Spot Colour Photography

What Is Spot Colour Photography?

Spot colour is about keeping most of your image in black and white while leaving one subject or element in colour. The goal is to draw the viewer’s eye to a specific part of the image. You can almost look at it like a storytelling shortcut, you're basically saying, “Hey, look here. This is what matters.”

When and Why to Use It

Spot colour works best when:

• You want to highlight a subject (a person, object, or detail)

• There’s a strong colour that contrasts well with black and white

• You want to simplify a busy scene by removing distraction

• You’re aiming for something graphic/stylised

It’s especially great for street/urban, portraits, fashion, and still life.

How to Shoot for Spot Colour

You can technically create the effect with any photo, but it does helps to plan ahead:

1. Find a Strong Colour Element

Look for bold, saturated colours (like red, yellow, blue) that stand out on their own. Think phone booths, neon signs, fruit, painted walls, flowers, umbrellas, bright clothing etc.

2. Simplify the Scene

Less is more. A cluttered photo with a lot of potential colours competing for attention won’t work as well. Try to isolate the colourful subject.

3. Get the Composition Right

Place your colour element where the viewer’s eye naturally lands, the rule of thirds, leading lines etc. work great here.

4. Shoot in Colour (RAW if possible)

Always shoot in full colour, you will desaturate everything else in post.

How to Do Spot Colour in Editing

There are a few easy ways to create the effect using photo editing software. Here's the basic idea:

In Lightroom (a bit of a workaround):

• Convert your photo to black & white

• Use a radial filter or brush tool to bring back colour just in the area you want

• Feather the edges to make it look smooth and natural

• You can also desaturate individual colour channels in the HSL panel if you want to go the slower route

In Photoshop:

• Duplicate your colour photo

• Convert the top layer to black & white

• Add a layer mask and use a soft black brush to paint over the part where you want the colour to show through

• This gives you full control over how precise or dramatic the spot colour is

Mobile Apps:

There are apps like Snapseed (with the “Selective” tool) or Color Pop that make this super quick on your phone.

Bonus Tips

• Less is more: too many colours or too many spots, and the effect loses impact

• Be precise: rough masks or sloppy brushing can make the effect look gimmicky

• Match the mood: spot colour works best when it supports the story or feeling of the image

• Avoid using it just because you can: make sure it adds something to the shot, not just because it is a cool effect