Convert black and white photography into color online. How to Take a Black and White Photo with an Accent Color on Instagram
There are many ways to convert a color image to black and white in Photoshop.
Now we will show you the 4 most popular methods.
Open your photo in Photoshop.
Let's start by introducing you to the two easiest ways to turn an image into black and white.
1 - function Grayscale(Grayscale)
2 - function Discolor(Desaturation)
We don’t argue that these are the simplest methods, but the quality is not the best. Here the contrast is very low, the image is slightly cloudy.
Let's show with an example:
1. Grayscale
Image - Mode - Grayscale(Image - Mode - Grayscale)
Very simple, right?
2. Discolor
Image - Correction - Desaturate(Image - Adjustments - Desaturate)
Fast and easy - but the image contrast is very low, the image looks dull and flat. This is not at all what we are striving for. What we especially like about high-quality black and white photography is depth and high contrast. Okay - it's time to introduce you to more serious methods!
3. Hue/Saturation Adjustment Layer
The method we are going to tell you about is to use several adjustment layers. Hue/Saturation. This means that you can return to its original appearance at any time. Plus, you are NOT changing the original image. Now go to the menu Layers - New Adjustment Layer - Hue/Saturation(Layers - New Adjustment layer - Hue/Saturation).
Leave all layer properties unchanged. Change the layer blending mode to Regular(Normal) on Chroma(Color).
Then add another adjustment layer Hue/Saturation(Hue/Saturation) - but this time in the layer properties, move the slider Saturation(Saturation) to -100.
So, get ready... This is what the image looks like now:
Now the fun begins! Double click on the first adjustment layer you made, or just open the properties. And now the slider Color tone(Hue) move to this position until you are satisfied with the resulting effect. You can also work with Saturation ( Saturation ) .
These are the settings we used to get the image you see below. Now it looks much better, although it still seems like something is missing...
Now change the blending mode of this newly created layer to Chroma(Color) on Overlap(Overlay), and reduce it a little Opacity(Opacity), in our case up to 65%.
This is what happened now. Contrast has increased noticeably. No detail is lost, adding depth to the image.
Please note that each image requires an individual approach. What suits this image may not suit yours. So don't be afraid to experiment with settings, layers and modes yourself :)
4. Channel mixing
The last technique you'll learn about in this tutorial is using an adjustment layer. Mixingchannels(Channel Mixer). With the original image active, go to the menu Layers - New Adjustment Layer - Channel Mixing(Layers - New Adjustment Layer - Channel mixer).
When this window appears, check the box next to the function Monochrome(Monochrome).
Now select the shades of black and white simply by moving the sliders that correspond to the red, green, and blue colors of the image. Important: Try to keep the total number of values around 100 to avoid blurry areas in your image. We set the red and green channels to 0 and the blue to 100. This gives the skin intense black and white tones.
Final step: duplicate the adjustment layer. Then change the blending mode from Regular(Normal) on Overlap(Overlay) and reduce Opacity(Opacity), for example, for this image it turned out to be 44% - but often it is necessary to lower it to 20-30%. Look, below is the result of our labors.
It turned out to be a very atmospheric image. We are waiting for your impressions. We hope this article gave you a lot of useful information.
See you in the new lesson!
Instructions
Don’t think that only Photoshop, which is bulky and clumsy on low-power computers, can cope with the task you have set. There are a lot of more accessible and simple programs that can perform this operation no worse than the famous and “almighty” Photoshop. One of them is installed by default with Microsoft Office and is perfect for your purposes. The convenience is that you don't need to download or install anything - if you have Word and Excel on your computer, in most cases you will also have Microsoft Office Picture Manager. This is the program you need.
You can find the icon to launch the program in the Start menu or start editing photos in this program in another way. To do this, right-click on the file with the image that you want to convert to black and white. In the context menu, select the “Open with...” command and click the Microsoft Office Picture Manager line. The program will start and the photo will be added to it. You can move on to working on color.
Find the “ Change" button on the program panel and click it. In the right area of the window, click the “Color” button. You will see three scales, by dragging the sliders on which you can adjust parameters such as color intensity, hue and saturation. All you have to do to turn a photo into black and white is move the Saturation slider all the way to the left. The photo will immediately turn black and white!
