Christian Photographers Community

Photography~Technically Speaking => General Photo Chat => Topic started by: thedimlers on December 06, 2004, 05:44:22 PM

Title: Colorizing B&W
Post by: thedimlers on December 06, 2004, 05:44:22 PM
Does anyone know what is involved in or how to put color into a black and white image.  I'm not looking to make a B&W photo color, I have a picture of a little girl and I want to make her sweater colored(pastel i think).
Title: Re: Colorizing B&W
Post by: CheckSix on December 06, 2004, 07:08:19 PM
Do you use Photoshop or something like that? If not, download Irfanview (www.irfanview.com) for an easy to use image editor and viewer. You should be able to do what you want with it.
Title: Re: Colorizing B&W
Post by: uiba on December 06, 2004, 10:34:43 PM
I'm wondering about something:  are you talking about a colour picture that was converted to b/w, and now you want a selected portion (sweater) to get back colour?  If so, you could selectively desaturate the coloured picture and end up with one that is b/w except for the colour or the area that you wish to keep in colour.  You could also work with layers and selectively keep areas coloured, other areas b/w.  There are a number of ways to convert an image to b/w while keeping one (or more than one) area coloured.

If you do not have a colour version (just the b/w picture), I don't know, but I think you probably could carefully select the area you wish to have coloured, possibly feather by a couple pixels (very little feathering), then use any of your colour changing tools (color correction, color balance, even levels or gamma, or hue/saturation/lightness or others like that) to "colourize" the area.  I just tried this here on a b/w picture of a picnic bench covered with snow, with some trees around and behind the bench - I selected the snow on top of the table and coloured it salmon.  It looks pretty weird.

It would help to know what image editing software you're using.  I use Paint Shop Pro.  If I can help in any other way, feel free to email (ursula-abresch@shaw.ca).

Ursula



Title: Re: Colorizing B&W
Post by: Sonifo on December 06, 2004, 10:36:09 PM
I just use the paint tool to color a b/w or you can desaturate the color like Ursula mentioned.
Title: Re: Colorizing B&W
Post by: Sonifo on December 06, 2004, 10:44:38 PM
Quote from: thedimlers on December 06, 2004, 05:44:22 PM
Does anyone know what is involved in or how to put color into a black and white image.  I'm not looking to make a B&W photo color, I have a picture of a little girl and I want to make her sweater colored(pastel i think).

What program do you use to edit your photos?
Title: Re: Colorizing B&W
Post by: uiba on December 07, 2004, 12:26:16 PM
Sonja, if you use the paint tool to colour a b/w, how do you get the nuances?
Title: Re: Colorizing B&W
Post by: Sonifo on December 07, 2004, 05:26:45 PM
 nuances?? What is that?
Title: Re: Colorizing B&W
Post by: uiba on December 07, 2004, 05:53:20 PM
I mean, the shades of colour.  When I use the paintbrush, the colour comes out rather solid looking, without all the shading.
Title: Re: Colorizing B&W
Post by: thedimlers on December 11, 2004, 09:34:47 PM
I've been working on this.  Thank you for the advice.  I will post a before and after in my gallery.  Let me know your thoughts as this is my first attempt.
Title: Re: Colorizing B&W
Post by: Pat on December 11, 2004, 10:51:12 PM
Hi Ken...

Just in case folks don't go to the gallery, it might be nice if you post the before and after in here.

Just use the medium-sized photo in your gallery (the one with the Title under it)
RIGHT click on it, choose Properties and then highlight the Address (URL)
Post it here using [ img] and [ /img] (WITHOUT the spaces)

Title: Re: Colorizing B&W
Post by: thedimlers on December 12, 2004, 12:20:11 AM
Here goes..................

Before
(https://www.christianphotographers.com/gallery/albums/userpics/10301/thumb_Little%20Girl.jpg)

And after
(https://www.christianphotographers.com/gallery/albums/userpics/10301/thumb_girlcolorizedsmall.jpg)
Title: Re: Colorizing B&W
Post by: thedimlers on December 12, 2004, 12:23:43 AM
Hmmm................  should have been bigger I think.

Before
(https://www.christianphotographers.com/gallery/albums/userpics/10301/Little%20Girl.jpg)

After
(https://www.christianphotographers.com/gallery/albums/userpics/10301/girlcolorizedsmall.jpg)

Ahhhhhhhhhh............ much better.
Title: Re: Colorizing B&W
Post by: Nita on December 12, 2004, 02:01:55 AM
Ken,  great job.  The little girl is so cute too.  Is she yours?
Title: Re: Colorizing B&W
Post by: Pat on December 12, 2004, 08:52:11 PM

HAHAHAHA!  Great job, Ken! 

Title: Re: Colorizing B&W
Post by: Pat on December 12, 2004, 08:53:40 PM
Ken, do you use Photoshop or Paint Shop Pro?

Title: Re: Colorizing B&W
Post by: Nita on December 12, 2004, 11:11:49 PM
Well, I just saw Ken's little girl, so guess this sweet one isn't his.   My sister has the most beautiful little Korean girl.  She's 8 or so now, but they were able to get her when she was a baby. 

Title: Re: Colorizing B&W
Post by: Sonifo on December 12, 2004, 11:23:59 PM
That is real nice!
Title: Re: Colorizing B&W
Post by: thedimlers on December 13, 2004, 01:53:11 PM
I think I need to explain a little.

I use photoshop.

This is a photo my wife took in Cusco Peru this October.  Alas, I did not get to go with my wife.  She went on a Medical missions trip to Lima and they had a couple of days of sightseeing.  I like her photo and thought it would be neat b&w with a little color.  I did it with the flower colored and will post when it's done.