Selective color correction in Photoshop.
In this tutorial, I'll show you how to create a selective color correction effect. First, we will desaturate the image, and then carefully restore the color of a separate fragment of the image to our discretion using mask adjustment.
So let's get started!
Final result:
Step 1
Open the girl image in Photoshop.
Step 2
Now let's desaturate this image. There are many ways to achieve this effect, but I will choose an adjustment layer black and white(Black and White), as this will perfectly desaturate the image.
black and white(Black and White), for this we go Layer - New Adjustment Layer - Black and White(Layer > New Adjustment Layer > Black&White).
Apply the settings shown in the screenshot below to make the image black and white with good contrast, and reduce Opacity Set the opacity of the adjustment layer to 95% so that the original shades are slightly visible.
Step 3
In the layers palette (F7) you can see the layer mask attached to the adjustment layer Cherno-white(Black&White).
On the layer mask, black hides and white restores the image - we're going to use a layer mask to show only the red color of the girl's dress. To do this, we use various black brushes on the layer mask of the adjustment layer. black and white(Black&White) - by painting with a black brush, we will hide the discoloration effect, thus restoring the original color shades.
Step 4
Let's adjust the mask. Select a standard soft round brush (B), set the brush color to black, brush size to 100 px and opacity(opacity) brushes 100%. Click on the layer mask of the adjustment layer black and white(Black&White) to make it active. Now start painting with regular brush strokes on top of the dress image - don't worry if you brush over the edges of the dress image, we'll fix it in the next step. The result should be like the screenshot below.
Step 5
Now let's make a more precise mask correction. Reduce the brush size to 5 px and then change the brush color to white. Zoom in on the outline of the dress, where there are some black brush strokes outside of the girl's dress, and then carefully paint just along the edges of the dress, but don't be afraid to paint inside the dress area.
Step 6
Continue to paint on the areas where the original tones are visible outside the outline of the girl's dress, use a small brush and a white brush color to hide the extra original tones. This correction process is very time consuming and time consuming, so take your time to get a great result.
In the areas where the hair is falling on the dress, you can lower the brush opacity to 50% and then brush over the hair a few times to blend in perfectly with the dress, then increase the brush opacity again to paint over the areas where there are sharp lines between the dress and other parts of the image. It took me 20 minutes to make this correction - you can see my result in the screenshot below.
Step 7
Now that you've completed the painstaking work of correcting the red dress mask, let's do the standard correction. Let's increase the contrast a bit. Create a New Adjustment Layer Curves(Curves), for this we go Layer - New Adjustment Layer - Curves(Layer > New Adjustment Layer > Curves). Set the curve as shown in the screenshot below to increase the contrast and brightness.
Step 8
The color of the dress is a little closer to crimson, but I really want it to be red.
Create a New Adjustment Layer Hue / Saturation(Hue / Saturation), for this we go Layer - New Adjustment Layer - Hue / Saturation(Layer > New Adjustment Layer > Hue/Saturation). Set value color tone(Hue) to 42 to bring the hue color closer to red, and increase Saturation(saturation) up to 20.
As you can see, we do not need any additional correction, because we have only one color in the image, which can be changed using an adjustment layer Hue / Saturation(Hue/Saturation) - the red color of the dress. There are other very very subtle tones in the image as well (remember we lowered the opacity of the adjustment layer Black & White(Black&White) to 95% so that the original tones are slightly visible), but this adjustment of this step does not affect them very much.
Step 9
Let's add a vignette effect to our scene. Create a new layer, fill this layer with white (Shift+F5).
Step 10
Change the blending mode of the vignette layer to Multiplication(Multiply) - This blending mode will hide all the white tones, keeping only the black tones at the edges of the image. In my opinion, the vignette effect is subtle, so I decided to duplicate the vignette layer (Ctrl + J) to enhance the vignette effect.
Step 11
Now let's add a softening effect to our image. Create a merged layer from all visible layers (Ctrl + Shift + Alt + E) and then apply to the created merged layer, apply a filter Gaussian blur(Gaussian Blur), for this we go Filter - Blur - Gaussian Blur(Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur). Set the blur radius to 50 px. Change the blending mode of the blur layer to Soft light(Soft Light), and also reduce the value fills(Fill) up to 35%. You will see that individual tones have become slightly visible, and the contrast has also increased slightly.
