Photo enhancement

[scrappystamper1]

I have been searching for a special effect for photo editing and do not know what it's called or where I can get it from,
I am looking to take a photo (for example) of my kids with a character and turn the background blakc and white leaving everything else in color.
I'm sure this is going to be easy once I have the knowledge.
Can anyone tell me what it's called? Or where I can download the software for it? I downloaded Picasa thinking I had found out how to do it, but it only lets me do a rounded area. I cannot choose what I want left in color.
Any thoughts?

Janet P

scrappystamper1

 

[MICKEY88]

is this what you want to do..??

I use Paint Shop Pro X, it's fairly easy to do, you can seperate the subject from the background and turn the background b&w, or turn the subject b&w or tint either one after removing the color...