Technique question: B&W photo with selective colored areas

[eschurr]

I'd like to create a B&W photo but leave some areas colored (like a red shirt). Is there a "best" way to do this?

Here's how I'm doing it now:

-- use the adjustment brush and reduce all the saturation to 0. Turn off the auto mask. Paint the entire photo
-- now use the adjustment brush and erase the areas where i want color to show through

somehow i'm guessing there's a better way to do this....

 

[erro]

Sounds like a perfect way to me. What is wrong with it?

If you feel it taks too long to paint the whole photo b/w with a brush then just use the largest brush available. Or instead, use the graduated filter set to full desaturation and place the gradient outside of the actual photo area. That is, start the gradient just to the right outside the photo and drag it further right.

 

[Kiwigeoff]

I've found the way that works best for me is to set the saturation sliders in the HSL panel to 0, then paint with the brush (Saturation at 100) paint in the areas that you want coloured.

 

[b_gossweiler]

Instead of erasing, you could also set a new pin and brush with 100% saturation over the desaturated area, even with AutoMask on.

Beat

 

[keithz829]

I've found that the easiest way to do this for me is to saturate the entire image and then paint in 100% saturation. I found it very easy to do the edges of the subject to be in color if you zoom out 100%. It is so easy to adjust the size of the brush on the fly that takes very little time to paint in most subjects.