Convert black and white photography to color online. How to make black and white from a color photo

Many have thought about restoring old black-and-white photographs at least once. Most of the photographs from the so-called soap boxes were digitized, but never got color. The solution to the problem of converting a desaturated image to a color one is very difficult, but to some extent affordable.

Converting a black and white photo to color

If it is easy to make a color photo in black and white, then solving the problem in the opposite direction becomes much more difficult. The computer needs to figure out exactly how to color this or that fragment, consisting of a large number of pixels. Recently, the site presented in our article has been dealing with this issue. So far this is the only one quality option operating in automatic processing mode.

Colorize Black is developed by Algorithmia, a company that implements hundreds of other interesting algorithms. This is one of the new and successful projects that has managed to surprise netizens. It is based on artificial intelligence based on a neural network, which selects the necessary colors for the loaded image. To be honest, the processed photo does not always meet expectations, but today the service is showing amazing results. In addition to files from a computer, Coloriz Black can work with pictures from the Internet.

• Save the image divided in half by the purple line (1);
• Save the fully colored photo (2).

Your picture will be downloaded to your computer through your browser. It looks something like this:

The results of image processing show that artificial intelligence based on a neural network has not yet thoroughly learned how to turn black and white photos into color ones. However, it works well with photographs of people and paints their faces more or less qualitatively. Although the colors in the example article were chosen incorrectly, the Colorize Black algorithm nevertheless selected some shades successfully. So far this is the only one actual option automatic conversion of a desaturated picture to a color one.

You can step over the edges, it is even better to do it. After you have painted over all areas of the skin, without missing a single pixel, press the "Quick Mask" button again. A selection should appear. Make sure all skin gets into it:

• Go to the top menu "Layers", select "New fill layer", then "Color", you can give the layer a name. Select the mode "Soft light", press "OK" - a palette appears, where you need to choose a color:

• It's not easy with skin, you need to look in yellow and pink shades. If you can't find a natural color in any way, then choose the most suitable tone for the skin color, later we will try to correct it. Click "Ok".
• Go to the "Layers" window and see that a new fill layer has appeared there, consisting of two parts. Click on the second part in the form of a black square, a white frame should appear around it.

• In the tools, we should still have the Brush active with the same settings. The main color on the toolbar should be black - this is important. The brush will now work like an eraser. We remove all unnecessary things - what we painted over by accident, leaving the color only on the skin. We try to do it carefully:

So, we painted the skin to correct its color, go to the "Layers" window, select the fill layer and make a duplicate of it.

Now in a new layer, double-click on the colored square - a palette appears. Choose a different color that will be superimposed on the first layer and blended with it. You can mix pink and yellow shades, then you get a natural tone:

Now go to the "Background copy" layer, press the "Quick Mask" again and continue painting, creating new fill layers. Do not forget to return to the main layer each time, otherwise nothing will work.

For example, we dyed our hair in Brown color, then lips in red:

And paint the iris green. Next, we made the clothes purple:

Then there is a blue background as our model is sitting by the water. And painted separately green trees reflected in the water, as well as the boards on which she sits, although they are almost invisible. Details are always important. Result:

It is especially interesting to color in a retro photo. If you have family archives with rare photographs, now they do not need to be carried to the workshop, but you can digitize and colorize them yourself.

Once you've mastered this technique, you can also do color on black and white in Photoshop. It's pretty original solution, you have probably seen such photos.

For example, below we have made the girl red lips and turquoise eyes, leaving everything else in black and white:

In the same way, you can change the tones in color photos, for example, change: the color of hair, clothes, background, and so on.

There are many ways in Photoshop to convert a color image to black and white.

We will now show you 4 of the most popular methods.

Open your photo in Photoshop.

Let's start by introducing you to the two simplest ways to convert to black and white.

1 - function Grayscale(Grayscale)

2 - function Desaturate(Desaturation)

We do not argue, these are the most simple ways, but the quality is not the best. Here the contrast is very low and the image is slightly hazy.

Let's show with an example:

1. Grayscale

Image - Mode - Grayscale(Image - Mode - Grayscale)

Very simple, right?

2. Desaturate

Image - Correction - Desaturate(Image - Adjustments - Desaturate)

Fast and easy - but the contrast of the image is very low, the image looks dull and flat. Not at all what we are striving for. What we especially like about high-quality b & w photography is about depth and high contrast. Okay - it's time to introduce you to more serious methods!

