Monochrome Before Color
In the past photographers used dyes, oil paints or watercolors to brush color onto black and white or sepia processed prints. This was known as hand tinting or color touching. Color touch portraits have a dreamlike quality for me. I tend to reserve color touching for images that are all ready exciting or surreal.
I use a simple technique for color touching digital images. Using Adobe PS3 I create a duplicate layer of the image and then process that image to true black and white. NOT GRAYSCALE! I tweak the tonal levels in the black and white layer to my satisfaction and then select the eraser tool, which I lower the opacity of quite a bit.
At this point, it is all about personal creativity. I think too much vibrancy in color touch, especially in portraits of people tend to look over done. This is why I lower the erasure opacity.
By zooming in and with a steady hand I simply erase the areas of the black and white layer that I wish to be color touched, revealing the color layer beneath.
I always include color touch proofs with a clients portfolio.
All images copyright Studio V Photography/Valerie Graham 2008
Filed under: Photography | Tagged: black and white photography, color touch photography, digital photography, eccentric mother, photographer, Photography
