Couple of questions?

[DB]

Ive seen quite a few pics that are done in black and white, but 1 item in the photograph is in colour? how do you do this?

What settings will allow me to take a shot of a face but blur the background to draw the face out?

Ive tried numerous settings but cant seem to manage it. Using a Canon 400D if that helps.

[Eddie101]

photoshop ,simply create a b/w layer over the colour and rub out the area you want colour in ,different ways to do it ,but this is probably the most simple .

[BertRoot]

Blurring is done using aperture mate. If I use my 50mm at f/1.8 it blurs the background better.

[willp2003]

there's a tutorial here: (for selctive colouring)

http://www.photoshopsupport.com/tuto...-coloring.html

but it's easier than it looks - even i can do it!

[Bodman]

Nah even easier, Convert a colour picture to black and white (ctrl shift alt B) then select the history brush tool and click on the bit you want in colour, and it reverts to colour.




//Bod

[neo2810]

DB, the blurring of background in a photo is created by decreasing the Depth of Field (DOF). You do this by opening the aperture up. The lower the aperture setting, the more out of focus the background will be. For example, if you are shooting scenery, you would set your aperture to f16-f22 (provided you have enough light or a tripod to set a high shutter speed for good exposure) to keep the entire shot in focus (focus would be set to infinity). If you are shooting a macro or portrait shot, or anything that you want bokeh (background blur), you would set your aperture at 5.6 or lower usually (depends on the lowest option of your lense). All you have to do then is focus on the main subject and your camera will do the rest. The 400D has a DOF preview button on the left side of the lens barrel just before the lens fitting section. Hold that down while looking through the viewfinder and it will give you an indication of what the DOF will look like for each shot. Try that out now while changing the aperture each time and see the difference it makes. Better still, take the same shot at every aperture setting keeping the shutter speed the same and you'll see the effect.

[{{909}}]

to expand what belial said...
set your camera to 'A priority' and use the widest aperture your lens allows. this will be the lowest number, i think on the canon stock lens its f/3.5.

What this will do will reduce the depth of field, meaning less of the distance infront and behind whatever you are focussed on will be ...erm..in focus. Isolating your subject from its surroundings. Its greatly effected by how much zoom you use and how far you are from your subject. generally it works better if you are a long way from yuor subject and you use the full extent of your zoom. If you look at any wildlife shots of birds n stuff, this is how the bird is pinsharp and the background is just a collage of blurred shapes.

like this, in my poor example :

This was taken at f/4, 210mm (the full length of my zoom lens).

The canon guide dvd that was posted yesterday should cover this anyway..as does neo2810, who posted at the same time as me

[DB]

Thanks very much lads !!!!!

I'll give it a bash.