All that remains is to press the button with the floppy disk icon to save the changes. However, if you want to save the original file with a color photo, select the “Save As” command from the “File” menu, and then save the resulting black and white photo under a new name in any folder on your computer.
Sources:
- how to take a black and white photograph
Wanting to give a certain area photos-white tint, you can use the capabilities of the Adobe Photoshop graphic editor. This application will allow you to change a photo almost beyond recognition. It should be noted that you do not need to have any skills in working with the program to perform all the steps.
You will need
- Computer, graphics editor Adobe Photoshop.
Instructions
The simplest tool in Adobe Photoshop that allows you to change colors is “Color Replacement”. The user sets the necessary brush parameters, after which he performs further steps to process the image. What do you need to do to do this? Part photo black.
Before you have access to the design photos in the program, you need to open it in the Adobe Photoshop application. Today there are two ways to perform this action. The first method involves opening a photo of the application itself (the user needs to execute the commands in the program: “File” - “Open”, and then download). The second method involves opening photos through image properties. Right-click on the photo, then select the “Open with” function. Next, you need to go to select a program by clicking the appropriate link in the window that opens. By selecting
Hi all! As usual, I am with you, Dmitry Kostin. And today we will photoshop again. Remember how we did? Be that as it may, this is not surprising, since it is not at all difficult to desaturate the image. But how to turn a black and white photo into color? Is that possible?
Of course available. Already, even entire films are being colored. Why make some image color? But it’s still a very interesting experience. Can you imagine? You can come up with the colors you would like to see in this photo. For example, you can set the color of your eyes, hair, skin, clothes and much more. This is how I colored old photographs. It turned out funny)
Let me not make long introductions. Let's start coloring right away. Open any b/w photo (I chose a photo I found on the Internet).
Just look at what mode the photo is in. It's just possible that it was saved in the format "Grayscale", then you simply won’t be able to work with color.
Change the color mode to RGB. To do this, go to the top menu and select “Image” - “Mode”. Well, if it’s not RSL, then install it.
Let's look at the first method, namely the one familiar to you.
Blending Options
Here is another fairly effective trick for coloring photos. The main thing here is to create a separate layer for each element. I took a new photo for these needs.
By the way, this was the very first method that I learned about. When I found out about it, I liked it so much that I colored a lot of photos).
Layer mask
Well, the last method of transformation for today is using a layer mask. Let's get straight to the point.
Well, in the end you get a beautiful color photograph and it looks completely different. Oh, but of course I messed up a little. But you can always correct this.
I will never cease to be amazed at the power of Photoshop. Indeed, in many cases, the same problem can be solved in several ways, and you yourself can choose the method that suits you best. By the way, which method do you like best? Or do you have your own way of turning a black and white photo into color in Photoshop, which I did not describe here? Please write in the comments.
If you want to quickly explore the capabilities of Photoshop and learn how to work with it, then I strongly recommend that you watch excellent video course. Everything is described in detail, everything is told in human language and laid out on the shelves. The material is easily absorbed. So I recommend it.
Well, I'm done for today. I hope that you liked my article. Be sure to subscribe to my blog updates, then you will always be aware of the latest information on the blog. I won't spam. I promise). I wish you good luck in mastering Photoshop. Bye bye!
Best regards, Dmitry Kostin.
Many photographers agree that vintage black and white photographs have such an attractive charm and allure that their modern digital counterparts, devoid of a certain “soul,” cannot hold a candle to them. Of course, black and white photography does not require old photographic films, solvents and developers... To make it, you just need a modern digital camera.
What advantages do such photographs have?
Of course, not everyone is a creative person who has a keen sense of the style and character of a photograph. Are there any real benefits to black and white photography that an experienced photographer can take advantage of? Yes, and there are many of them.
The fact is that black and white photography not only arouses nostalgia in viewers, but also focuses their attention on the photograph itself. This is especially valuable for portraits: have you ever wondered why this particular photo format is preferred? The fact is that they allow you to focus attention precisely on the foreground, making everything that is behind the person unimportant. In addition, such an image allows you to process objects in the photo without extra costs.
In addition, black and white photography is indispensable when decorating a room in a vintage style, when you want to set a certain background. Even seasoned designers often use this method, so you can also try yourself in this field.
How to make it?
