Mike DelGaudio

This tutorial will show how to create new, recolored versions of your pictures using only Picasa.

Lets see how to make this photo

Into this photo:

Step 1, create 3 filtered Black and White images.

Starting with our original image, we want to make three different back and white images, using the filtered back and white feature. To do this, click the “Effects” tab, then “Filtered B&W” Then the “Pick a Color” box.

For the first filtered image, use the eye dropper to select the purest red you can, Should be the upper left most pixel in the color chart.

Click “Apply”. Then make a copy of this filtered image by clicking “File” and “Save a copy”.

Then, undo all the changes to return to the original image.

Repeat this process, only this time, select the purest green filter you can from the color chart.
Save a copy, undo all changes.

Repeat this one last time, selecting the purest blue filter you can from the color chart.
Save a copy, undo all changes.

(By the way, this is essentially what your digital camera does when first creating the image — there are three different “channels” for the Red, Green, and Blue sensitive areas of your sensor)

Step 2, Tint the Filtered Black and White Images.

Good. Now we have base images that we can use to remix into a different color combination. Take each of the Back and white images and Tint them using the “Tint” effect.

Here’s how:
On the first image B&W image we created — the RED filtered one, select the “Effects” tab, then “Tint” the “Pick A color”.
Select any color, OTHER than red. In this case this filter will make any red parts of the picture this color. In my case I wanted the berries to be blue, so I tinted this picture blue.

Move to the next image. This was the GREEN filtered image. Do the same process, but tint with a different color. I tinted this with Blue.

Repeat for the last image. The Blue Filtered one. I chose to filter with green.

Step 3: Putting them back together.

Great. Now we have three separate “channels” that we need Picasa to remix back into one.

This part is easy, just select the three tinted images, and put them together using the Multi-Exposure, picture collage feature. From the Library view, click the “Create menu” then “Picture Collage” then Choose Multi Exposure from the “Type” pulldown box.

This will reassemble the three different images back into one.

I generally find that because of the way Picasa does multi-exposures, that the result comes out a bit dark. Easily remedied.

Once the collage has been generated, select it then On the Basic Fixes Tab, click “I’m Feeling Lucky”. You can further tweak the image using the Tuning Tab, and the “Saturation” effect.

Here is another version using Yellow, Cyan and Magenta Tints

Another one using light tints around the middle of the color chart instead of the top.

I hope you find the tutorial helpful. If you post your pictures, please link to your results in the comments.