Try this: In Photoshop, use the "Magic wand" to select the color you want to keep, then go to the Select menu and choose Similar to pick all the instances of that color. Then again Select and choose Inverse to inverse the selected areas. Then open the Image menu, choose Adjust and Desaturate. Then use any of the area selection tools to choose any spots you don't want in colour and desaturate them as well. This is what I worked out by myself, but I'm sure there are alternative ways. For example, I have a digital camera that does this at the press of a couple of buttons.

Here's an example where I used this technique. First the original:

Then the altered image (I also fiddled with the contrast and brightness controls):
{{!gwi}}

I will give it a try and let you know what happens. Thans.

Hello netla, I tried it and it worked, thank you so much.

Yes, I know there are cameras that do this but mine unfortunately does not, so this is cheaper than buying a new camera.

Thanks again for your help. Judy

i have done this a few times by taking the original pic to photoshop, and going to layers->Duplicate...after that change your pic to black and white...

After that i just use the eraser tool and mangifer as applicable to erase the parts that i want in color. It erases to the first layer, preserving the color.

It seems more tedious than the process mentioned above...and chances are i have been doing it the hard way....lol.

Andy

You can do a better job of it in Photoshop. There are several techniques. When the color is fairly uniform, I use the magic wand. Sometimes I have to do a lot of erasing or paint a mask. Sometimes I have found the find edges tool helpful. In photoshop, blur, smart blur, edges only, quality high, play with sliders, invert colors, clean it up, select the white inside the blossom edges, switch to color layer, invert selection and delete.

Here's one I did a couple years ago; no camera I know (the S2 IS has color accent) could have captured it just this way; it would have picked all the flowers and I just wanted the one. Basically I just figure out on my own how to do most things, sometimes tutorials are helpful or give you something to build on to use for something else.

{{!gwi}}

Very nice

Just love this process.

Was wondering if you can do more than one color at a time. If so how is this done.

Just love this process.

Was wondering if you can do more than one color at a time. If so how is this done.

Yes, you can do pretty much what you want if you know how to do it. Probably the easiest way to do more than one color is use a separate layer for each and try the magic wand first, varying the tolerance numbers in the hope it will pick up the whole color and not spill out over your whole photo.

If you can't get it selected right using one of the many methods for that, too detailed to go into here, it's best to paint a separate mask over each color you want to keep, rather tedious, but not too hard if you read up on it.

That sounds a little complicated for me I am afraid.

It sure was for me, too, at first. I would have shied away from it. Once you have done something simpler with a mask and layers, it is easier to understand the principles involved.

You don't have to use layers. You can convert the main image to b&w (be sure to save an extra copy) and select, copy and paste the colored portions you want to keep over it. The pros would scoff, but if it works, who cares?

Can you give me step by step instructions. I am not good at figuring things out myself.

What graphics program are you using? I don't want to go back to see if you mentioned it or I risk losing my post. I can outline the procedure, but you will have to find a tutorial on the net and figure some of it out for yourself if you don't know how to do certain very basic things, like selecting with the magic wand, selecting by tracing around it with the lasso tool, the eraser might not work if you don't use layers, yes I can think of a way to make that work. I will do the best I can to help you.

I can't talk you through layers, but the copy/paste I may be able to get you started.

It would be helpful if you could post a small version of the photo you want to work with.

I am using Photo Shop.

That is hard to start with. Photoshop. I'm about done in for today, but will try to think of the easiest way to guide you through it and try to get back to you tomorrow, may have to wait until Monday.

I posted a link for making selections. You might even be able to figure most of it out for yourself from that; further down is the path method (I don't know how to do that), skip that but look at the quick mask, I use that a lot, then skip the rest, more difficult subjects. I don't think I can talk you through quick mask; it's too involved to do it right unless you have a tutorial in front of you which I don't need now. You will have to try one of the selection methods.

You can at least get started with some of what's on there. Work with your large image, you can resize it later. First do an image>duplicate and close your original. Convert it to grayscale using image>adjustments>desaturate. Do a file>save as, change the name, DO NOT SAVE IT OVER YOUR ORIGINAL OR YOU WILL LOSE IT, and save it to a different folder as .psd. I call my new folder Work File. When you are all done, you will want to keep your .psd files for awhile, maybe forever, but save your finished one as a .jpg/.jpeg at the end.

Then open your colored image again, do an image>duplicate on that, close the original, and save it to the same file you put your grayscale into, giving it a different name and again saving in .psd format. That will be your working copy for selecting out the color.

See if you can get that far. I didn't learn this overnight. It took a lot of struggling.

Do you know how to post a photo here? Can you upload a small one? It would help to know just what you want to do here, otherwise I'm flying blind.

Here is a link that might be useful: Making Selections

I have never done it this way, but it looks like the simplest way to do it. I've seen this method recommended elsewhere. Follow the directions and you may have to experiment with size of the eraser tool. Also zoom up if you hit an area you can't see that well because you can work more precisely then which isn't mentioned. Notice that she has two colors, the straps on the baby's red rompers and his/her blue eyes.

Be sure to catch those little words "merge visible" when you're done.

I may try this myself, but not now. It looks relatively easy compared to other ways I have done it.

Once you get more familiar with Photoshop, you will be able to add your own little touches and adjustments, like I always make the desaturated layer a little more contrasty using the curves adjustment, slight s curve. You probably won't know what I am talking about so try the brightness contrast and play with the sliders.

Here is another one I did, I don't remember how I did it.

I think there is enough here that you can take off on your own now. If you run into trouble, post back, and I'll try to help you get through it. All those things I told you are useful to know no matter which method you end up using.

Here is a link that might be useful: Black and white with color

Thank you very much