Most modern digital cameras have a mode for automatically shooting in this mode. Is it worth using the mentioned program? No no and one more time no! It is much more reasonable to shoot in normal mode, “bleaching” the images in application programs. In this case, you can adjust dozens of parameters that the camera simply “cuts down”. In addition, using the same Photoshop, you can restore old beautiful black and white photographs by scanning them and improving the color balance.
We'll first look at the extremely popular Photoshop, and then we'll cover a couple of other image editors.
A quick way to convert a photo to black and white
First, open any photo you need to convert. Go to the “Image” menu, go to “Adjustments”, where click on the “Desaturate” command. It should be noted that this algorithm will allow you to make any photo black and white in just a couple of seconds, but the result is unlikely to greatly inspire you for further research... This is how a black and white photograph is made in Photoshop if the user is too lazy to spend time on it.
The photo turns out flat and blurry. In a word, it’s better to use automatic modes on a point-and-shoot camera...
Black and White Adjustment Layers
It's much better to use the "Black and White" layer. This method is not only simple, but also reversible. The fact is that when saving to the program, it makes changes to the second layer, and not to the original image, which makes it possible for extensive creative experiments. In addition, such black and white photography turns out to be really three-dimensional and beautiful.
Converting the image
First, open the photo you want to redo. Double-click with the left mouse button on the “Background” tab if it was previously inactive. To create a black and white layer, you have to follow a few simple steps.
First, you need to open the “Correction” palette (follow the “Window/Correction” path), and then left-click on the “Black and White” layer icon, which is visually similar to a rectangle divided into two halves by a diagonal line. Immediately after this, a layer with a desaturated image will be created, after which several dialog boxes with sliders will appear, with which you can set the exact color gradation.
How can you make a photograph in black and white, but at the same time maintain maximum contrast between different zones in the image? To get the most contrasting picture possible, simply move the sliders until the quality suits you. Dragging the sliders to the right will make the colors lighter; dragging to the left will make them darker.
There is a drop-down list at the top of the palette: experiment with its options. You might get some interesting effect. If you click on the “Auto” button, it will display the parameters of the “ideal” image in grayscale on the monitor. This button can also be used if your experiments in desaturating images have gone somewhere wrong.
Sepia effect
Remember relatively recent photographs from the late USSR, where there were not only black and white colors, but also a shade of brown? Do you know how to achieve such an attractive effect in a modern photo? Nothing could be easier!
There is also a Tint checkbox at the top of the palette. If you check it and click "OK", the program will automatically add a brown tint (sepia effect), this applies to all elements of the image. To the right of the checkbox there is an icon in the form of a colored square: click on it if you want to add some other shades to the picture. This way you can take so-called false two-tone photographs.
Here's how to make a photo black and white.
GIMP
All of the above is true for Photoshop. No doubt, this application is a recognized world leader. But isn't there another one that is just as functional? There is one. It's called GIMP and has long been positioned as an alternative to its paid competitor.
To be fair, it should be noted that not in all cases such a replacement will be adequate, but for desaturating photographs, the mentioned program will be more than enough.
Using adjustment layers in Channel Mixing
Let us immediately note that this photo program uses layers in the same way, so almost all the techniques that can be used in the case of Photoshop are quite relevant here. First, still make sure that “Background” is open in the image you have opened, left-click on the icon with the image of a diagonally crossed two-color circle at the bottom of the palette, and then select the “Channel Mixing” option in the context menu that appears.
After this, the “Correction” dialog box will immediately open, select the “Monochrome” checkbox at the top of it, and then select one of the lightening options offered by the program in the drop-down list located here. This method will allow you to get beautiful black and white photographs, each of the elements in which is edited individually.
Important! If you want to make a picture with printing quality (which can then be printed), then it is advisable to use a specially calibrated monitor for this. Otherwise, you will probably be disappointed due to the mismatch in brightness of colors and shades.
Using "Brightness"
What is the Lightness channel for? In it, the application stores all the illumination parameters of the picture, which form all the visible contours of the image too. Thus, if you take it separately from all other picture settings, you will get a regular black and white photograph.
Open the “Image” menu, select “Mode” there, and then click on the “Channel” option. A palette of the same name will appear, on which you need to select the “Brightness” item. If you don’t like the result, go back to the “Mode” item and select the “Grayscale” option there. Left-click on the “OK” button, after which GIMP will automatically delete all existing color information.
