Desaturation in Photoshop

Reduce saturation the smart way with complete control over the result

- James Abbott

Meet the editing pro

James Abbott is a professional photographer and photography journalist, specialising in shooting and editing techniques. He recently released his first book, covering professional image editing skills in both Adobe Photoshop and Affinity Photo. @jamesaphoto www.jamesaphoto.co.uk

Removing colour through refined desaturation is a tried and tested way of making images look moodier, as well as focusing the eye on shape and texture without a full black and white conversion. Through the application of a custom black and white conversion, Blending modes and Opacity control, this technique will give you the best results possible for a timeless effect.

What you'll be using

• Black & White Adjustment Layers
• Blending modes
• Layer hierarchy
• Opacity control
• Group Layers