Color photo - Black & white with one object left in color.

djspinner2k

I know you are supposed to select the object and create a new layer in photoshop. but the selector tool never gets the object i want.

is there an easier way?

i_worship_the_King

did you try the magic wand?

Izzy Garavito

you can use the magic wand or magnetic lasso. What I usually use is a new layer with a mask. so press cmd+J (control + J on windows) to duplicate the layer. then do your black and white conversion on the copied layer (so the color is on the bottom)

press D for default foreground and background color
make sure foreground color is set to black, if not press x until it is

under the layers palette, select and add a mask to the second layer (the B&W one)

select the mask and paint over what you want to see in color.

Takes much less time to do than to write


you could also do the same as above but press \ to go into quick mask mode, paint over whatever you want to have in color then use the magic wand tool to select and refine the edge.


more ways to do it, but that's what i usually end up using

djspinner2k

i usually use LR to convert to BW. I am a noob when it comes to PS. is there a quick command in PS to convert to BW. or do i need an action?

Thanks for all the help guys.

LittleLew

djspinner2k wrote:

I know you are supposed to select the object and create a new layer in photoshop. but the selector tool never gets the object i want.

is there an easier way?

Selection is an enormous topic and one method won't work for everything. Do a web-search for selecting or, even better, get Katrin Eismann's book and masking and compositing.

i_worship_the_King

sorry for the long lag time, but you should read up in the tutorial sections here on dGrin.

You'll find several on b&w conversion, and all photoshop basics.

Basically you want to get the photo to black and white (either through the b&w instant conversion in PS or through something more complicated like in the tute) and then fish out the area you want high contrast in. Once you've got that, it's all about the masking to get what you want.

---

You mentioned that you did b&w conversion in LR. If you keep a copy of the original (enhanced to whatever you want) you can just take them both into PS. Set the color photo as the bottom layer (I prefer to never use the 'background' layer), make a new layer and paste the b&w on top of the color. Then you follow the steps above to turn the b&w into a mask for the color so your object comes through.

Post back when you get some results!

pathfinder

djspinner2k wrote:

I know you are supposed to select the object and create a new layer in photoshop. but the selector tool never gets the object i want.

is there an easier way?

Don't Select - Use the History Brush, in Photoshop

Create your best color image. Then duplicate it on a layer by typing ctrl-J.

Now create your black & white image on this second layer in the Layers Palette.

Click on the History Brush tool, set the History brush to sample your original image in the History Palette, and paint back your color to the area of the B&W image that you want to be color. Your B&W layer must be selected. If you make a mistake, click your History Brush on the B&W image layer in the History Palette, and begin painting the color away on the B&W image in the Layers Plaette.

It really is as easy as painting a "paint by the numbers kit" from childhood. No selection really required. other than the ability to paint within the lines. But since you can correct things perfectly, and can paint at 100% or 200% image size, it is easy peasy.

i_worship_the_King

^hahaha... even though that's what I normally use I completely didn't think about that...