Additional gradation of parameters
The picture will become black and white. If you need more careful and detailed processing of black and white photos, try “playing” with the parameters, achieving the ideal display of color, brightness and contrast of the image. It should be noted that in many cases this method produces an overly bright, but pale, pattern. However, you can play with such color gradations, interestingly blurring
By the way, do you remember what we talked about the techniques of professional photographers at the very beginning of the article? Yes, yes, it is with this method that they create an amazing effect when the face in the photograph literally lives its own life. This “miracle” owes its existence to the usual psychological characteristics of a person: firstly, in pictures in color we constantly pay attention to the background, even if unconsciously. Secondly, black and white photographs themselves force the focus to be on the central figure. Considering that the background is already becoming blurry, the brain involuntarily focuses on the foreground, picking out more and more details.
Using the Camera Raw plugin
If you are a professional photographer working in RAW format, we recommend using the Camera Raw plug-in to convert your photos. It can be used with equal success not only in GIMP, but also in Photoshop. Download the module from the official website, after which you can start creating and experimenting.
Correct use of the module
In the main Camera Raw window, open the HSL/Grayscale window. To do this, you can click on the button of the same name. Check the “Convert to grayscale” checkbox. A panel with a set of sliders will immediately appear on the right side of the working window. To add contrast to the image, simply lighten any of the areas in the image by moving the slider to the right. However, we talked about exactly the same thing at the top of our article, so you can see the relevant recommendations there.
Then you need to open the “Basic” panel, and then “play” with the “Exposure” slider, adjusting in detail all the parameters of the black and white image. Try to “play” with the settings, after which you yourself will be amazed at what an irresistible impression “ordinary” black and white photography can produce!
PaintNet
If you are not an experienced user, then you have probably already doubted your ability to master the capabilities of the programs described above. Which, however, is not surprising, since they have a rather complex interface. Because of this, it is not advisable for novice users to install these applications just for the sake of converting several photos to black and white format.
Therefore, we would recommend that not too confident and “fledgling” artists install the completely free PaintNet program from Microsoft on their computer. Despite its compact size, it is very functional and can be successfully used for our purposes. However, almost all free photo programs that currently exist can be described in exactly the same way.
Working with layers
Since this application also uses layers, the main stages of our work will be largely similar to the techniques described above, but your work will be much more pleasant. This is largely due to the fact that the interface here is as simplified as possible. First, you should copy the layer that will contain a copy of the color image. Go to the "Layers" menu, then select "Create a copy of layer." As you can see, everything is as simple and accessible as possible.
However, you can copy the desired piece of the image directly from the Layers window. We will need it later. After the mentioned procedure, you are left with two layers, each of which contains exactly the same fragment of the image. In the same “Layers” menu, turn off the top section of the picture by left-clicking on the corresponding item.
Go to the “Corrections” menu, and then select the item there with the characteristic name “Make black and white”. After this, the image is completely discolored. It should be noted that the picture quality in this case may not be too stunning. Keep in mind that it is strongly not recommended to process scanned old black and white photographs in this way, as their quality may be seriously affected.
Is it possible to colorize a monochrome image?
Having spent so much time describing the transformation of color images into monochrome, it’s time to tackle the exact opposite process. We will make a colorful collage from an old grandmother’s photo, as if it was recently captured on a modern camera. Is this real? Yes, but you will have to be patient.
First, you will need to take the Brush tool, and then begin to carefully and consistently paint fragments of the photo. Once you're done with a section of the image, it's time to change the blending mode for that particular layer. You can choose “Darkening” or “Soft Light”. By the way, this method works great for coloring black and white photographs of flowers. Let us immediately note that this is necessary since you are unlikely to be able to achieve the required accuracy with a mouse.
By combining different algorithms in different parts of the photo, you can achieve the effect you want. We deliberately do not say the word “easy”, since this whole process will take a lot of your time. Yes, it’s long, monotonous and even a little boring, but the result is worth it! Here's how to colorize black and white photos. If you don’t want to pay immodest sums to organize photos from your family archives, you can try to do everything yourself.
Please note that such events require patience and perseverance, so we advise you to stock up on them. Good luck!
If you want to dramatically change a photo with just one simple step, then nothing beats converting it to black and white. Converting to grayscale can also save an image that would not benefit from color correction, or make a person more beautiful who needs to seriously whiten their teeth or take care of their skin. These problems almost disappear when you enter the black and white kingdom.