Step 12
Next, let's add some sharpening to the image. Create a merged layer from all visible layers (Ctrl + Shift + Alt + E), and then apply a filter to the created merged layer contoursharpness(Unsharp Mask), for this we go Filter- Sharpness- contoursharpness(Filter > Sharpen > Unsharp Mask). Apply the following settings for this filter, which are shown in the screenshot below.
Almost any image or scene benefits from the sharpening effect, the secret is simple - the main thing is not to overdo it, because. unpleasant pixel details will be visible.
Step 13
As a final step, let's brighten up the highlights that already exist to make the image stand out.
Create a new layer (Ctrl + Shift + Alt + N), change the blending mode for this layer to overlap(Overlay). Choose a standard soft round brush with opacity 10% and color white. Paint with a brush over the bright areas of the legs, arms and dress of the girl.
And we have completed the lesson! Hope you enjoyed this tutorial. Good luck, feel free to post your work! See you soon!
Final result:
Before getting started with color correction, it is worth clarifying that this topic is very extensive. To do color correction at the proper level, it is better to take special courses where you will be taught the basics of color harmony, how to correctly combine colors and use existing methods and methods of color correction. And it is desirable to get a certificate. In the digital age, photo editing is a very lucrative business. And most profitable investment means at all times was and remains education.
We will consider the basic universal method of color correction.
Before you make color correction in Photoshop, you need to understand what it is and for what purpose it is used.
Color correction is a change in the colors, tones and saturation of an image, used either to improve the picture or as a creative technique. The first case includes the need to get more realistic colors or make the photo lighter. After all, with certain settings of photographic equipment, colors can be transmitted distorted, not the way we see them in real life. This also includes photo correction to increase the saturation of colors, for the sake of greater attractiveness of the picture. In the second case, color correction will be prompted by your own imagination. It can be vintage color correction, fantastic colors of landscapes and the like.
Color correction in Photoshop is carried out on adjustment layers. If color correction is applied to an image layer, then the image changes will be irreversible. Adjustment layers work like filters. All adjustment layer effects will be visible in the image below this layer. Also, the adjustment layer will allow you to make changes to the final result, if necessary. We discussed the topic of layers in a previous article.
Automatic color correction
The simplest and fast way for beginners - automatic color correction. Open the image in Photoshop, duplicate the image layer ( ctrl+g). Go to the duplicate layer and click Shift+Ctrl+B. This Photoshop command automatically adjusts the contrast and color of an image by automatically detecting shadows, midtones, and highlights.
This is how the pictures look before and after automatic color correction.
Hue/Saturation
Open the image in Photoshop. On the layers palette, find the list of adjustment layers by clicking the half-filled circle icon.
Select from the list "Hue / Saturation" / Hue / Saturation.
In the layer settings dialog box, you can change Hue of flowers / Hue, "Brightness" / Lightness(make the picture lighter or darker) and Color Saturation(make faded or juicy shades).
An image can be split into color channels. Settings allow you to work with all color channels at the same time or with one.
When working with a single color channel, choosing a specific hue that you want to change, use the tool "Pipette". Click on the tool icon, move to the desired area of the photo and make one click. You will see stops on the gradients. On color gradients, you can limit the color range, then changes will occur only in it. By moving the limiters, you set the operating range.
Further, by moving the sliders for hue, saturation and brightness, it remains to choose the settings according to your task. Let's give this image a magenta tint to get a more colorful sunset. To do this, select the blue channel. Drag the range stop on the gradient to the right to capture the magenta range. Move the slider closer to magenta Hue/Hue, add saturation. When finished, close the settings window.
That's how it happened.
Learn more about Photoshop in a course at Fotoshkola.net.
Curves
Adjustment layer Curves has more abilities than we will cover in the basic way for beginners.
Open the image, call the adjustment layer Curves from the list of adjustment layers.
A dialog box with settings will open. Initially, the curve looks straight. We are interested in the tool "Pipette". There are three of them. The first is responsible for the shadows, the second - for the midtones, the third - for the light.
Now we take the pipettes in turn: first we click on the blackest part of the photo, the second on the gray, the third on the whitest part.
