color cast help... please and thanks!

Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS

09/02/2009 03:14:18 AM · #1

OK. Got this one in from a 'pro' photographer. Odd thing is that almost all of the pics from said individual have a rather strong magenta cast giving our friend a bad case of 'pink head'

Original:

I've tweaked it in a few different spots, but I've spent so much time looking at it, I just can't help but see it as a color cast. But I've had too much. I can't see it objectively anymore. Endless tweaking and comparing...

If you could give me the benefit of another set of eyes, I'd appreciate it and return comments!

Revised:

Please note that due to the setting sun, I do want a bit of a 'warm' tone on him, so there is a warm filter which is particularly noticeable on his face.

How does this look to you? Does it look natural? Or is it casted? Is it too much? Too much orange? too much green? Too much red?

Ahh, self doubt. There's always more road to travel with self doubt.

Many thanks.

I'm kinda thinking that it may be this screen.

I've only had a chance to work on it at the office. I'm going to wander around and see if I can load it up on other computers to have a look.

Message edited by author 2009-09-02 03:18:43.

Canon EOS-5D Mark IV

09/02/2009 03:30:03 AM · #2

in the second image his face looks perfectly natural, but his legs got a greenish cast now
ETA: the bright area at his temple is also slightly greenish

Message edited by author 2009-09-02 03:32:04.

johst582

Nikon D80

Nikon AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor 18-70mm f/3.5-4.5G IF-ED

09/02/2009 03:37:13 AM · #3

On my monitor at work:
The original seems pretty much OK. Perhaps a very very slight magenta-cast to the face, but I wouldn't have noticed if you didn't say so.
Your revised version, however, has a pretty strong green cast. My monitor is just a regular office-LCD, but colours are usually OK on it, so it seems to me that it is your screen that is the problem.

09/02/2009 03:42:41 AM · #4

it would seem that the monitor here at the office has a calibration issue. Looking into it now.

Thanks guys!

Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS

09/02/2009 04:51:48 AM · #5

I have calibrated the monitor here roughly by hand/eye with quickgamma

What do you guys think of the color balance here?

Canon EOS-5D Mark IV

09/02/2009 06:26:33 AM · #6

This one looks really good.

michaelmonn

Canon EOS-5D Mark II

Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM

09/03/2009 12:22:52 PM · #7

i see more of a cast in the second one than in the first. i calibrated about a week ago. in the original the cast is mainly on his legs. also i just noticed your new edit and it looks fine :)

cpanaioti

Canon EOS-40D

Canon EF 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 DO IS USM

09/03/2009 12:55:59 PM · #8

Using a threshold layer you can easily remove a cast from the entire picture. Check out the tutorial on DPC.
However if the cast is only in one part of the picture then it can get a little tricky.

I was watching one of the courses on Kelby Training which removed a greenish cast from part of the picture. I believe it was done in LAB using curves on the a and b channels separately. (can probably be done with the individual R, G and B curves as well in RGB mode.

Message edited by author 2009-09-03 13:13:45.

Canon EF 24-105mm f/4.0L IS

09/07/2009 01:07:48 AM · #9

thanks.

Also, thanks colette, I usually use the R G B channels individually for removing color casts using curves and sometimes even selective color for odd cases. I'll check out the threshold layer thing. Been a while since I have worked on PS skills. It's good to keep working on them, but I've not had the time.

I calibrated the monitor by running down to the next floor and comparing on one of the better monitors and tweaking gamma channels. Kinda a monkey fix, but it looks to be ok.

scalvert

Canon EOS-5D Mark III

09/07/2009 01:24:35 AM · #10

Actually, the original looks just about right to me. Your first fix is greenish, and the "calibrated" version seems pinkish. If anything, I might have added a slight warming filter to the original.

Photo Filter is also a good tool for fixing color casts: just set it to the complementary color and adjust the strength to eliminate the tint.

Samsung Galaxy S22, S22+, S22 Ultra

09/07/2009 04:31:37 AM · #11

yeah, i used the photo filter in cs4 as well in a few layers, which made it easy to get rid of the erroneous adjustments later on...

I like to use the photo filter for linear changes and the curves for casts that appear to come from specific light sources.

Eventually I'll take this to edit at home, but it's low priority right now and I'm waiting for other pics...

I definitely appreciate your looking in!

I'm looking at the threshold layer thing and it seems like an odd tool to use for it to be honest.

Tiberius

Panasonic Lumix G 14mm F2.5 ASPH

09/07/2009 05:42:19 AM · #12

Originally posted by eschelar:

I have calibrated the monitor here roughly by hand/eye with quickgamma

What do you guys think of the color balance here?

This one. At least at the monitor in the office (MacBook Pro)

Message edited by author 2009-09-07 05:42:36.

Chinarosepetal

Canon EOS-1Ds Mark III

Canon EF 180mm f/3.5L Macro USM

09/07/2009 07:29:19 AM · #13

The original was the most 'neutral' if somewhat dark. The first correction has a green cast and the second has a magenta cast. I'd work on the original one :)

cpanaioti

Canon EOS-40D

Canon EF 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 DO IS USM

09/07/2009 10:05:52 AM · #14

Originally posted by eschelar:

It is odd but quickly helps you find the lightest significant point and the darkest significant point in an image. Once you've got the points marked with the dropper tool you discard the threshold layer (at least that's the way I know how to use it).