Black and White with a Touch of Color

Day 15 in Beyond Layers (which was last Thursday!) contained some instructions on bringing a touch of color back to a black and white image and a challenge to do so ourselves. I tried this with several photographs, but I did not like the results. I am not sure this is the best result either but I think it is an okay photograph. It is just not obvious that I did turn the photo to black and white and then brushed away the effect on the branch of pussy willows since the subject is all neutral colors anyway.

The original photo is shot at f/19, ISO 100, 100mm, with a 10 second exposure (obviously a tripod was also involved here). I had the bottle surrounded by white boards to keep it very simple

I processed it first by using a black and white adjustment layer and then brushing away the effect on the branch. Then I processed it with Rad Lab and added just a few 'stylets'--mostly to add some light and clarity and then to sharpen it slightly. I also added the sterling black and white stylet, but reduced that a bit. I lowered the opacity of the Rad Lab layer to about 85 % and then brushed the entire Rad Lab effect away from the branch some more with the brush tool.

Then I added a layer of Kim Klassen's Shine texture with the multiply blend mode at 51% opacity. I stretched it out so that the border was not showing for this on . . .only because I did not like that the tip of the branch went into the border. Then I changed the texture layer to black and white by clipping the adjustment to that layer only, so I have learned something new! This is what the image looked like before the adjustments in Photoshop:

 

There is no doubt that I like the altered image much more, but I think it may lack interest overall. I'll work on that . . . just good to know that I have another 'tool' to use in deciding to bring back a bit of color to a black and white image if I want to.

Part of this day's lesson also included deeper instructions on brushes. I haven't delved into that much at all yet. I have to admit part of me is perfectly content to just take brushes from others who are giving them away, but I do plan to make some of my own here soon.