With the application of each pipette you will see changes. Curves of RGB color channels (red, green, blue) will appear on the graph. When finished, the Curves window can be closed.
In the end it will turn out like this.
Levels
For adjustment layer Levels we will also consider only the basic method of application.
bitmap, and this case the image of our photos consists of dots. These dots each have their own color. Saturation, brightness, and light are the points of black, gray, and white in an image. Adjustment layer Levels allows you to change the point value level. Level 0 - black pixels, 255 - white. Level 128 - grey. The remaining levels range between 0 and 255. Redistributing the levels changes the tonal range of the image.
For quick color correction, you need to redistribute the level of midtones. Open the image, in the list of adjustment layers, select Levels.
In the settings dialog, select the middle eyedropper, which is responsible for the midtones. On the image, click on the area where the perfect gray should be. Then close the settings window. Thus, equal values of red, green and blue are selected.
As a result, we get a balanced saturated picture.
Would you like to learn more about how color grading is done in Photoshop? The purpose of this tutorial is to help beginners learn the basic color grading techniques in Photoshop to enhance their images.
General color correction in Photoshop
In this tutorial we will work with general color correction. General color correction in Photoshop affects the entire image by controlling the intensity of red, green, blue, gamma (midtones), shadows (black), and highlights (white).
Use color effects on adjustment or separate layers to quickly change or remove them if necessary during the color correction process.
Monochrome and sepia
A monochromatic image is an image whose color spectrum consists of one color or its shades.
Step 1
Open the image - Ctrl + O.
First, let's adjust the grayscale of the image.
Open the layers palette -F7.
I think that The best way To adjust the midtones is to use a Black and White Adjustment Layer. (The black and white adjustment layer only appears in Photoshop starting with version CS3).
To add a black and white adjustment layer, click on the corresponding icon at the bottom of the layers panel.
Working with a black and white adjustment layer allows you to control the six primary and secondary colors - red, green, blue, cyan, magenta and yellow - by adjusting the amount of these colors in the image.
This is a very useful tool for fine tuning the tonal range of your image.
Step 2
Double click on the layer thumbnail in the layers palette to bring up the properties window.
In the "Set" line, select "Sepia" from the list.
If you're using Photoshop CS6, all sepia settings will be set to default. If you are running an earlier version, you may need to set the preferences manually.
In this case, check the box "Colorize" (Toning), it will automatically desaturate your image and color in the tone on which the slider in the line Hue (Color tone).
Set the value in the line Hue (Color tone) - 35, as shown in the picture:
Step 3
Finally, adjust the color brightness of your image using the sliders on the Black and White Adjustment Layer.
Click on the hand icon in the Properties panel, this will allow you to select the areas of the image whose color tone you want to adjust with the eyedropper, and the color that is in the range of this area will be highlighted in the properties panel for further editing.
Avoid significant color changes or you will be at risk of posterizing the image.
Usually, changing only the Black and White layer is not enough to make the final color correction of the image.
Finally, apply another adjustment layer – Curves (Curves) and adjust the image to the end.
(It is best to do this step at the end - after adjusting the color, so that you see the corrected color spectrum).
The sepia is ready.
You can use any other monochrome color schemes in the same way.
Instead of setting Hue (Color tone) 35 in the second step, move the slider on the Hue color bar to the color you want to colorize the image.
You can also slightly increase Saturation (Saturation) to enhance the effect of color.
Bleach Bypass
A popular image processing method is Bleach Bypass.
This Photoshop color correction method adds a silver tint to a photo, as if combining a black and white and color image into one.
Step 1
Open a new image - Ctrl + O.
Apply a Black and White adjustment layer to our image as we did earlier (click on the icon at the bottom of the layers palette). You can also desaturate the image with a Hue / Saturation adjustment layer (Hue / Saturation)).
Change the layer's blending mode to "Overlay" (Overlap) at the top of the layers palette.
Step 2
A feature of images processed by the Bleach Bypass method is a significant increase in contrast.
To soften the contrast, add a new adjustment layer – Curves (Curves).
Carefully change the contrast to achieve a high-quality effect.
Try to get rid of overexposure and dip in the shadows.
