Kiss of Color

I will join Mary today at Little Red House for Mosaic Monday.

Go visit her blog for some great photography.

Some of you have asked how I get the focal color in a black and white photo while editing.  I am sure there is several ways to do it.  I am using Picasa so I will show you how I do it with that program.  (Picasa is a free download photo editing software)

Pick out the picture you think will have a good subject for focal color.

While editing the photo click the effects tab and click focal B & W.

You see how your cursor turns into a +.  This will be where you will have that pop of color in your black and white.

After working with this software for awhile I just discovered last week that the + moves with your cursor!  Here I placed the pop of color on the blue transferware coffee pot.

Once you get the pop of color where you want it in your black and white you can adjust it with these controls.  You have size which will adjust the radius and sharpness which will let you see where the color is being applied by sharp borders.

While adjusting, I take the sharpness all the way up to see where the color will be applied.  I then get it over the crucial areas by adjusting the size and then take the sharpness all the way back down so it fades out the difference.

And there it is.  I have been playing around with it all week.

I will also link to:

Before and After Party  at Thrifty Decor Chick

Metamorphosis Monday at Between Naps on the Porch
Whassup Wednesdays  at Elements Interiors

This is a texture applied to one of the photos.  I show how I make this here.

Then I just discovered this process at Picnik today.  Picnik is also free editing software that is built into Picasa.  Here I uploaded a photo and went to the effects button.  I choose the cross process and played with the fade button till I got the desired look and hit apply.  Works well with photos that have a lot of contrast.  

Sherry