The selective color is a very interesting post production technique and to use it properly you need a lot of practice.

The software I use to apply this technique is called Corel Paint Shop Pro Photo X2. I think this little guide could be valid also for the ones who use Photoshop.

- Open with the graphic software a color picture and turn it in black and white. Save the picture with a different name. Close it without saving the changes. Than open the color picture and the black and white version.

- Use the clone tool. Click with the right button of the mouse on the color picture area we need. An X will appear on it. Now go on the black and white picture and click with the left button of the mouse on the exact point we appointed with an X on the colored picture. Keep the left button of the mouse pressed (as we were using the brush). The colors will replace the black and white images in this portion of the picture.

To use the clone tool in Photoshop you have to press the Alt button and click simultaneously to appoint the sourcing point. It is different than the Paint Shop Pro that uses the right button of the mouse to effect this operation.

This technique requires a lot of patience, therefore set the clone tool as “normal” and “soft”.

I would suggest to make a lot of experience (even ruining the pictures sometimes..). The good thing of digital photography is that we can always return to the starting point without problems.

It depends. The most important thing is first to decide the result you want to get, and then set the exposure. For example, to portray a match that is flaming up with well defined fire borders, you had better set on manual focus in order not to delay the shutter release.

Set the aperture to its fullest and try to work with times not above 1/60, over witch the flame will look like a whole not very pleasant to see. Various attempts are necessary and you need to work with another person: one that lights the match and the other one that shoots.
To increase or decrease the exposure i suggest to change the ISO of the sensor. The background had better be widespread and soft coloured.
The aperture will keep the background blurry, bringing out the burinig match.

By the way,there may be a number of different situations:

Measure the exposire according to the fire, than underexpose it of al least two stops, than compenste the environment with the fill-in flash.

Measure the exposure according to the face of the fireater and then you may underexpose it, or do as described above.

See point one, but without the fill in flash.you can underespose of just one stop if the outline of the people around the fire is a bit too soft.

Expose according to the face of the subject.

A ten minute video tour around Nikon's latest mid-range DSLR, the D90, including clips from its movie mode, by Gordon Laing, Editor of http://www.cameralabs.com . For our full review, sample images and current pricing, please click the link at the start of this text or visit cameralabs . com. If you have any questions regarding the D90 or this review, feel free to comment in the Nikon D90 thread in the Cameralabs forums.

In this section you'll find the articles regarding to photographic technique and photographic theory. To become a good photographer you essentially need two things. Passion and abnegation.

Shutter speed and exposure

The shutter is usually made by a fine metal curtain, extremely thin and delicate (you better not touch it!) that when lifted, lets the light in (juts like your home's curtains) and when down, stops the stream of light. In some reflex cameras, and some compact point and shoot there is no shutter , whose presence it's simulated by the light turned on and off of the sensor... Read More

Depth of field and aperture

I thought about writing some tutorials with the basics, to help those who approach for the first time in the world of SLR. The tutorial is divided into 2 parts, the first is essential, the second called “Further Reading” contains more complex concepts... Read More

Combinations Time - Aperture

Both lens aperture and exposure time, hence diaphragm and shutter, affect the image in two different ways:

1°) By modifying the amount of light that reaches the sensor - the aperture affects the intensity of light, the shutter controls the time during wich the sensor i exposed to light... Read More

Night Photography, How to take a photo at night

How many times we have seen wonderful nocturnal images of cities, with those irreal lights whose transform common urban landscapes into misterious places, with fantastic lights and colors?... Read More

Develop and train the photographic eye

Acquire a ''photographic eye'' requires a lot of practice with the camera.

Getting around the city (or wherever you please) taking pictures at everything that attracts your attention, or testing different framing and "shooting,shooting and shooting some more in order to improve", as one photographer i know once told me, are excellent exercises... Read More

How to photograph waterdrops and refract smileys inside them

This picture is not a Photomontage, is the wonderful job of a professional photographer whose name is Margherita: On a A3 format sheet arrange a face, with flowers or else. The drop works as a lens, then remember to hung the image upside down more or less at 40 cm behind the drops... Read More

The portrait, lens choice

Portrait is the more practiced photographic genre in the history of photography.

This genre is not easy and should not be underestimated. Technique skills are essential and they have to be combined with the photographer personal sensibility to make a real portrait... Read More

The portrait, the natural light

What gives character to each photograph is always light. In one click we can appreciate many elements such as composition, the shooting situation, the uniqueness of an event, a phrase caught on the fly, the solemnity of a landscape or a building... Read More

The portrait, the use of flash (single and multiple)

The use of flash.

As we have seen, often natural light is vastly more than enough to run a very wide range of portraits, with very different results and effects, adequate for many situations; the fact remains that the possibility of better control of light... Read More

The best Photoshop tutorials on the net are gathered in this article, we'll start with basic tecniques up to the advanced image editing tecniques explained by professionals.
In addition to image editing lessons you'll find articles relating to photomontage.

Video tutorials for photoshop

Che Guevara effect - Tutorial Photoshop - Photomontage

An aspect that we should not underestimate is the framing and the pose you will use, take a look at the famous picture of Che Guevara... Read More

Tutorial HDR Photography - How to realize HDR photographies

High Dynamic Range, technichally speaking, means achieving as a result a very wide dynamic range, exceeding the physiscal limits of the sensor, thanks to the possibilty of easily combine digital pictures each having exposure settings optimized for the different areas of the scene... Read More

Photo retouching: Make HDR (High Dynamic Range) pictures - HDR Tutorial

HDR technique enhances details in a picture and allows achieving truly unique results. It can be carefully used in order to produce most natural results, while a heavier processing would lead to more particular creative results... Read More

Unsharp Mask - Tutorial Photoshop

Between all the filters for Photoshop the more essential is the Unsharp mask.

This instrument has two fundamental goals:... Read More

Actions for Photoshop Download: Lomo, Vintage and Retro

ollection of actions for photoshop to easily apply effects Lomo, Vintage and Retro... Read More

The selective color, like leaving the color only in some parts of the picture

The selective color is a very interesting post production technique and to use it properly you need a lot of practice.

The software I use to apply this technique is called Corel Paint Shop Pro Photo X2. I think this little guide could be valid also for the ones who use Photoshop... Read More

Professional photomontage How to Replace Faces on Photos, Change Faces - Tutorial Photoshop

Since a long time I was wondering how to replace the Mona Lisa's face with my own one. The main problem was how to to make my skin the same as that of the Mona Lisa, and finally I did it thanks to the help of my friend Emanuela. This is a professional photomontage technique, and my personal image (the Mona Crupi) is just an example. The same method can be applied to other images... Read More

Tutorial Photoshop: Colored shadows, how to color the shadows

This tutorial and the picture shown here have been realized by Mattia Voso.

How you can notice in this picture the model's shadow has something particular, it has been colored by using Photoshop... Read More

How to change color to the eyes with Photoshop - Tutorial Photoshop

No, not my eyes violet, my eyes are dark brown, this is an effect done with Photoshop.

The readjustment of the eyes is very used in the advertising, these are the main steps that are to achieve this effect:... Read More