Rephrased Photo Editing Question... Please read.?

Question

I am looking for a free download of a Photo Editor. I just downloaded Corel Paint Shop, as suggested by someone on Y!Answers. Can anyone tell me HOW to give the effect to a photo that I am looking for? Looking to make my photos black and white, and selecting objects or other things (eyes, etc...) to have the only color in the photo. Please help!!!

Answer 1

For some reason many people are asking how to do this, to make the photo black and white except for one thing or one area. I don't understand why this one trick is so popular.

It's easy to do in photo-editing software. I use Photoshop, but you can do it in GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program) which you can download for free from www.gimp.org.

I will explain what you want to do in a generic way, because it's the same in most programs but the specific tools are a little different. What you do is to 'copy' and 'paste' the areas you want to be in color. You trace around them with the selection tool, then 'copy' and 'paste'. You don't have to trace around them exactly, just the general area, making sure you get all the parts you want. When you paste them, they become their own layer. Then you convert the 'background' layer (the whole picture) to black and white. This leaves the new layer still in color.

Now you use the eraser tool. You zoom in on the areas in the new layer and 'trim' them with the eraser tool to just the area you want. This is a little 'fussy' but you can zoom way in and change the size of the eraser to get just what you want.

Then you 'flatten' the image, merging the layers. And there you have it!

Answer 2

Picasa's Focal B&W tool only can make one area of the photo remain in color, not more than that. So you could not make both eyes colored without also making a lot of the face have color too.

Unfortunately, you probably want PhotoShop, the cheapest being Elements 5. Buy it from amazon.com for $69.99 including fee shipping.

http://www.amazon.com/Adobe-29230477-Photoshop-Elements-5-0/dp/B000HLV59W/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/002-3162930-5041601?ie=UTF8&s=software&qid=1188886964&sr=1-1