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07/09/2004 02:05:59 PM · #1 |
I didn't see this in the tutorials so I thought I'd share it with those folks who, like me, aren't as knowledgeable about Photoshop as they could be. I'm sure many of you already know this trick.
I'm sorry, I can't remember which book I got this from. I know I did see it in a book I was reading just a couple of days ago. If I can remember which one I'll post it later.
This is a really a quick fix for when you have a nice shot but forgot to check your white balance (like I did on this occassion). I had a preset white balance from my indoor portrait session. Not a good choice for the beach in late afternoon!
I had already fixed this using the color balance adjuster but it was rather time consuming. If you need a quick fix simply do this:
Choose Image:Adjust:Curves
In the Curves toolbar you'll notice three eyedroppers. Choose the middle eyedropper and select an area of middle grey on the image and you will see instant results. Of course if you choose to light or dark an area it won't work.
This is by no means perfect but it is very quick if you don't want to use Auto correction. I don't usually care for the look of Auto correction. Keep in mind I chose a shot with really skewed color so you can really see the difference. Therefore, the final result is still less than great but it is a way to save a good candid for your photo album.
And yes, that was my daughter's hair color, at the time of the shot.
Message edited by author 2004-07-09 14:07:25. |
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07/09/2004 02:10:39 PM · #2 |
Thanks for sharing the tip! That will come in handy for when you're in a rush :-)
Have you seen this tutorial for solving color cast problems? It looks like it would take a long time but I have started using it when the image called for it and have gotten really good results quickly. Easy to memorize to! |
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07/09/2004 02:14:57 PM · #3 |
| The problem I have with this technique (and I literally mean problem, not issue :]) is figuring out where to click. This is probably compounded by the fact that I'm colorblind. How do you distinguish, if there's a color cast, what was grey and what really had color? What area of your picture did you pick in the example above? |
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07/09/2004 02:15:17 PM · #4 |
... and the discussion thread contain other tips and methods.
David
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07/09/2004 02:18:35 PM · #5 |
| I've got a black/gray/white card in my camera bag. I take a shot of it (when I remember) prior to any other photos I take, and then use that for the reference points. |
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07/09/2004 02:57:04 PM · #6 |
Another method that has worked very well for me is Image>Adjustments>Variations. The preview windows are a little small but it still works very well. Funny though, I never here anyone ever mention this tool, but I don't know why. What's really nice about it is that it will remember the settings so that it can be applied to a bunch of similarily colored photos. When my sister first started using her new digital camera she accidentally had the white balance set for the indoor light mode while she was shooting snow skiing photos. With the Variations once I dialed in a good color compensation I just applied that to all of the photos and they were much better and natural, especially as snapshots where I didn't need to exactly fine tune every single photo.
T
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07/09/2004 02:58:50 PM · #7 |
How about this for quick...
1) Choose Image > Adjustments > Match Color...
2) Click the "Neutralize" checkbox
Done. Corrects 99% of your color problems. =]
Try it; you may like the results better than the "eye dropper" method...
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07/09/2004 03:00:58 PM · #8 |
Originally posted by ScottK:
The problem I have with this technique (and I literally mean problem, not issue :]) is figuring out where to click. This is probably compounded by the fact that I'm colorblind. How do you distinguish, if there's a color cast, what was grey and what really had color? What area of your picture did you pick in the example above? |
I picked from the sand that didn't have a lot of shadow or highlights (between my shadow and my daughter's outside the puddle area). It also worked about the same when I picked some shadow area from the redhead's leg.
I wouldn't use this for all situations. But for something as extreme as this, it worked nicely. I had a few variations of this shot and the original fixes I did using color balance looked fine in Photoshop but awful when viewed in IE.
I did see the tutorial for removing a color cast but it looked more time consuming than this method. I'm sure it works better but for something like this family candid I like the quick approach. For the hell of it, I tried Auto Levels, just now, on the original and discovered it doesn't fix the color problem when it is this extreme.
Message edited by author 2004-07-09 15:11:13. |
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07/09/2004 03:03:01 PM · #9 |
Originally posted by EddyG:
How about this for quick...
1) Choose Image > Adjustments > Match Color...
2) Click the "Neutralize" checkbox
Done. Corrects 99% of your color problems. =]
Try it; you may like the results better than the "eye dropper" method... |
I'm using PS 4.0.1. I can't find Match Color under Adjustments. I have PS 7 on my laptop but that is out of commission right now. |
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07/09/2004 03:03:53 PM · #10 |
| Oops. I should have said that "Match Color" is a new (and useful) feature in Photoshop CS. |
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07/09/2004 03:04:56 PM · #11 |
Originally posted by EddyG:
How about this for quick...
1) Choose Image > Adjustments > Match Color...
2) Click the "Neutralize" checkbox
Done. Corrects 99% of your color problems. =]
Try it; you may like the results better than the "eye dropper" method... |
Is this new for CS? I don't see it in PS7.
T
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07/09/2004 03:40:10 PM · #12 |
I believe it's a "new for CS" feature".
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