3. Adjustment layer hue / saturation

The method we're going to tell you about is to use multiple adjustment layers. Color tone/saturation... This means that you can return to its original appearance at any time. Plus you are NOT altering the original image. Now go to the menu Layers - New Adjustment Layer - Hue / Saturation(Layers - New Adjustment layer - Hue / Saturation).

Leave all the properties of the layer unchanged. Change the blending mode of the layers from Conventional(Normal) on Chromaticity(Color).

Then add another adjustment layer. Hue / Saturation(Hue / Saturation) - but this time in the layer properties move the slider Saturation(Saturation) down to -100.

So get ready ... This is how the image looks now:

Now the fun begins! Double click on the first adjustment layer you made, or just open properties. Now the slider Color tone(Hue) Move to this position until you are satisfied with the effect. You can also do some more work with Saturation ( Saturation ) .

We used these settings to get the image you see below. Now it looks much better, although it still seems like something is missing ...

Now on this newly created layer change the blending mode from Chromaticity(Color) on Overlapping(Overlay), and slightly reduce Opacity(Opacity), in our case up to 65%.

Here's what happened now. The contrast has increased markedly. No detail is lost, which adds depth to the image.

Note that each image requires an individual approach. What fits this image may not be to your liking. So don't be afraid to experiment with settings, layers and modes yourself :)

4. Channel mixing

The last method that you will learn about in this tutorial is using an adjustment layer. Mixingchannels(Channel Mixer). With the original image active, go to the menu Layers - New Adjustment Layer - Channel Mixer(Layers - New Adjustment Layer - Channel mixer).

When such a window appears, check the box next to the function Monochrome(Monochrome).

Now adjust the shades of black and white by simply moving the sliders that correspond to the red, green, and blue colors in the image. Important: try to keep the total number of values ​​around 100 to avoid blurry areas in your image. We set the red and green channels to 0 and the blue to 100. This gives the skin intense black and white tones.

The final step: duplicate the adjustment layer. Then change the blending mode from Conventional(Normal) on Overlapping(Overlay) and shrink Opacity(Opacity), for example, this image turned out to be 44% - but often it is necessary to lower it to 20-30%. Just look - below is the result of our labors.

A very atmospheric image turned out. We look forward to your impressions. We hope this article has given you a lot of useful information.

See you in a new lesson!

You are interested to see how you would look black and white photos graphy from your old albums if colored? Think you need to spend a lot of time in Photoshop for this? It turns out that you can make an image in color using a special online program! But let's talk about everything in order.

Colorize black and white photo online in one click in Algorithmia

In order to make a black-and-white picture online, dozens of Internet resources have been created, but for the reverse function, only one is provided - Algorithmia. The work of this unusual site is built on practical application neural networks. In addition to the fact that he can convert an image from black and white to color, he is also able to:

• determine the terrain shown in the photo;
• distinguish the faces of people in the pictures;
• analyze the positive / negative mood of the given text;
• and much more.

Algorithmia has an English-language interface, but since the section we need - Colorize Photos - implies only one function, working with it does not cause any difficulties.

So, we upload our b & w photo, which we are going to colorize - this can be done by selecting a picture on a computer or by entering a link to its location on the Internet.

If you just want to test how to make a color photo from a black and white photo, you can choose one of the pictures offered here for an example.

The painting process takes approximately half a minute. Then we are offered to evaluate the photo before and after.

Move the purple slider to see the effect of your changes

You can save both the fully colored drawing and the comparison itself - the photo is partly in color and partly in b / w. A bit disappointing is the watermark on the finished picture, but it's compact enough and modestly located in the corner. You can get rid of it by simply cropping the image.

Through several experiments, we found that the service copes best with painting skin, water and trees. The clearer their boundaries, the better the result.

Let's compare - on the left is the original photo, which we desaturate and uploaded to the site, and on the right is its colored version.

As you can see, Algorithmia distinguishes people well and automatically colors the skin in beige tones... True, the service does not feel very well at the border, so the cardigan was also made in flesh color, just in case.

In the background behind the girl, the editor "did not recognize" the tree, so he left it simply dark spot... But he clearly defined the color of the gift and jeans and did almost everything right, not counting the beige leg in the foreground and very vague borders. The service decided to "revive" the bird in the corner of the picture, so it made it yellowish.

