Create a stunning photo effect

Have you ever seen a greeting card or an advertisement with an image in black and white and in color like the one below? This effect is visually stunning and captures a unique sense of drama in the image.

With many of today's digital imaging software packages like Adobe Photoshop Elements and Microsoft Digital Image Suite you can accomplish this effect in a few easy steps. Try it yourself before you send that next photo by e-mail or create a special greeting card. You'll definitely make an impression. In this article we'll show you how to accomplish this effect using Microsoft Digital Image Suite.

First things first: Make a working copy

Before you start, make a working copy of your original image by saving it with a new file name. You can do this by opening the image and typing a "bw" at the end of the filename when you save it to differentiate the working image from the original. For example, if the image file name is "Leaf," save the image as "Leafbw." By doing all your work on your working copy of the image, you can always start over with a fresh copy of the original if you don't like the results.

Creating the effect

• In Digital Image Suite, open your working copy of the image (the one you just saved with a new filename).

• Move the Zoom slider to the right to zoom in on the object in your image that you want to remain in color. This makes later steps easier.

  

• Click the Edge Finder tool, and then click the edge of the object you want in color. The pointer changes to cross-hairs.

  

• Move the cross-hairs to another position on the edge of the object, and click again. Imagine that you are tracing the object, and click points all the way around the object back to the starting point.

  
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• When you get back to where you started, click your first point (indicated by a white box). Your selection is complete, and an animated dashed line surrounds the object you want to keep in color.

  

• Click Selection in the upper-left corner to open the Edge Finder dialog box if it is not already opened. In the Edge Finder dialog box, click Invert. This changes the selection from the object you traced to everything outside of the object you traced.

  

• On the Effects menu, click Black and White. The area of the image outside of the object changes to black and white. The object remains in color.

  

• Zoom back out and deselect the object by clicking outside of your image area to admire your work. That's all there is to it.

  

Save your image, and you're done. You now have a dramatic picture to share with family and friends. You can also frame one of these images for your home and then listen to your guests ask in amazement, "How did you do that?"