements fit together with the one that is colourized.  Of course the ultimate question: Would the image not be more effective if it were completely and more naturally ALL in colour?

skieur


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## yeldivea

LittleMan said:


> One I shot while I was in Germany.



Love this! I wish I had a good cmaera so I could post pictures everywhere. xD


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## kelley_french

Ok I give up how the heck is this done? I have attempted this several times and have no clue!


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## IanRB

heres a couple shots i took a long time ago with my moms point and shoot and edited a while ago cause i was bored and curious how to do selective coloring.


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## Christina

for those who keep asking how to do it, there are many ways.

i personally went to gimp.com and downloaded that, its almost like a free version of ps and thats what i use to do the selective coloring and this is a great site to use

http://www.gimp-tutorials.com/tutorial/Selective-Colorization-using-The-GIMP-168.html

for a tutorial on how to do it once you dl the program.
i dont know if there is a online way to do it without a program but this was the easiest cost effective way i found.


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## RebeccaFB

In which program do you all do that in?

I really like Digital Matt's first picture


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## goose

Some AMAZING shots in here, keep em coming guys! I made this one with MS Paint before I figured out how to do it with GIMP :scratch: 

-Mike


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## ga_shooter

This is recent...


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## blazen

Two reposts but here ya go.


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## RedWolfMC




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## ShavedMonkey

~Image deleted


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## ShavedMonkey

~Image deleted


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## Arkanjel Imaging

Thread resurrection!


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## Arkanjel Imaging




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## bobmielke




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## JohnB43

IMG_7719.jpg by John Burdumy, on Flickr


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## Arkanjel Imaging

I know, cliche.  But my cat is awesome.


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## Sailorl2e




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## Arkanjel Imaging

My Aikido instructor.

Got stripes?


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## snapshot5000

selective color by snapshot03, on Flickr


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## johngpt




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## Arkanjel Imaging

Thats a nice one John.  Love the tones and shadowplay.  :thumbup:


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## JohnB43

IMG_2774-Edit-3.jpg by John Burdumy, on Flickr


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## johngpt

Another of my reverse selective colors.


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## halestorm

I have a couple here for C+C


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## johngpt

*halestorm*, outstanding images!


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## fokker

Not exactly selective colour, but selectively desaturated the background and increased saturation in her hair, lips and eye makeup:


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## johngpt

fokker said:


> Not exactly selective colour, but selectively desaturated the background and increased saturation in her hair, lips and eye makeup:



Selective, eh? What? Selective? What did you say? 

Sorry keep getting distracted...


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## johngpt

fokker said:


> Not exactly selective colour, but selectively desaturated the background and increased saturation in her hair, lips and eye makeup:



Selective, eh? What? Selective? What did you say? 

Sorry keep getting distracted...


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## DragginJoker

IMG_2410.jpg by DragginJoker, on Flickr


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## johngpt

rose in cherry shine flash




I had previously posted this awhile ago in the flowers thread, but as I look through my subscriptions here I'm noticing that it's been years since the last post in this thread. This shot above was taken with the hipstamatic app on the iphone. The choices of lens, film, and flash rendered an "in camera" selective coloration, which I thought was pretty cool.


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## johngpt

it's like comparing apples and oranges


.


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## snowbear

I have exactly one.  Oil paint on silver print.


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## johngpt

snowbear said:


> I have exactly one.



I hear you. I don't often go with selective colour.


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## johngpt

I've searched through a dozen flickr pages and finally found one.





kalanchoe in ambient light 


.


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## Derrel

1/400 second at f/5.6 at 135mm, ISO 720


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