It all started with this spring flower arrangement.
Wait.
It really started with the tulips.
They are always calling my name at Walmart.
I try to look away. I try not to listen. I try to push on by and head for the frozen broccoli. But somehow, someway, those flowers end up in my cart.
I brought them home and added them to a couple of simple wire vases and arranged them in 7.24 minutes and took these pictures. When I edited the photos, they looked fine. Sufficient. Ordinary. Usual.
They looked like this photo above.
But I wanted more.
I wanted the flowers to truly stand out. I wanted the brilliant colors of the flowers to shine. I wanted the flowers to be the star of the show.
So I researched and looked and searched and read….
….and discovered this super cool photo editing technique.
So took this photo.
And made it look like this.
See how the rest of the photo is black and white.
Everything is neutral.
Everything is tone on tone.
Except.
Except the flowers.
Here’s the dining room with the flowers before.
And now?
Here’s a few more of the photos from the room with the same treatment.
Now, it’s not a photo editing technique I would use every day.
But for special occasions?
For fun Valentine’s Day cards?
Or Valentine’s Day printables?
Or a photo framed for someone for Valentine’s Day?
To highlight flowers or a heart or if you want one part of a photo to truly stand out, I think it’s a fun idea.
And it’s so easy.
Here’s how I did.
All of my photo editing usually begins and ends with PicMonkey.
There’s a free version and a paid version. I used this technique with the paid version, but there are tons of fun photo editing techniques you can use over there for free instead of this one if you don’t want to sign up for the paid version. The paid version isn’t very expensive. I think it’s under $40 for the year? I’m not sure exactly how much, but I know it’s really affordable. The little crowns by the words in the blocks indicate the part of PicMonkey that are included with the paid version (total aside: this is not a sponsored post, I’ve just been a big fan of PicMonkey for years).
Once you sign in at www.picmonkey.com, click edit a photo, then upload your photo and click on the wand with sparkles at the very top (you can see it there second down on the very, very left corner).
It will bring you to this screen.
Click on the Curves box.
It will pull up this box on the left.
Slide the color override button all the way to the right.
It will make the picture entirely black and white like this.
Then all you do is take your cursor (which is actually your brush now) and color in the photo in reverse.
You can adjust the size of your brush on the box in the middle of the screen.
If you over-color, just click on the effect button and uncolor your mistake.
That’s it.
I’m challenging myself this year to think outside the box.
To look at a challenge from a different perspective and learn to try new things and stretch my wings a little and stop along the way to smell more flowers.
Especially if they call my name on the way to the broccoli. 🙂
And now here’s a few other fun flower arrangement ideas from some of my favorite bloggers on the planet:
French Country Cottage | Julie Blanner | My Sweet Savannah | Ella Claire | Craftberry Bush
I love it. I think it could be used for some pretty wall art too. I love tulips this time of year too.
So cool! Thx!!!!
WOW!!!!!! Gorgeous technique!!!!! ... The contrast is beautiful !!!!! :) ... ( pssst.....Frozen Broccoli?? Really?? Trust me... you made the right choice !!!! Those tulips are sooo pretty !!! ) lolol..
Lovely! As I watch a winter storm from my home office, I long for tulips, too. Where did you get the cool test-tube vase holder? My husband is a chemist, so that would be something that he would feel right at home with!
Judy, Thanks friend! I ordered the wire vase from Magnolia Market. Here's the link: https://shop.magnoliamarket.com/products/multi-tube-rack Happy Valentine's Day! karianne
Oh wow! Thank you for the editing tip! I love tulips, my ultimate favorite flower. They make me smile during the end of winter
Tulips make me smile. No matter if I'm feeling down they'll always cheer me up. The monkey and I are friends. I've Lightroom and Photoshop but I always return to the monkey. And, have you ever bought flowers at Trader Joes? OMG! They will last me anywhere for 2-4 weeks. Every few days I'll trim the stem and add fresh water with the bouquet food. (I always try to get several packets) :-) And the flowers are CHEAP!! Love your tutorial. I'll have to try that. I'm pinning this to my better photography board. Have tulippy day!!
Tulips call to me as well. Love them.
Love this KariAnne, I spent a day playing with PicMonkey photo effects and filed them away for future reference and promptly forgot about them! This one is way cool, can't wait to play again!
I still haven't been able to figure out Picmonkey. I need someone to stand over my shoulder and teach me. Want to come over:):)
Yeah, I'd choose tulips over broccoli any day. I would frame that and put on my wall. Wish I could do that with iPad pictures ?
