The intensity of color in any kind of digital photography depends on correct exposure and lighting at the time of capture. For the amateur and beginner photographer lighting is very often more of a miss than hit, which can result in an overall dullness of color. Color retouching will not only correct color discrepancies but can also be used creatively to give a photograph an edgy, romantic, mystical or any desired number of photo effects.
Photo Color Correction using Photoshop Filters
In film photography filters are used as color compensation for color casts caused by the color temperature of different light conditions. The principal filters are cyan used to absorb red cast, yellow to absorb blue casts, magenta for green casts, red for both blue and green casts, green for blue and red and the blue filter for red and green casts. These filters found in Photoshop easily correct color casts in highlights, shadows and midtones.
Filters are generally defined as cooling and warming. Cooling filters are categorized as 80 series for major adjustment and 82 series for minor adjustments. Warming filters are grouped into 81 series for fine tuning while the 85 series is used for major adjustments. Also effective in black and white photography, filters strengthens contrast and assist in artistic vision. Filters are also used creatively in color photography to add mood and tone to the final image.
Enhance color with Hue and Saturation
Found in Photoshop under Adjustments, this layer manipulates color shade, tint and saturation. In the dialog box there are features that allow for a change to the entire image or manipulation of singular RGB colors. The hue dial is used to correct the shades of color to its natural state or desired vision. Saturation controls the intensity of color and the lightness dial adjusts tint, the very light colors on the color wheel.
Using Curves and Levels Carefully
Curves and Levels are generally used to correct lighting and exposure discrepancies. Since light has a direct link to the vibrancy of color, these layers when carefully used can be helpful in color correction. The challenge with both of these options are learning to read a histogram effectively and making adjustments that will not result in loss of visible image.
Both curves and levels have readable histograms and sliders that help to adjust black and white values (brightness) in an image. Essentially these values control the tone of an image, which is the quality of brightness and deepness of colors, hence the link between light and color. Since the levels option allows adjustment of single RGB colors, it is more effective on major color correction. The curves option when used with blending modes is most effective on the master image.
These simple color retouching techniques can empower the amateur to navigate Photoshop with confidence. While these are not advanced methods they produce professional looking results with careful use.
Caprice Thompson - Caprice Thompson is a Writer/ Photographer and resident of Trinidad & Tobago. Her specialties are Caribbean Travel, West Indian Cuisine ...
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