A Punchy, Desaturated Look With ON1 Effects - In Post #510

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I like a muted, punchy look for some of my photos. For landscapes with a lot of detail but not a lot of colors. Or for architecture and street scenes. ON1 Effects has a one-two punch (yes, pun intended) that delivers a strong, desaturated, contrasty look that is great for these scenes.

The two filters to use are Bleach Bypass and the Black & White filter.

Bleach Bypass

The Bleach Bypass filter adds contrast in a unique way and washes away some saturation as a result. It simulates a film development technique that skips the bleaching step in darkroom chemistry. And the results are great for a color-subdued, gritty look. I have a separate, full tutorial for ON1’s Bleach Bypass filter.

While muted, there is still quite a bit of color in the scene. The color is not adding to the story and mood.

Adding the Bleach Bypass filter makes the subject jump forward and strengthens the photo.

Black & White

To further downplaying color, try the Black & White filter - but with a twist. Add the Black & White filter and dial in a strong-looking black and white image. Then, lower the overall intensity of the filter with the Opacity slider. Also, for areas that need a little more color, like the wooden tones around the windows in this “mushroom house”, use the masking tools at partial strength to remove the black & white muting effect.