Selective Boosting (Comp 8)

Hi girls!

To continue along the same lines of what we have been working on in Picnik, today we will be experimenting with another form of selective colouring that I call "selective boosting." Basically what it entails is lowering the colour saturation of your original photo, boosting it, and REVERSING the painting effect so that whatever you paint back on will be boosted (higher colour saturation) while the rest will be more muted colours. So, to break that down step by step:

1. Upload the photo that is to be edited.
2. Under the "Edit" tab, click "Colors" and pull the saturation toggle towards the left until you have achieved the level of colour you desire (be sure that it is muted enough that your boosting effect will be noticeable and worth your time and effort).
3. Under the "Create" tab, choose the Boost feature. Adjust the level using the toggle tab until you are happy with the colour of the object to be singled out (i.e. a flower, a guitar, a person, etc.). Always make sure to alter it only enough so that it adds to it, not detracts by being too distracting or overpowering. For example, sometimes boosting colour will erase important details, such as creases in flower petals, etc.4. In the "Effect Painting" box, click "Reverse Effect." This will bring everything back to the lower colour saturation level. Now, when you paint back the original colour (just like we did when we experimented with black and white selective colour painting), it will be a more bold and saturated colour. The overall effect will be that the entire photo is in colour, but one piece will stand out.

Here are some examples:

Original:

Edited version (based on the steps outlined above, plus some text and a vignette):

Notice how the guitar stands out a bit more than everything else around it. Here's another example of a photo that I edited using selective boosting (this is me standing in front of a waterfall in New Zealand):

Original:
Edited version:
The changes are more subtle when using this technique than the black and white, but it can be very effective if done well. In the waterfall picture, I would stand out even more if I had changed the background to an even lower colour saturation. Keep in mind that when I am looking at your completed photo editing assignments, it should be very clear which portion of the photo was selectively boosted (if it's not clear, consider changing the colour saturation more drastically before you begin effect painting).

Here are the photos I'd like you to work on today:

Save the first one with your last name and "Selective boost guitar" and the second one with your last name and "Selective boost sign." Keep in mind that you can choose which portion(s) of the photo you want to boost (i.e. Do you want to boost the person with the guitar, and leave the background muted so that he stands out? Or, do you want to boost the background and leave the guitar player muted so that he is less noticeable in the midst of his vibrant surroundings?). Be creative - I have seen some amazing work from you so far and am curious to see what you come up with!!!!

Some things to keep in mind:

- Use a brush size that will allow you to be accurate (avoid "colouring outside the lines" please!)
- If you are going to add any text, be sure that there are no spelling errors. Also, please be sure to use a font style and colour that will be clearly visible over your photo.
- Save everything you edit with your last name first. I will discard anything that I find in the drop box without a name on it.

Thanks! I can't wait to see what you come up with!