But does this mean that you need to set your digital camera to black and white shooting mode? No no and one more time no! It is much better to shoot in color and then desaturate the images in Photoshop. In this case, you get a huge number of possible creative solutions, for example, the effect of partial desaturation, achieved by desaturating not the entire picture. And while I'm on the topic of color, Photoshop has several tools that let you change the color of everything from your car to the hair on your head. You can also give new life to old photographs by adding color to them.
You've probably heard the expression “How we get paid is how we work!” In Photoshop, this expression is converted to "The fastest way is not always the best". In other words, for some techniques - these include converting a color image to black and white- you will have to spend a little extra time, but the result is worth it.
Let me explain with an example. Open a color image. I'll take Daska's photo.
Select the menu command Image => Correction => Desaturate (Image => Adjustments => Desaturate).
Desaturation means removing all colors from an image.
Photoshop can easily convert an image to black and white, but the result is unlikely to inspire you.
2. Create a “Black and White” adjustment layer.
Open the palette Correction, selecting the menu item Window => Correction (Window => Adjustments), and click on the Black & White layer icon (looks like a rectangle, diagonally divided into black and white halves).
Photoshop will turn the image into black and white and display several sliders and other controls in the palette that you can use to fine-tune the created layer.
3. Move the sliders until you get a high-contrast black and white image.
Although the program has desaturated the image, there is still room for improvement. Move the different color sliders to make the items in your image look even better. Moving to the right colors areas that were previously colored with the slider's color a lighter shade of gray; moving to the left colors areas a darker shade of gray.
There's also a ton of preset settings in the drop-down list at the top of the palette—select items from the list one at a time to see how they affect your photo. If you click the Auto button, Photoshop will show you what it thinks your grayscale image should look like.
4. Save your photo in PSD format if you want to edit it later.
Lightning touch up
You probably already noticed the Tint checkbox at the top of the Adjustments palette when you created the Black and White adjustment layer. If you check this box, the program will add a brown tint (called a sepia tone) to the entire image. If you want to use a different color, click on the colored square to the right of the checkbox to open the color selection dialog box. This technique allows you to create so-called false two-tone images.
Channel Mixer adjustment layers
Using Black and White adjustment layers is the fastest and easiest way to desaturate images, but layers can also be used for this purpose. They have no advantages over adjustment layers.
First, make sure the Background layer (or the image layer you want to work with) is selected in the Layers palette, then click the half-black, half-white circle button at the bottom of the palette and select team Channel Mixer. When the Adjustments palette opens, select the checkbox Monochrome at the top of the palette, and then move the sliders Red, Green and Blue, as you like, or choose one of the ready-made presets from the drop-down list at the top of the palette.
If you want to darken or lighten the entire image, move the Constant slider at the bottom of the palette left or right.
Channel "Brightness"
As noted in the article about, Lab mode got its name from the names of three channels. The letter "L" stands for the Lightness channel, where the program stores all the light values and thus all the visible edges and details of the image. (The letters “A” and “B” stand for channels a and b, which store color information.) This means that the Brightness channel, taken separately from the rest, is a black-and-white version of the image.
To see what the channel looks like, open the image and select Image => Mode => Lab from the menu. In the Channels palette, highlight Brightness. If you like the resulting image, select Image => Mode => Grayscale from the menu and click OK when Photoshop asks for permission to remove the color information.
In my case it turned out too bright and pale. This option is not suitable, but you need to know about it. It will look different in different photographs.
Converting to grayscale in the Camera Raw plug-in
If you take pictures in Raw, then you can also use an external module to convert them to grayscale. This module is easy to use and also performs conversions well. To open an image in this format, double-click its file icon and it will automatically open in Camera Raw.
1. In the Camera Raw window, open the HSL/Grayscale panel.
To open this panel, click on the button of the same name. Then in this panel, check the box Convert to Grayscale. A group of sliders appears on the right side of the Camera Raw window. To add contrast to an image, you can lighten a color by moving its slider to the right, or darken it by moving the slider to the left.
2. Open the Basic panel and move the Exposure slider to adjust the black and white image. Also move the sliders with various other settings in this tab and you will be pleasantly surprised at how your black and white photo will sparkle!
Even dandelions began to look like dandelions!
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