In general, there are certain flaws as a result, of course, but Algorithmia still deserves respect, if only because it is the only site that allows you to turn black and white photo in color.

How to color a picture in Photoshop: a simple guide for beginners

We want to say right away that this method will take much more time than the previous one. Also here you will need minimal Photoshop skills, and the more there are, the more beautiful the result will be.

Load the image into Photoshop and create a new blank layer. Next, use the Quick Selection tool and click on the objects that we are going to convert to one color.

Use Alt key to deselect unneeded area

Select the Brush tool, select the appropriate color and paint over the selected fragments.

If you want the shades to be not too saturated, you can reduce the opacity and pressure of the brush.
In order to preserve the presence of shadows and color transitions, change the layer blending method to "Overlay"
It already looks much more natural.

We repeat the same operations with the rest of the objects in the photo. Recall the sequence:

• create a new layer;
• select a fragment;
• apply the desired color;
• change the layer's blend mode.

For convenience, it is better to name each new layer in accordance with the colored fragment.

If you do not handle the edges too carefully, then it will certainly be noticeable and the drawing will look unnatural. We recommend using the Gaussian Blur function with a small radius to smooth out any imperfections a little.

Under Filter, select Blur and then Gaussian Blur. Then just manipulate the radius until you achieve an organic result.

Let's see what happened in the end. On the left - the source of the photo, which we then desaturate, on the right - its color version.

In general, the new image looks quite natural, although many shades differ from those in original version

Summing up, we can say that making a black and white photo in color in Photoshop is much more difficult and longer than using an online service. For comparison, let's say that the whole process took us more than an hour, although in Algorithmia everything would be ready in a few seconds. True, the result in Photoshop is more organic and predictable, and you can control all the moments yourself.

So far, these are all ways to colorize a black and white photo. Therefore, decide what is more important for you - efficiency or quality of the result, and rather use all the advice received in practice!

Today. digital camera, in one form or another, almost every person has. And photography, in itself, has become a truly massive hobby. Digital technology is developing so rapidly that now, in order to obtain high-quality photographs, it is not at all necessary to have an expensive, professional camera. Indeed, today, even cameras on phones have learned to take pictures well. For example, the same iPhone is now shooting no worse than a full-fledged digital photographic camera. What can we say about semi-professional or professional mirrors.

But more recently, cameras were exclusively film, and photographs were mostly black and white. And the very process of developing photographs was a whole mystery. Now we remember all this with a smile, and some, in a nostalgic rush, even acquire or restore old photographic equipment, trying to repeat the unforgettable experience of obtaining analog photographs.

But it's one thing to apply the effects of an old photo to an already finished picture, and quite another to restore an old photo to the state of a new one, or make a photo in color in Photoshop.

Unfortunately, it is not always possible to completely eliminate all defects of old photographs. it all depends on the general state of photography, as well as factors such as:

• Age of photography
• Fading colors in the picture
• Scratches and microcracks on the front surface of the photo
• Irreversible loss of some elements of the snapshot

In most cases, an old photograph can be significantly improved, or even completely restored to its original characteristics. And you can do even better than the original source. About one of these operations, namely, how to make a color photo from a black and white photo, we will talk in today's material.

Color matching

It will be more difficult to make a photo in color in Photoshop than to carry out the reverse operation, where the whole process can be reduced to literally a few mouse clicks. This will require painstaking handmade in a graphical editor Adobe photoshop ... Therefore, in order to make a color from a black and white photo, it will be necessary manually color the image... At the same time, for some areas of the image, it will be possible to show imagination, and arbitrarily color them, selecting individual colors.

For example, the black and white photograph shows a portrait of a man in a Quiddie suit. Let's say we don't know the original color of the suit, so we can dye it at our discretion, for example, beige. The color of other elements of the image can be determined by one or another, obvious signs. It goes without saying that we will paint the sky mostly blue, and the clouds gray-white. Definitely, the grass and foliage on the trees should be colored green.

But still, in most cases, the original colors of some elements of the picture will remain unknown, and they will need to be selected in order to get a natural-looking photographic image.

Therefore, before making a color photo from a black-and-white photo, you must initially decide on color scheme all elements of the photo. If you find it difficult to select colors, then you can look at color analogs of photographs with similar structure, or ask for help from people who understand this, for example, photographers or graphic designers.

