Creating Your Own Hand Tinted Black and White Photos

One of the most popular current trends in photo-art is the hand tinted black and white photograph. The process of coloring black and white photos by hand has been done since the early days of photography, but interest in this process has recently been renewed most likely due to the ease of tinting photographs using computer technology. Now, instead of having to use an airbrush or a photo-marker to tint black and white photographs, a person only has to upload a photograph into their photo-imaging software and press a few buttons to get beautiful results. For this project you will need photograph(s), camera*, computer, photo-imaging software, a color printer, a scanner, frame*, board*, mat*.

*These items are optional. If you would like to frame your hand tinted photograph after you print it out, and you have a small mounting and framing budget, shop around for a ready-made frame that comes with a mat. Wal-mart sells 11X14" frames that come with a mat for only $5. To ensure that your photo will show through the opening in the mat, make sure that you size your photo to the size of the opening in the mat.

Your first step is to either take a photo of the subject you want to display, or to find a pre-existing photo that you want to tint. You can take photos from your family album of your grandparent's wedding that is already in black and white, or you can use a contemporary color photo and filter it in your photo imaging software and make it black and white. If you have a camera and willing subjects, you can even stage a photo to reflect the bygone eras of old. Use props, costumes, and a little creative hairstyling to transform your kids into models from the 19th century. For backgrounds you can simply hang a white sheet on your wall, and place antique furniture in front of it. Allow the sheet to drape across the floor where your models will be standing to ensure your composition flows naturally without interruptions from your carpet or flooring.