Buzz
This image was created using the selection technique explained on the following page. In the initial shot, this leaf would have blended with others, but here it stands out on its own. Explore more Cool Camera Stuff Pictures.
VstockThink about the countless times you've leafed through a magazine and encountered it: a black-and-white photo spreading across the page, with a splash of color accentuating part of the scene. It could be the piercing blue eyes of a model, or the vibrant feathers of a bird soaring across the page. That simple contrast with the monochrome backdrop catches your eye and draws you in.
Color accents in black-and-white photography is an age-old technique—older even than color photography itself. (In its earliest form, color was manually painted onto photographic prints.) The method rises and falls in popularity with advertisers, but if you browse through any magazine long enough, you'll almost certainly spot at least one example. Though this striking effect is common in professional photography, modern editing tools make it accessible for any enthusiastic amateur.
In a world where color photography captures every subtle shade of nature, why does black-and-white photography continue to captivate us? The answer partly lies in how our brains process visual cues. Color has a strong influence on where we focus — our primal instincts, which once helped us spot hidden animals, now direct us to notice the color that seems out of place. However, remove the color from a familiar image, and our perception shifts. While we may mentally add back the colors we remember, we also become acutely aware of texture, patterns, and shading in the photo. These elements are present in a color image, but in black-and-white, they take center stage.
Introducing selective color to a black-and-white image combines the strengths of both photography styles. The color creates a stark contrast, immediately guiding the viewer's eye to the highlighted subject — usually the central focus of the image. As you naturally scan the rest of the photo, your attention is drawn to the interplay of patterns and textures that complement the color contrast, creating a more immersive viewing experience [sources: Morton; Ghodke].
Despite the complexity of this effect, it is relatively simple to achieve with modern editing software. While the steps may vary slightly depending on the program you're using, the following instructions will provide a solid foundation for learning how to add color accents to black-and-white photographs.
Technique: Inverse Selection
Adding color accents to your black-and-white images is a straightforward task, but like any artistic approach, it’s most effective when used thoughtfully. Look at the color photo: Where do you want the viewer’s focus to land? Maybe the main subject has a colorful detail, like a vibrant red bow in a model’s hair. Alternatively, you might choose to add color to a small, seemingly insignificant background detail, drawing the viewer’s attention away from the main subject and creating intrigue — the audience will wonder what makes that little detail so important. Sometimes, the real fun comes from keeping your viewers guessing.
With digital editing software, you can easily apply a variety of filters and effects to your original image. To start, open a color photo in your editor and apply a black-and-white filter. (This option is usually found in the Filter, Enhance, or Adjustment menus — in Adobe Photoshop, navigate to Image > Adjustments > Desaturate.) The image on screen will turn black-and-white, but the software will still keep the color data intact. If you undo the filter, the color will reappear. Just avoid converting the image to black-and-white completely, as this removes the color data entirely.
But what happens if you apply the filter to only a portion of the photo?
To reverse the filter, undo it and restore your photo to its original version. Then:
- Use your editor's selection tools to isolate the area you want to highlight in color. With some practice, you can precisely select even the smallest details in the image.
- Then, invert the selection (in Photoshop, go to Select > Inverse). This will select everything except your subject, effectively masking that area so that changes applied to the rest of the photo don't affect it.
- Next, apply a black-and-white filter or effect. The mask will preserve the color in your selected subject area.
- Finally, save your edited image under a new name (using Save As) so you still have the original color version available.
The amount of color you reveal will depend on the specific image and your artistic intentions. But the process behind the effect is actually quite simple.
What if the color you want to emphasize in your photo is scattered in small bits and splashes throughout the image?
Think of it like this: imagine placing a thin sheet of glass over a printed photo. That's essentially the concept of a layer in photo editing software. By painting on this glass, you change the image's appearance without altering the original photo. If you're unsure about getting the desired effect on your first attempt, create a duplicate layer before proceeding with the next steps. If something goes wrong, you can delete the duplicate layer, create another, and keep experimenting until you achieve the look you want.
Technique: Reductive Production
Since most colors are made up of different shades from a few color groups, you may need to add a bit of extra color at low saturations to achieve the exact hue you're aiming for.
©iStockphoto.com/ThinkstockIf the subject you're interested in isn't a single item but a mass of bright colors (like a field of sunflowers or a collection of team jerseys), selecting each individual part might be more trouble than it's worth. For highlighting a particular color or color family across a photo, a simple reductive production technique can create this eye-catching effect with minimal effort.
- Start by opening the color adjustment panel in your editor. (In Photoshop, this is called Adjust Hue/Saturation.) This tool allows you to target specific color ranges, such as blues, greens, reds, or yellows, and modify their temperature, brightness, and saturation. Here, we are particularly focused on the saturation setting.
- Choose a color you don't wish to highlight and reduce its saturation to 0.
- Repeat this process for all but one of the color groups.
- As a best practice, be sure to save your edited photo with a new name (using Save As) so that you keep the original color version intact.
What does this technique do to the photo? By lowering the saturation of a specific color to 0, you effectively remove it from the image, turning it into grayscale. The remaining colors will stand out more vividly. You can adjust the saturation levels of each color group to control how much grayscale is introduced and which hues are preserved. The result will be a largely black-and-white photo with a few key objects highlighted in vibrant colors.
This method creates color highlights without the stark contrast seen in the selective filtering technique from the previous section. However, reducing a color's saturation affects all areas of that color group in the image: If both your wedding bouquet and the church's brick walls are red, both will be accentuated. You can target any unwanted colored areas and apply a black-and-white filter to them if needed.
Enjoy the creative freedom these techniques offer, but always remember the key rule of photo editing: The most powerful effect is essentially useless if applied to a poor photograph. Strong composition, balance, rhythm, and proper exposure should always come first. Use these principles to craft an impactful image; your special effect will elevate an already great photo to a truly outstanding one [source: Ghodke].
