Lightroom: Add a Touch of Color to Black & White Images



How do you add a touch of color to a black and white image in Lightroom 3? Follow these fast and easy instructions with step-by-step directions.

by Janie McRae

1st Technique: Add a Hint of Color to B&W Prints:  Lightroom 3

Following the tips below, you can add a special touch of color to a B&W image. If this works for you, you may soon develop your own style for this process...your personal workflow.  *And at this point, I hope you share your work flow with the readers by leaving a comment below.

  

1. Open a color image in LR.

 (Notice that the buildings are out of perspective. We'll work on that later in Cs5).

2. Study your color image carefully and decide which items will remain saturated.  At this      point, consider the tone of the colors: subtle / bold color(s). It's in your hands now - you're the artist.

3. Click on the LR adjustment brush.
Move your saturation slider to the left to -100.

Also, I set the flow at 94, and the density at 96. I find this makes the process smoother and faster. Now, Start painting and remove all the saturation except for the area or areas where you want color.

4. Use a small brush when you paint near the details that are to remain saturated.

How fantastic it is if you use a Wacom Tablet for this detail work.  But, a mouse does the trick!

5. At this point,  move the image to Cs5, apply the Free Transform adjustment, and add minor small adjustments with contrast and brightness. Next, save the image to an external harddrive. As you save, LR takes control, and auto saves the edited image back to LR. Great software!



2nd Technique:

Add a Hint of Color to B/W Prints: Lightroom 3.3

If the image has large flowing areas with only a few colors, I use the following technique:
Original color image, f 1

f 1
The Little Ladybug. Canon Macro IS 100mm f2.8L. Windy! 1/1250 sec at f / 2.8

1. This technique is similar to the one above, but I move straight to the color sliders after I have done some minor adjustments in LR.

2. Simple color palette: 3 colors.  So, I remove the green by sliding the green saturation slider to -100. After this the ladybug retains its vivid orange and she is still in her color glory with a pale yellow-green background. f 2

f 2  Ladybug with pale yellow-green background.

3. Next, move the yellow slider, and there you have it!  Everything is unsaturated with the beautiful ladybug still shining in orange. f 3

f 3 a tiny sprig on a leaf retained its yellow-orange color.
Use the adjustment brush with -100 saturation! Quick results where color is not needed! :)

4. This easy technique (above) probably only works with a limited color palette, but there is no detail work at all. Hope you will try this and let me know if works for you, or maybe if it would work with, cherries in a green garden or bright red tulips with green?

f 4 Little Ladybug in Black. One more for the fun!
 I opened up the image (f 3 above) in Cs5 and used Levels to bring up the black.

Have some fun, and please send me your comments.

  I'm not sure my way is the "right way", but it works for me! 

  Janie