Nice work but the background looks rather dull and uninteresting would suggest you increase the brightness and contrast on the black and white layer.   Not sure which system you used for your altered image but looks like you have painted over an image that was turned to grey scale.   I always work using the layers channels especially if using black and white and colour together on same image.  Gives more control for saturation and colour control etc and allows you to work colour layer on top of black and white.

Nice work but the background looks rather dull and uninteresting would suggest you increase the brightness and contrast on the black and white layer.   Not sure which system you used for your altered image but looks like you have painted over an image that was turned to grey scale.   I always work using the layers channels especially if using black and white and colour together on same image.  Gives more control for saturation and colour control etc and allows you to work colour layer on top of black and white.

Nice work but the background looks rather dull and uninteresting would suggest you increase the brightness and contrast on the black and white layer.   Not sure which system you used for your altered image but looks like you have painted over an image that was turned to grey scale.   I always work using the layers channels especially if using black and white and colour together on same image.  Gives more control for saturation and colour control etc and allows you to work colour layer on top of black and white.

More of Kristie Bonnewell's photography can be seen on her website:

http://kristie-bonnewell.artistwebsites.com

Steven Schwartzman has a wonderful nature photography blog called "Portraits of Wildflowers" here:

http://portraitsofwildflowers.wordpress.com/

Hi Julie,

Thanks for your feedback.  Yes, there are certainly many advanced editing techniques possible that allow for fine control.  Using layer channels was beyond the scope of this Selective Color tutorial article, however.  The tutorial is published in the July/August 2012: Getting Technical column.

Kind Regards,

~Nikki