Retain color only in one portion of photo

Michael Zeldin

• July 20, 2019 03:15

I have a color photo and would like to do the following with Capture One:

Turn about 90% of the photo to black and white while leaving about 10% (an object) in color. If possible I would like to further manipulate the color portion and the black and white portion.

(Thus far, my attempts at using layers and then selecting or deselecting "enable black and white" using masks have not worked. The entire photo ends up either black and white or colored.)

If what I want to do is possible , please advise the steps or a reference to the procedure in Capture One.

Thanks

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  Ian Wilson

  Moderator

  • July 20, 2019 08:23

  

  The black and white tool, which you get by selecting "enable black and white", can only work on the whole image, not on a layer.
  
  But here is what you can do. Make two new layers. You can name them to avoid confusion, perhaps as "colour" and "black and white". On the colour layer make a mask to select just the object you want to remain coloured. Move to the black and white layer, right click it and choose to copy the mask from the colour layer. Then right click it again and choose to invert the mask. You now have just the colour portion selected on one layer and just the black and white portion selected on the other.
  
  Now you can do what you like to the content of each layer. For instance change the hue, saturation, lightness etc of the coloured bit with the colour editor tool. You can make the black and white layer into black and white using the saturation slider. You can also adjust its levels, contrast, exposure, curves etc to get a black and white effect you like. (But what you can't do is use the black and white tool on it.)
  
  I suggest two new layers to avoid doing anything that might affect the colour if done on the background layer. For example if you increase the saturation to +10 on the background layer, and reduce it to -100 on the black and white layer, that results in a net -90 overall, and a very slightly tinted effect instead of true black and white. So do nothing that affects colour on the background layer (including saturation, white balance, etc).
  
  Ian

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  SFA

  • July 20, 2019 09:50

  As well as Ian3's excellent suggestion you might also find it interesting to open
  
  Adjustments>Style>Built-In Presets>Color editor>
  
  And take a look at the options for single colour selection offered there.
  
  Applying a preset will then allow you to look at the settings in the tool it uses (Color Editor in these cases) to discover how the process works in the example and you may find ways to make use of that (or something similar) for your own needs.
  
  The Advanced colour editor option may well be useful to you in a Layer situation.
  
  HTH.
  
  Grant

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  Michael Zeldin

  • July 20, 2019 16:04

  Ian: Thank you very much!
  
  Grant:Your help is greatly appreciated. Thanks.

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