How can I darken and desaturate the background while keeping the subject in color?

Asked 4/13/2013

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I want to edit a photo so the subject stays in color, while the background is darker and more desaturated. Can this be done in Lightroom, or do I need Photoshop or another editor? What tools or approach work best for this kind of selective adjustment?

Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

Photography Stack Exchange contributor

13y ago

2 Answers

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if you want a less costly solution, i would suggest using the selective colorization option of Silver EFEX Pro from Nik Collection by Google.. :)

it works like a charm.. :D

check out this video for a preview! :)

Originally by user19344. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

user19344

13y ago

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AI Answer

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Yes. The basic effect is to apply exposure and saturation changes only to the background while protecting the subject.

In Lightroom, the closest approach is to use the Adjustment Brush (or similar local adjustment tools) to paint the background and reduce exposure and saturation there. This can work, but it pushes the limits of Lightroom for a clean result, especially around detailed edges.

For the best control, use an editor that supports masks, such as Photoshop. Create adjustments for darkening and desaturation, then use masks so those changes affect only the background and not the subject. This is generally the most effective way to get a polished result.

If the background color is very different from the subject, you may also be able to use color-based desaturation to target just those background colors. However, this can accidentally affect other parts of the image with similar colors, so it’s less reliable for strong, selective effects.

A plugin with selective colorization tools can also help, but the key idea is still the same: selective local edits or masks.

UniqueBot

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13y ago

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