Additionally
Often, a grainy effect is used along with the Bleach Bypass method.
If you want, you can use this effect when color correcting photos.
Create a copy of all layers - Ctrl + Shift + Alt + E.
Adding noise with a filter.
Go to the menu: Filter – Noise – Add Noise (Filter – Noise – Add Noise).
Check the boxes next to "Gaussian" and "Monochrome".
Set the effect to your liking. I put 1%.
A bit about color theory
Before we start looking at the next color grading method, let's talk briefly about color theory.
Look at color circles below.
The RGB color model is based on three colors: red, green and blue.
The intermediate colors are the CMY secondary colors cyan, magenta, and yellow.
Secondary colors are formed by the sum of two primary colors:
Cyan = green + blue,
Magenta = red + blue,
Yellow = red + green.
Simple enough.
Secondary colors are on the opposite side of the primary colors on the color wheel:
Red - blue
Green - purple
Blue yellow
There are six more tertiary colors, which are created by mixing primary and secondary colors. But we will not dwell on this in detail now.
For now, only primary and secondary colors and their relationship to each other are important for us.
With the adjustment layer "Curves" (Curves) you can separately set the settings in the red, green, and blue channels.
Let's see how it works.
Shifting the curve above the diagonal line in the red channel increases the amount of red in the image.
Shifting the curve below the diagonal line increases the color opposite to red on the circle, blue.
Same with other channels.
Shift up in the green channel - increases the green; down - opposite - magenta. Shift up in the blue channel - enhances blue; down is yellow.
Blockbuster / fashion magazine
Now that we have a little recollection of color theory, we can proceed to the next processing method.
This effect is often used in cinema, for example, in films such as Transformers. Also this style is popular in fashion photography.
Shadows with this processing method should be bluish, and highlights - mainly the part of the image containing the skin - orange, close to the natural color of the skin.
This is an additional color scheme. The colors used in it - blue and orange, are opposite each other on the color wheel.
When working with portraits of people in photographs, pay attention to skin color. You can't have people with green, purple or blue skin. It will look strange and unnatural. The skin will always be between orange, orange-yellow (tertiary), and yellow.
In addition to the main color, as a rule, opposite colors of the surrounding objects are used: from cyan, blue or blue-violet (tertiary).
Now that we know the principle, let's start styling our photo.
Step 1
We open new photo– Ctrl+O.
Go to the layers palette - F7.
Create a new adjustment layer - Curves (Curves) by clicking on the corresponding icon at the bottom of the layers palette.
Start color correction photos with shadows; then move on to the light; and finally to semitones.
Step 2
In the drop-down menu, change the RGB channel, which is responsible for the brightness and contrast of the entire image, to Blue (Blue).
We will be color correcting from specific to general, starting with the blue channel and ending with common channel RGB.
Move the starting point of the curve above the diagonal line, this will allow us to increase the amount of blue in the shadows.
Next, to compensate for our first color adjustment, let's reduce the amount of blue in the primary colors - drag the end point of the curve down, closer to yellow, so that the skin tone remains natural.
Step 3
You will notice that the image has taken on a purple hue.
This is due to the equal intensity of green and red in the image.
To get a bluer tint, you can either move to the green channel and raise the left point of the curve (in the shadows) above the diagonal line, or move the left point of the curve down in the red channel.
However, if you increase the amount of green in the shadows, the image will become slightly lighter and lose contrast.
If you reduce the amount of red in the shadows, the image will become darker and more contrasty.
The first method subtracts colors, and the second, on the contrary, adds.
In most cases, it is preferable to use the first method.
So, in the drop-down menu, select the green channel, move the starting point of the curve up to reduce the amount of red in the shadows.
Step 4
At this point, you can return to the blue channel and adjust the skin tone if necessary.
The skin should have the most natural shade: not too blue and not too yellow.
Adjust the light and midtones until you are happy with the result.
Step 5
Go to the main RGB channel.
Adjust the brightness and contrast of your image.
I just moved the curve in the shadows a bit to increase the contrast.
Step 6
You can finish color grading in Photoshop by applying the last filter.
Increasing the blue in the shadows boosted the color of the image.
Add an adjustment layer Hue / Saturation (Hue / Saturation).
