adding color to black & white photo

Is there a specific process that I should follow, when adding color to a b/w photo? I can't seem to grasp this process, if there is one. I went through the training manual, tips and tricks with no luck. I need help.....:(

Do you want it in one colour or many? I cant help you if you want to make a photo but if it is just one colour but different tones then I can help you.

When you have loaded the picture in photoshop, go to image/ adjust/ hue/saturation

There you check a box named colorize. Then you just have to change the sliders until you get desired effect

There is no easy way to do this, however you will be glad to know there are more than one. All of them involve masking of one kind or another, so it would be helpful if you were confident in all aspects of masking ie. difference masking. Mask off similar areas and save them as channels for colouring later. Now this is where it can go many ways, not my favourite but a popular way is to add new layers with your selections active and fill with block colours and gradients and set the blending mode to colour. Other methods use the hue and saturation method with colourized checked. Variations palatte can also be handy for tweaking the tones and looking for subtle alternatives.

www.retouchpro.com will have many more suggestions and methods, it also contains Bruce Beard's Hair and Skin Chart, which will help in some of the choices you make.

If you go the filling with block colour route use the adjustment layer option at the bottom of the layers palette and select colour fill - it allows for more leaway if you need to adjust anything later.