Unlike Rome, extraordinary color pop photos can be made in a day—as evidenced by the jaw-dropping creations PicMonkeyers entered into our #colorpopmonkey contest. Last month, we held a one-day contest that was all about the PicMonkey mobile app and selective colorization (only leaving color on certain areas of your image).
The result was a cavalcade of beauteous black and white images with pops of color so impressive, we had to share a few. Check out a selection of entries here, then put all that creative inspiration to work and start color popping your own pics. And if you wanna know how, check out our article about making a color pop image.
The cat’s meow
“Stefanie with an F” (@lasssy) says she documents all of her adventures with her Canon 6d and Samsung Galaxy S7. We’re glad she threw the PicMonkey mobile app into the mix, so this snuggly feline could get a black and white makeover while dreaming of mice, Fancy Feast, giant litter boxes, feathery toys … and whatever else cats dream of. Check out more of her pics (including more cats!) on her blog, This is Grownup.
Aw shucks
Moving from cats to cobs, this submission (also from @lassy) screams “fall” even more than pumpkin spice lattes. The texture in the black and white husk and gorgeous golden hue of the kernels make this picture absolutely delicious … and have us dreaming of slathering it in butter.
Street style
Contest entrant Nicky Pasquier may be based in England, but her color pop photo with a yellow taxicab is so New York City, and—to throw a little French in the mix—tres chic.
The purrrrfect reading list
This bookstore kitty was ready for her close-up when contest entrant Madelyne Anweiler (a.k.a MadMadelyne) captured him atop a ladder in a bookstore. Madelyne says Scout is the second cat she’s ever liked, and we like the muted tones of this color pop cuz, y’know, not all colors have to pop.
Love of the game
Sometimes color is like a fiery ghost pepper—the tiniest bit packs plenty of punch. This photo from Boney Photography (@Boonoeyphotography) was the contest winner, and it’s also a prime example of how impactful a small pop of color can be. Blurring the background puts all the focus on the subject, resulting in a compelling pic that’ll give any baseball fan all the feels. Learn more about selectively fuzzifying your pics in our article about blur photo effects.
Leggo my … cereal?
Photographer and mother of five Rebekah Calhoun (@bekdcan) submitted a bevy of eye-catching pics to the #colorpopmonkey contest, with subjects ranging from cute kids to sports to drool-inducing cheesecake. We loved ‘em all, including this fun Lego pic, featuring some dismayed-looking floating plastic heads.
Getting the boot
Forget walking—the boots in this pic (also from @Booneyphotography) are obviously made for kicking back, sipping soda, and being the focus of an adorable photo shoot. (Can you tell that Booney Photography is based in the Lone Star state?)
Lolli-licious
The Nightwing fan in Liz Moncivaiz (@lizannmon)’s photo vanquished sugar-hating villains (like dentists) in his quest for colorful candy.
Chalk it up
Chalk is all about fun and creativity when you’re a kid (aside from those times when you get called up to do math problems at the board). Brittany Larson’s photo evokes a sense of nostalgia with multi-colored, chalky palms. Move over, paint—fingers have a new favorite artistic medium.
Sunset stunner
Skies often get all the color cred when it comes to sunsets. Which is why Daniel Grien’s pic is such a breath of fresh, beautiful air. Confining the color to the sun instead of the orange/red sky makes for a unique and interesting sunset photo.
Winging it
Butterflies are known for being pretty, but Heather Howard (@howardpartyof5)’s bright yellow bug looks extra stunning against a black and white background.
Paint pop
Shadia Amen-McDermott (@shads580) kicks her creativity up a notch by pairing her photos with song lyrics, something she calls #Lyrical_Interpretations. This pic of a painting class gets kicked up a notch with a pop of color on the palette, and a couple more notches when paired with an excerpt from Cyndi Lauper’s “True Colors.” Check out her Instagram feed for more picture/song lyric combos.
Flowers and showers
This floral photo from @valorieanderson was taken after a “midday summer rain,” as evidenced by the gigantor drops hanging out on the petals. The flower’s pinkish hue makes it a primo choice for a color pop photo.
Good hair day
This photo from @Becelebratedprinting is too cool for any school, with killer curls, cat-eye frames, and a Mona-Lisa-style, barely there grin.
Color wheels
Running and art enthusiast Alisyn Gularte (@alisyng) deemed this pic her favorite from the Hangtown Car Show in California. We love the revved-up hues on these classic rides.
Peg playtime
Contest entrant Kristina Barnes (@kmp972) posted this pic to Instagram with the caption “Playing with the PicMonkey App and the BW effect!” We wanna play with the glowing, translucent pegs in this pic, and love the way the black and white effect sets them off.
Trucking along
It’s not surprising that this little dude looks so pleased. If @buttskinz (yup, you read that right) put one of their custom motorcycle seats in the back of this Tonka truck, he’s probably enjoying a pretty comfortable ride. Whatever the reason for this beyond-cute facial expression, we bet you can’t look at it without cracking a smile.
