Organizing and Editing Your Photos with Picasa Visual QuickProject Guide [Electronic resources]

Focal B&W

Use Focal B&W to create a black-and-white image from a color photo while leaving a selected, circular area in color. Applied carefully, this unusual effect can create the appearance of a partially hand-colored photo.

Open the picture for editing, click the Effects tab, and then click the Focal B&W icon.

[View full size image]

The Focal B&W panel appears and the image is converted to black-and-white (see next page). Move the focal point (the yellow crosshair cursor), centering it over the area that will retain its color.

Adjust the Size and Sharpness controls as desired.

The Size control setting determines the focal point's radius. Use the Sharpness control to feather the focal point circle's edges (when moved to the left) or to display hard edges (when moved to the right).

When you're satisfied with the effect, click Apply. Or click Cancel if you've changed your mind.

[View full size image]

This photo was selected because it's almost perfect for the Focal B&W effect. The dress and most of the background elements are black, white, or a shade of gray. When applying Focal B&W effect to a typical color photo, you'll find it difficult to colorize only a single item (as was done with the feather boa).