Separating color within a photo

EDIT: Blogger doesn't like vertical photos obviously, so they constrain it more than it should be. Click on it to view the correct size.




I learned a neat trick in Photoshop yesterday, that I have always wanted to know how to do, but thought it was too hard. It's about as easy as Photoshop gets. If you are familiar with it, open the photo you want, duplicate the layer (so it's the same photo twice), go to Image> Adjustments, Desaturate. Do this to both images. On your new layer (not your background pic), simply use the History brush on your tool bar, and brush in the colored area you want. If you go outside the lines, no worries, the eraser tool will clean it back up with the black and white.

Once you get the majority of it in, you can zoom in and do it pixel by pixel if needed. Then simply flatten the image, and you're done.

The picture is of my niece, Keira, at my sister's wedding in the bay near South Padre Island, TX last June. I used to play with her every day until my sister moved to Denver. She loves Elmo. I miss her a lot! She is now talking and walking around at almost 18 months.

I'll post a tutorial this weekend, maybe, if I get time.