Lower the saturation value a bit if necessary.
Here's what we got:
Bronze
Another way to process an image is to add a bronze tint to it.
This effect is similar to sepia, however, unlike sepia, this processing method does not reset the colors of the image, the image does not become monochrome.
Vibrant colors remain visible in the bronze finish, highlights and shadows take on a warm bronze hue.
Let's take an example of an image with a large number of colors and a large tonal range. This will make it easier for us to see what is happening.
Step 1
Open the photo - Ctrl + O.
Create a new adjustment layer – Photo filter (Photo filter) by clicking on the corresponding icon at the bottom of the layers palette.
Change the filter color to "Sepia" and set the density between 90 - 100 percent.
Step 2
Apply another adjustment layer - Hue / Saturation (Hue / Saturation), again clicking on the icon at the bottom of the layers panel.
Reduce the saturation of the image in the range from -10 to -50, adjust this value to your liking.
Step 3
Create another adjustment layer - Curves (Curves).
The bronze effect looks pretty good with some extra contrast.
Adjust the curve as in the picture below (increase the contrast):
Step 4
At the final stage, let's add some diffusion, it should look good.
Make a duplicate layer with the image under the adjustment layers - Cltr + J.
We work on a copy of the layer.
Go to the menu “Filter” – “Blur” – “Gaussian blur” (Filter – Blur – Gaussian blur).
Don't blur the image too much. For my photo, I made a blur of 2 pixels.
At the top of the Layers palette, change the blending mode of the blurry layer to Overlay. You will notice that the contrast of your image will increase.
To soften the effect, change the parameter Fill (Fill) at the top of the layers palette to your liking from 25 to 50%.
Finally, finalize the contrast with an adjustment layer – Curves (Curves).
Here is what we ended up with:
Conclusion
Today we talked about how color correction is done in Photoshop, looking at several methods for color correcting photos.
In fact, there are many ways to color correct photos in Photoshop. At the same time, it is impossible to assert that any of them is the only correct one. Different experts use various tools. Each has its own processing methods. You can use any processing method that suits you best.
Also, remember that each image you process will look different than the other, with a similar style of color grading.
There is no universal method of processing and color correction in Photoshop for any images, in each case everything will be individual.
Try not to add a lot of effects, so as not to "overdo it", apply them as delicately as possible.
Experiment, learn new effects, learn how to create your own, enjoy your work!
Has the camera distorted colors due to incorrect settings? Or maybe you took a picture in a specific lighting that made objects and people in the photo take on unnatural hues? Make a color correction! The PhotoMASTER editor provides three handy tools for correcting color balance. In this article, you will learn about each of them, as well as the rules for color grading.
Customize photo colors in 1 click!
In the PhotoMASTER program, you can transform a photo in a couple of seconds. The editor provides two options for auto-correction. With them, photo processing, color correction and other work to improve image quality will no longer cause any problems. One of the buttons allows you to take too dark pictures, and the second is for quick color editing.
Open the image in the editor and in the panel on the right, check the box next to Color. The photo will be automatically processed by the application, and all changes will be immediately displayed in the preview window.
Manual color balance correction
Control photo editing down to the smallest detail! You can customize the color of the photo yourself. To do this, click on the tab of the same name in the "Improvements" menu. Here you can also adjust the "Color Balance". Better Tool there is no color correction for a beginner!
Manage blues, reds and greens in light and dark parts photos. Just drag the slider on the desired scale and follow the changes on the screen.
The Pros' Secret Weapon: Curves
If you want to have full access to all the possibilities for color correction, then use the curves (Composition> Curves). When the function is activated, a coordinate plane with an RGB curve will appear in the panel on the right.
RGB is the base color space, which consists of red (Red), green (Green) and blue (Blue) colors. All other shades in the image are the result of mixing them.
The most high point on the graph it is white, and the bottom one is black. Intermediate points, respectively, are light tones, dark tones and semitones. Here's how it looks on the diagram:
The curve is easy to work with. Create key point in the area you want to change. Pull it up, then the brightness of the image will be enhanced. You can also move it down and thereby reduce the value of this parameter. All lessons of color correction through the curve are built around the channels: blue, green and red. Please note that when you enhance a color from a bunch, you automatically mute the color opposite to it. Red is associated with blue, blue with yellow, and green with purple.
