Coffee With Morgan: Selective Color!
>> Tuesday, May 11, 2010
I get so excited when I get an email from Morgan with another of her wonderful tutorials. Thanks Morgan!!! I completely agree about selective color. Some photographers are so incredibly snobby about it that they make you feel guilty editing that way. However, talk to anyone who is not a "pro" and they will tell you they love it, at least in moderation. Sure, it can be overdone (like any editing technique), but if you ever look at any ads (tv or print) you will see it done quite often. And that is because consumers love it! I know you have seen that cereal commercial where the mom and child are listing to the snap, crackle and pop of their morning cereal. Yeah, I love that commercial and it uses selective color.
I always remind people photography is art and art is subjective. So do what you love. :-) And don't let anyone make you second guess your art.
A lot of photographers will tell you that this is so cliche and "out of style" and then ask the same photographer what effect that their clients request the most (other than standard b&w) and they will say selective color. I think that clients like it because of the mystery, they don't know how to do it :) There are lots of ways to get this effect, here is just one way.
First edit your image completely
then we can begin.
Duplicate your image. Layer>duplicate image OR Ctrl+J
Then you want to turn the top layer to b&w. You can do this by using any actions that you prefer the b&w tone of, by desaturating or by the following:
One you have done that, to bring the selective color back you just erase where you want the color! Yes, it is that easy :)
I have my eraser set to brush (just a personal preference)
Then begin the erasing!
You may have to zoom in closer to make sure you get the edges cleaned up nicely.
There you go :) Selective color
Meet Morgan! I am from a small town in southern Texas, but now live in central Texas, Fort Hood/Killeen area to be more specific. I am a stay-at-home mom and do photography in my spare time. I am married to a wonderful man that I was lucky enough to meet and be able to spend my life with. We have two beautiful children, Payton 4 years old & Amelia 1 year old. The thing I love the most about photography is that you can take an intangible moment in time and make it last forever. I don't have any formal training, I just learn from experimentation and research. Website
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16 Thoughtful Comments:
This tut is great! I run a small meme on my blog called "Color Splash Sunday," because I am in love with selective color edits. One can take a drab or busy photo, and dress it up nicely, making the focus shift. I am going to link to this tut on my blog!
This is great tutorial! I've never thought to put in spots of color this way. I always just use the Magic Lasso to the select the area I want, select the inverse of my selection, and then change that to black and white. It works well for tighter areas, but I will definitively try the erase tool with bigger selections.
Again, thanks so much!
~Fanny
Just a quick note to let you know that a link to this post will be placed on CraftCrave today [12 May 02:00pm GMT]. Thanks, Maria
Perfect! I have already used this method, thanks a bunch =) xoxo
Fanny absolutely! I personally use my smart brush tool (but not all PS have that).
I figured I would show a super easy beginner ready way :)
Great tutorial! I would love to learn other ways to do this, too!
I think photographers are branching away from selective coloring, {not all are snobby about it} because we spend so much time perfecting our craft but, now days people learn something like selective coloring, which the average person loves, and then suddenly they become a photographer. We, who have put so much into our business, then have to watch people pay for less than Pro work from people like this. It is hurting the industry and it is killing an art form that many have poured their heart and soul into. Some of them are snobby about it, the rest of us just wish people really understud what makes up a great photograph compared to a great picture, the 2 are very different things.
I am not a professional photographer but I think digital is what is hurting the pros.
Now anyone can buy a nice expensive digital camera and an editing program, take ok shots, and think they are ready to go pro; not realizing that it isn't the equipment that makes you great. It is the ability to use that equipment and have the artistic vision to get an amazing image. No editing program or fancy camera is going to be enough.
I always stand by my theory that you can give a great photographer a cheap camera and they will get a beautiful image. It is not all about sharp lenses, expensive camera bodies, or high resolution captures.
Exactly! I use a Nikon D40X, kit lens and PSE 7...not exactly pricey equipment, but I know how to operate it :)
I always tell my clients that photography isn't as easy as buying an expensive camera and snapping a picture....ahem.....Wal-mart......
It's lighting, composition and CAREFUL processing.
Wow. That's all I'll say about the recent posts. LOL!
Just a suggestion - I have found that it makes it a LOT easier to do this (I am one of those that doesn't really care for selective color anymore, but hey, whatever floats your boat!) if you give it one of Rita's Layer Masks and make it black, then white brush back in what you want in color. :)
@ Anonymous
I am one of those so called
"AVERAGE" people and I LOVE color selection! It's MY choice! And yes, I do take my own pictures now! I am not by any means and would never call myself a "PRO". I don't offer any kind of photo shoots for money or anything like that. Yes, I did purchase new DSLR "entry level" camera but not with the intentions of becoming pro. I just LIKE taking pics and grew tired of upgrading all of my point and shoots every year! What is wrong with people wanting to start learning something they LOVE to do? I mean didn't you have to start out at the bottom in the beginning? I have always loved photography and just never had the finances to do what I wanted. And just because one calls himself a "PRO" doesn't really mean anything! What defines a pro anyway? Everybody is different and likes different things. I mean when someone chooses to work with a photographer, I think it's more that they like the photographers work more than the price! Everybody wants great pics! If I am looking for a photographer for something, I usually go to the gallery and look at examples and try to find someone who matches my style and what I am looking for. You can look at someone's work and tell if they know what they are doing. At least I can. I just went through this with my daughter's senior pics. We ended up going with a young lady who just started out in the business, but her photos were AWESOME!!!! And guess what ..... she offered color selection!!! I respect the fact that people work hard in perfecting their craft, but I don't like it when noses are turned up at other people trying to learn new things! After all, you were learning at one point and time!
Much love,
Photographing Mommy !!!!!!
The reason pro photographers don't like or use selective coloring is because
a) it's oftentimes way overdone, and
b) it generally takes away from the main subject.
The Rice Krispies commercial you referred to is done WELL and here's why: It's a Rice Krispies commercial! The selective coloring focuses your attention to the Rice Krispies.
99% of the time, selective coloring is used to accentuate something that is not the main focus of the picture. For example, in the picture posted, you have a cute little boy. But after the selective coloring, you have a bright orange hat. Oh, and there's a cute boy in the picture too.
Just sharing what most pros feel on the issue. :)
Oh no, in the picture I posted the hat was the focus :)
(Re-decorating my son's room in a UT theme)
Plus the point of the conversation here, is to teach selective color an easy way. Pro's may not like selective color (I don't do it unless it is specifically requested by my client), but clients do like it.
I think any editing/photography technique can be used and abused. I edited for a wedding photographer that slanted his horizons all of the time. I don't mind a few photos that have that type of effect, but it was complete overkill.
I see professional photographers over-using color pop, skin softening, vintage effects, textures, and other editing enhancements all of the time. Many have an editing style that might be "cool" right now, but probably won't be in a few years.
I guess what I am trying to say is that you should edit your photos the way you want! Selective color is no different than every other trendy enhancement out there. And by trendy I mean anything other than classic B&W and plain old realistic color. :-)
And don't be a photo-editing snob!!! ;-)
Oh Rita....I love you! lol
We all love both of you guys for all of your great help and advice!! And also for not making us all feel like idiots for wanting to learn and try new things! I'm so glad I found the both of you on here!!!!
Photographing Mommy!!!!!!
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