Karianne, this is great, too, but I really wanted to comment on your Faux Cleaning post but couldn't, so here I am. That was wonderful! And it brought up golden childhood memories of my mother's brother calling from the next town over saying he was in the area on business and would be stopping in. The town was 15 miles away, so that gave my mother a few more than 14 minutes, but still. She and whichever kids happened to be on deck at the time would spring into action, getting things ship-shape for this perfectionistic, slightly disapproving man.
I love tulips and these are so pretty. What a great new way to enjoy them.
Just threw out the pink tulips I brought home from Walmart last week. Gives me such a boost this time of year. I may have to get more for the weekend! Thanks for the photo tip. I'm downloading Picmonkey today! :-) Have a blessed day!
Tulips just make you smile! Have red ones with white ranunculus in a large vase in the kitchen. Cheery and beautiful while it snows outside! Thanks for the photo tips!
I love tulips! Your pictures are beautiful!! Thanks for sharing the photo tips.
You are such a photography pro. Sigh. Tulips, especially during the gloom of winter, make me happy.
I love PicMonkey, I use it all the time and have the paid version, so worth it.
Awesome photography! My daughter has been a huge fan of PicMonkey for a long time too ;-) And those beautiful tulips in your beautiful dining room... Well, you know I'm a big fan of your decorating but I'm also a big fan of flowers. Period. Tulips, because they're so minimalist but come in such a wide array of colors, and peonies because of their delicately soft petals, and well, there's sweet peas because my grandmother grew them and they're just so dang sweet...I could go on and on. I also love the idea of challenging yourself to try new things. I think that line of thinking keeps us vibrant, alive and interesting -- best age defying remedy ever!
Tulips are my all time favorite flower. Your photos are just gorgeous. I actually just tried it on a sample in picmonkey. I love the black and white with a pop of color. I need to get more daring with my photo editing!
Oh I am going to do this! I once saw a photo eons ago of a little boy with overhauls on and everything was black and white except his overhauls and his eyes were bright blue. I'm going to go back to toddler photos and do something fun with them. Thanks! Nancy
I'm just now beginning to learn my way around PicMonkey editing and I must say I'm pretty impressed with it. I'm headed to WalMart now for tulips! Ta, ta
Very cool! I'd forgotten about that editing option. Love how it makes your flowers pop! Hugs Cecilia
Not much of a photographer, but PicMonkey seems the way to go! Love all your postings...you have certainly helped and reaffirmed my decorating techniques.... On a different note, saw the Facebook interview while you were in Dallas ( I live in the suburb of Flower Mound)....you came across as sweet and as lovely and as beautiful as your writings! Keep posting and I'll keep looking! The BEST to you from Texas!
That is VERY cool! And, lovely!
I also use picmonkey for editing my blog's photos and I love it. Thanks for the great tutorial on this technique. You continuously amaze me!
Tulips always call my name...wherever they are found. Mine are actually poking through now and I can't wait to see them in full bloom. Keep on stretching your perspective and learning new things!! We ALL love when you share!
I haven't tried that technique before...thanks for sharing it. I always have fun on Picmonkey, too!
Very cool! I love PicMonkey and I opted for the paid version and use it to do all my photo editing! I have not yet tried this technique, but I will definitely have to play with this one! Thanks for sharing, friend!
Thank you for this! The thing I love about PicMonkey is that even though I am not very tech savvy, I can still do a good job with my photos because it's very user friendly. I still use Waterlogue on some photos, which I learned about on your website! I really appreciate these helpful tips - and your tulips are a welcome sign of Spring! Lovely!
One word, breathtaking...which means thrillingly beautiful!!! : ) (but you already knew that!)
Great pics absolutely striking! They are so pretty! Makes me yearn for spring! I love the stand you have them in..so simple and modern. Where did you get those?
Such a fun technique! Those tulips are stunning! And I love the vases.... So chic.
So pretty Kari! And I love picmonkey too- they are awesome! Love partying with you this week!
Could you please tell me where you got the curtains/ (what brand)with the gather on top of the tulip pictures? Also the wire vases around the tulips, where do you get them? Thanks!
Great vase! We just bought some tulips today for my daughter's teachers for Valentine's Day. Your dining room floors are so pretty! Visiting from Inspiration Monday party.
Amazingly beautiful, as always! The tulips are stunners in your space, and I also love those wire vases!
Love it! Thanks for the picmonkey tutorial.
Omgee, I use PicMonkey all the time and had no idea I could do this. Thanks for sharing this on Merry Monday. Pinned.
What a great technique, thanks so much for shairng. I'm a huge picmonkey fan too. I found it really intuitive to use.
Another great tutorial Keri Anne, happy dance at my computer. Joy