Let's try to edit this photo:
There is too much blue in the image, so let's start with this channel. Let's create a point and drag the curve down: this will tone down the blue in the photo a bit and add some yellow.
If you think that the image is too red, then go back to the RGB channel and brighten the image. To do this, create a key point on the curve and drag it up.
Ready! The difference is visible to the naked eye:
With the help of the curve, you can perform color correction, as well as toning the image. Ready-made presets will help you create a vanilla effect or perform separate toning. You can play with the color yourself and choose the most suitable tint for the photo. Also, it will not be superfluous to look into the built-in catalog of effects, in it you will find cinematic photo color correction styles and will be able to stylize photos under the "House of Flying Daggers", "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas", "The Shining" and other popular films.
Now you know how to color correct. Photoshop and Lightroom are no longer required! Use ready-made filters for processing or adjust everything manually in a matter of minutes using PhotoMASTER. Download the editor and try all its features right now!
Image Adjustment in Photoshop
Sofia Skrylina, lecturer training center"Art", St. Petersburg
CompuArt #12'2011 covered methods for diagnosing color shift and some of Photoshop's tools for color correcting an image. In this issue, we will continue to remove color shift using other tools, as well as analyze situations when it is more appropriate to use the Lab model instead of the RGB model.
Options
Dialog window Options(Variations), in addition to removing the color shift, allows you to adjust the tonal balance of the image. In the upper part of the window there are two thumbnails - the original image and the result of the adjustment. The following are examples of correction, to apply a particular option, you just need to click on its thumbnail (Fig. 1). Using the slider, you can set the accuracy of correction, and using the switches, change the saturation of the image or the area of correction: Shadows(Shadows) midtones(Midtones) Sveta(highlights).
If the window is reapplied, then before the correction, you must reset the previous settings by clicking on the thumbnail of the original.
This window is called by the command Image(Image) -> Correction(Adjustments) -> Options(Variations). On fig. 2 shows an example of eliminating red excess using this window.
Rice. 2. An example of removing a color shift using the Options dialog box (on the left is the original image)
Applying a Dialog Box Pick up color
Team Pick up color(Match Color) allows you to remove the color shift in one image based on another image. It is used when it is necessary to process a series of photographs taken under the same conditions. In this case, it is enough to balance the colors on one image, and process the rest with this command, taking the image with the removed color shift as the source. This command also comes in handy for balancing colors in different images, combined in one project, so that you can use the same colors that match well.
To match the colors of the two images, you must perform the following manipulations:
- Open both files in Photoshop, go to the window of the photo to be corrected (Fig. 3).
- Run command Image(Image) -> Correction(Adjustments) -> Pick up color(match color).
- From the drop down list Source(Source) select an image whose colors will be used to replace the colors in the photo with a color shift (Fig. 4).
- Adjust correction parameters:
- using the slider Luminosity(Luminance) — brightness of image pixels;
- slider Color Intensity(Color Intensity) - color saturation;
- using the slider Let loose(Fade) - partially restore the original colors of the image;
- when checkbox is checked Neutralize(Neutralize) the program will try to determine which shades of the image were neutral and keep them that way. This operation does not correctly determine the neutral color in all cases.
The result of the correction and the original photograph are shown in fig. 5.
Rice. 5. An example of eliminating excess red color using the Match Color dialog box (on the left is the original image)
Quick color shift correction
In addition to tools that have big number different settings, Photoshop offers quick adjustment tools. In relatively simple situations, they will help you get a satisfactory result fairly quickly. Consider tools for automatic color shift correction.
Auto Correction Tools
Automatic color correction is performed in the dialog box Levels(Levels) or Curves(Curves) at the click of a button Auto(Auto), and its setting is in the dialog box opened by clicking on the button Options(Options), - fig. 6.
Three pipettes can be used for color correction: black, gray and white. If the image contains areas that should have a neutral color, then a gray eyedropper is used. To determine the black and white points, black and white pipettes are used, respectively. To use them, you need to select the desired pipette, just click it on the area that should be gray, black or white.
