How do i edit my photos?

Question

I have a few photos on the computer that i want to edit, i want to make them have this strange filter effect, where all of the photo is in black and white apart from a certain object that is in one colour. I have already downloaded Gimp but i'm not too sure how to use it. Is it possible to get the effect i want using Gimp? or should i try downloading another photo editor?

these are just examples of the effect i'm looking for...

http://natureswallpaper.googlepages.com/FocalBlackandWhitePinkRoseOfSharon.jpg/FocalBlackandWhitePinkRoseOfSharon-full.jpg

http://www.danzfamily.com/archives/blogphotos/06/542-will-black-white-blue.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v627/natzangelik/ArtisticModelBlueEyes.jpg

Answer 1

You could use a free program provided by google called Picasa 2, it is very simple to use and gives this direct effect.

You could also use Photoshop;

Open gimp/photoshop > open your image > duplicate background layer > hue/saturation > slide the bar down to zero (your image should turn black and white) > grab the eraser tool and erase the area that you want to show colour.

Hope this helps.  

Answer 2

You are talking about selective color, and it is asked here about 50 times a day. Here is the Photoshop procedure, but you can do the same in GIMP.

As is true of many procedures in Photoshop, there are several ways of doing selective color. This is a quick and easy method.

First open your photo in your program of course.

Then go to Layer - Duplicate Layer

Click OK

Then go to Image - Adjustments - Hue / Saturation

Drag the Saturation slider all the way to the left to make the photo black and white.

Click OK

Then get the ERASER tool from the tool box on the left side of the screen. It is usually the next tool under the clone stamp tool. Just hover your mouse over the tool, and it will say Eraser.

When you have selected the Eraser, go up to the Brush options box at the top of the screen, and click on the downfacing arrow. Set the Hardness of the brush to 100% so you will have accurate control of selection. You may also need to raise or lower the brush size to suit.

Erase away any black and white from where you want the color to be revealed.

When done go to

Layer - Flatten Image

Then just do a Save As to wherever you want to save the photo.

hope this helps you

steve