Using Filtered B&W in Picasa3

Have you ever converted a colour image to B&W and found the results unsatisfactory?  Chances are, you didn’t use a colour filter to choose the best B&W for your image.  This post will show you the quick and easy way to do this with Picasa3.

First of all I need to explain what this Colour Filter tool is, and why it makes a better B&W image.  The colour filtering process dates back to film cameras that used B&W film.  Photographers would put a colour filter (or coloured transparent cap) over the end of the lens to enhance or subdue certain colours in their image.  For example to with a yellow filter they could darken the sky.  To darken foliage they would use a blue filter or a green one to lighten it.  The list goes on.

The beauty of digital photography is you don’t need to use these colour filters while you take the photograph, you can just convert it in post-production and I know of no software that has made it as easy as Picasa3.

Here’s how to use this filter yourself.  First of all you need to load the image into Picasa and choose the Effects Tab.

On this tab you’ll notice two different B&W tools.  At the top is the standard B&W which chooses what colour values to use for you and is not the one we want.  Look to the bottom for the Filtered B&W, which is the one we’re going to use today.

When you first click on it, you will see the panel as you see in the left of the image below.  Click on the rainbow and you will get the panel as you see on the right.

It’s as simple as hovering your mouse over the colour chooser until you find the colour that best enhances your B&W and click on that spot.  Click Apply and then you’re done.  It’s that easy!

Now that you know how to do it, I think that like me, you’ll only use this tool for B&W conversions.  As you see above the differences can be dramatic or subtle but having the choice can make a huge difference to the end result of your photo editing.  I also use this tool before using the Sepia conversion tool as it gives me more control over the tones and richness of the sepia colours.  Give it a try yourself.