Selective Color Expirimentation

[GregF422]

I've seen a few people working with Photoshop for that "Selective Color" effect and i figured i'd give it a try. I did it first the 'classic way' leaving something color in a b&w picture. But then i wondered if doing the opposite would make for a more dramatic subject.
I'm not sure if i achieved that efffect at all, nor am i sure which of these two pictures i like better. I'm really looking for more of a critique on my technique but comments about the pictures are appreciated too.

The original

"Classic" Style

"Reverse" Style


I also appoligize for the crappy color depth and the strange colors, it's the result of scanning the print with a crappy school scanner. I still stick to film for all my artsy photography, my digital is just for snapshots and whatnot.

 

[Andrea K]

in my amateur opinion i think there is a reason why people dont do it the "reverse" way because it is hard to find what the subject is, without seeing the "classics" version of the picture and knowing that you were going to change the flag, it would have taken me a second or two to even realize what was supposed to "stand out" (just my 2 cents)

 

[JonMikal]

nice work on the second. i enjoy selected color posts!

 

[GregF422]

in my amateur opinion i think there is a reason why people dont do it the "reverse" way because it is hard to find what the subject is, without seeing the "classics" version of the picture and knowing that you were going to change the flag, it would have taken me a second or two to even realize what was supposed to "stand out" (just my 2 cents)

I agree with you, that one was done just as an afterthough. But, i think with the right subject, it could work.

 

[Andrea K]

yes perhaps if the subject was more pronounced and easier to spot

i do like the second one though

 

[Corry]

Nice job on that...but I'm gonna have to say I like the original. I think I would like it selective colored if you left the flag the exact same color (not saturated), and then desaturated the rest and left just a HINT of color...I guess that's not quite selective coloring...but I think that would look awesome! That's just my opinion though!

Have you posted this before? Possibly on another forum? It looks SO familiar!