Setting the White Balance in Post Processing

[The Blue Boy]

That's the problem I think we all face when trying to get it right using PP. And when to stop!

Was this shot in raw mate? Capture NX used with Nikon cameras can be slightly better than PS allegedly, although I swear by PS.

[FrankMi]

That's the problem I think we all face when trying to get it right using PP. And when to stop!

Was this shot in raw mate? Capture NX used with Nikon cameras can be slightly better than PS allegedly, although I swear by PS.

LOL! Thanks Mark. It should have been but unfortunately this one was taken with the Canon SX40 so the original is a JPG. I'm with you on PS. It may be years before I can use most of the photography capabilities effectively but I never feel like I'm trapped in a box with it.

[The Blue Boy]

What I love about raw in PS is the fact that you manipulate it so many times, save as jpegs or Tiffs, then blend 'em in different layers in 'shop.

The lesson is to shoot in raw!

[Steve S]

Hi Steve, I really don't have a good grasp on how to use Channels to make effective changes to the color tone. Could you elaborate a bit on the difference between having the blue channel oversaturated and having a blue color cast?

Blue channel oversaturated.....................





Blue color cast..............................






Blue color cast, effects all colors.

[FrankMi]

Hi Steve, I can go the the Hue/Saturation Layer, select Blue and see that it is at '0'.

How can I tell that it is oversaturated and how do I set it correctly?

Perhaps there is a tutorial or video that explains this process?

[Steve S]

Hi Steve, I can go the the Hue/Saturation Layer, select Blue and see that it is at '0'.

How can I tell that it is oversaturated and how do I set it correctly?

Perhaps there is a tutorial or video that explains this process?

I really don't know if there is a tut or not. Any time i see a color in question, i go to hue and sat. and max that color out. This will show you where the color is in the image. Sometimes you can just desaturate it and not have to make a layer mask to isolate the problem areas. You really just have to train your eye for oversaturation and color casts.

When editing, the first thing i do is adjust my colors. And then try to protect them using the luminosity blending mode as much as possible.

I add a very small amount of vibrancy to my raw file, and then saturate my images using LAB mode. The amount i add , depends on the image. Some images are already well saturated and don't need much, and others need more. (this is all subjective of course , which is why there is no right or wrong on color temp or saturation.)

Colors are one of the hardest things to get a handle on.



Your image with the blue channel desaturated and the color saturation boosted with LAB mode.(masked out the sky, so it wouldn't turn blue again)

[FrankMi]

Thank you so much for the background explanation Steve. I always struggle with these touchy-feely things so I know it will take me a while to get a good grasp on it.

I can certainly agree that "Colors are one of the hardest things to get a handle on." but for me it is worth the effort.

[ajohnw]

Hi, Frank;


Here's an "old school" trick to get the kind of color correction that the Power Retouche filter I like using often delivers:

1) Pick a white point in your photo that has a color caste you want to eliminate.

2) Click on it using the Photoshop eyedropper tool (the color picker) so that this color loads into the top color selection square (usually black/white) in the Photoshop tool bar.

3) Add an adjustment layer over a duplicate copy layer (so you're not affecting the original image) of your photo; using solid color fill, completely fill that layer with the color you picked from the color caste white area of your photo.

4) Under 'Image Adjustments' use "Invert" to change the color of that fill layer into its exact color opposite.

5) Decrease the density of the color fill layer (increase its transparency): because it is the exact opposite color of the color caste you are trying to get rid of, when you hit the right density (maybe 5% or something similarly light?) it will completely neutralize the color caste throughout the entire image!

(NOTE: use the "Color Blend" mode between the inverse fill layer and the image).

Different software but the same type of technique used on an extreme example along with the results of doing it the other way.

http://ywwg.com/wordpress/?p=270

I've found it better to reduce the saturation to a very low level and subtract it several times or adjust the level of saturation as I go.

[FrankMi]

Different software but the same type of technique used on an extreme example along with the results of doing it the other way.

http://ywwg.com/wordpress/?p=270

I've found it better to reduce the saturation to a very low level and subtract it several times or adjust the level of saturation as I go.

Thank you John, so many options to try and to learn from. Every day is a good day when I can learn something significant and new.