Fill with color

After the colors are selected, we proceed directly to the very process of coloring a black and white photo. Of ways make a photo in color through photoshop, there are several. We will consider one of them, namely - fill method for individual adjustment layers... For this we need:

1. Original photo file

2. Graphic editor Adobe Photoshop

3. A layout with the selected colors for filling (as a reminder, we had to define it in advance)

4. Time and a little patience as the operation is quite painstaking

In order to make a black-and-white photo in color, we perform the following steps in stages:

1) Uploading a photo to Adobe photoshop
2) In order to always be able to return to the original file, in case our experiments go too far, we create in Photoshop duplicate layer
3) In the layers palette, click on the " New adjustment layer", and in the proposed options for creating a layer, select - Color or Chroma (Solid Color)

After that, a palette of colors will appear, in which you need to select the color closest to the color of that part of the photo image that we intend to fill. For example, if it is grass, then choose green color, if the sky, then blue, if the sun, then respectively yellow. Again, we will rely on the layout of colors that we made earlier, before starting to make color from black and white photography.

Let's say we decided to start coloring our photo with a face. Accordingly, select a dark beige color in the color palette of the new adjustment layer ( closest to the color structure of the face, in our case).

So, the color for the face is selected, but now it completely fills our entire photo. To exclude this, in the layers palette, select from the drop-down list of options - Color or Chroma... By default, it is on the option - Blending mode and that needs to be changed.

Fine! Now the adjustment layer only affects the color of the lower layer, and we see our photo with a tint of the color chosen for the face. Now our task is to leave this color only in that part of the photo image for which it is intended. In our case, this is a face. To do this, click on the icon Layer mask, after which, a contour will appear on the sketch of the layer.

Now select in the palette of Photoshop tools - " Eraser", and erase everything except the face.

Attention! As you can see in our example, the neck and part of the chest are similar to the face. color characteristic... But we will jam them too, and create for them separate adjustment layer... This is explained by the fact that the color shade between the face and neck is still quite different. And, subsequently, these differences will be possible to emphasize only on different layers.

The more adjustment layers we create, the better it will later be to color the black and white photo into color.

Editing the finished layout with adjustment layers

So, we filled it with a similar color, our first element is a face. The same is to be done with all other elements of the photographic image. Those. just repeat the above operation for other elements of the photo, taking into account their color features... Don't worry about the colors being hyper-drawn and unnatural. We'll fix this a bit later by editing each adjustment layer. Now the main thing is to fill in the main elements of the photo image. colors similar in color... And the more elements will be selected in a separate adjustment layer, the better!

After we have worked out all the elements of the photographic image, it will be much easier for us to cope with the task of making a color photograph from black and white. Of course, now the colors look artificial, but, nevertheless, we have a ready-made layout with different layers that are available for processing separately, which will give us undeniable advantages making color photo through Photoshop... Actually, we will now proceed to this processing.

Let's go in order and start with the first layer. We need to correct color range faces. As you can see in its original version, the skin color is hyper-refined, and of course, it does not look natural. Let's try to fix this.

4) Double click on the layer thumbnail in the layers palette and experiment with the adjustment layer settings. It is necessary to work with the existing color, so you do not need to touch the tone settings, but operate the sliders responsible for the brightness and color saturation of the edited area. We need to achieve the most natural color reproduction by controlling the color parameter changes in the live preview mode.

Well, that's a completely different matter. Do the same with the rest of the layers. That is, we just double-click on the thumbnail of each layer, and in the settings change the color parameters to the most natural colors. This is very convenient, since working with many layers, we are able to reproduce color shades much more accurately than in the case of manual painting. individual elements the picture described in most of the methods that teach how to make black and white photos in color.

At the very last stage, we change the corrective color of the background and eyes. For a more harmonious visual effect, you can choose the colors for the background to match the color of the eyes, or vice versa, the color of the eyes to match the background color ( unless of course this contradicts the general concept of the picture).

When creating an adjustment layer for small elements of the picture, for example, for the same eyes, you need to erase the entire image with an eraser except, directly, the iris itself. This is a rather painstaking operation, so in case of an error, just switch to the mode - Brush, and paint over again the area where you erased the excess. At the same time, it is recommended to set the brush force to 50% .