Pipettes can be used in conjunction with sliders in the dialog box Levels(Levels) or dots in the dialog box Curves(Curves). First, with the help of pipettes, the color shift is partially removed, and then a more subtle color and tone correction is carried out.
On fig. 7 shows an example of removing color shift using a white pipette. The click was made on the cloud located to the right of the dome of St. Isaac's Cathedral.
Rice. 7. Eliminate color shift and brighten the image with a white eyedropper (left - original image)
In addition to levels and curves, auto-correction can be performed using the command Image(Image) -> Automatic color correction(Auto Color). So, in fig. Figure 8 shows an example of image correction of the Kunstkamera building.
Rice. 8. Eliminate color shift using the Auto color correction command (left - original image)
When comparing the obtained result with Fig. 2 shows that the result of auto-correction is closer to reality - it contains less blue color than in the case of using the dialog box Options(Variations). At the same time using the window Options(Variations), the water has taken on a bluish tint, making the picture look like a postcard. In any case, the choice is up to the user!
It should also be noted that appeared in Photoshop CS5 a tool that allows you to add liveliness and shine to a photo by increasing detail and glowing edges. This dialog box HDR toning(HDR Toning), which is in the menu Image(Image) -> Correction(Adjustments). In it, you can process the photo at the final stage of correction. So, in fig. 9 result obtained in the window Options(Variations), adjusted in the window Toning HDR(HDR toning).
Using the Dialog Box Hue/Saturation
Dialog window Hue/Saturation(Hue/Saturation) is not intended to balance the image by color. It applies to images that do not have a color shift! But it turns out to be indispensable for increasing or decreasing the saturation of the image, which is regulated by the corresponding slider (Fig. 10).
Moreover, this window allows you to influence certain colors of the image. So, in fig. 11 after a general increase in saturation, the sky was processed by affecting only the blues and blue colors. During the correction, brighter and more saturated colors of the image were obtained.
Rice. 11. The result of increasing the saturation of the image in the window Hue / Saturation (left - the original image)
Image Correction in Lab Mode
In the Lab color model, brightness is completely separated from the image, so to perform tone correction, it is enough to influence only
per luminance channel, and for color correction - per color channels a And b. Note that the Lab model has a wider color gamut than RGB, so you can seamlessly convert from RGB to Lab and back as many times as needed.
Tone correction in Lab mode
Before proceeding to the correction, you should convert the image to the Lab color model by executing the command Image(Image) -> Mode(Mode) -> Lab. On fig. 12 shows the image of the dome and its histogram, which shows that it is necessary to increase the contrast of the image.
Most tone correction tools are used to increase contrast, except for dialog boxes. exposition(Exposure) and HDR toning(HDR toning). On fig. 13 is an example of using the dialog box Levels(Levels), correction was made only in the channel Brightness(lightness). As you can see, now you need to increase the saturation of the image.
Saturate an Image in Lab Mode
To increase the saturation of a photo in the dialog box Curves(Curves) it is necessary to change the angle of inclination of the straight line in the channels a And b. On fig. 14 to increase the saturation of the photograph of the dome in both color channels, the angle of the straight line is increased by one value.
Rice. 14. The result of increasing saturation by increasing the angle of inclination of the straight line in both color channels of the Lab model
Please note that during the color correction in the Lab model there is much less noise than in the case of, for example, using the tool Hue/Saturation(Hue/Saturation) in the RGB model. So, in fig. 15 shows the result of increasing the saturation of a photograph of a landscape already familiar to us. The photo on the left is processed in the dialog box Hue/Saturation(Hue/Saturation) in the RGB model, which gave noise in the sky area. In this case, it was necessary to additionally process parts of the image with tools Blur(Blur) and Finger(Smudge) to remove multi-colored pixels (see Fig. 11). On fig. 15 (right) the same photo has been corrected only in the color channels of the Lab model in the window Curves(Curvers). As you can see, the correction did not create any noise.
In some cases, the Lab color model is useful for recoloring an image, as discussed in CompuArt #4'2011.
So, Photoshop provides quite a few tools for color and tone correction, the choice of which depends on the specific situation. It is better to carry out correction with several tools in order to choose the best result later.
The article was prepared based on the materials of the book “Photoshop CS5. The Essentials” by Sofia Skrylina
