Color Correction in Photoshop

Sometimes a photo does not turn out as expected. You can correct color using the following tutorial. This photo of Angelina Jolie with Maddox will serve our purpose. Note that the colors do not seem all right. They are dull. Open up a photo in Photoshop which you wish to correct and follow the steps.

Step 1 : Go to Image>Adjustments>Color Balance Step 2 : This dialogue box pops up. Notice that all the values for Color Levels are zero (blue arrow). The color levels are Cyan, Magenta and Yellow. Note that the Midtones is checked (red arrow) and the Preserve Luminosity is ticked (green arrow). Step 3 : The values of Cyan, Magenta and Yellow have been changed by me to -25, -9 and +22 respectively. Click ok. Step 4 : Now notice that the tones of the photo have changed. The yellowish tinge has disappeared. Step 5 : Now go to Image>Adjustments>Levels. Step 6 : The Levels dialogue box opens. Drag the white slider (at right) to where the black graph begins as shown. Drag the middle slider a little to the left. The white slider brightens the image. The gray one in the middle increases the highlights. The slider at the left (black) is to darken the image. We will not be using it here. Click ok. Step 7 : Note that the image has become brighter. Step 8 : Now go to Image>Adjustments>Shadow/Highlight. Step 9 : The Shadow/Highlight dialogue box opens. I have made changes in Shadow and Highlight (red arrow). I have also adjusted the Midtone contrast (light blue arrow). The changes made in the Shadow and Hightlight have been marked with blue and green arrows. The changes will always vary from photo to photo. See what works. Click ok. Step 10 : Go to Image>Adjustments>Brightness/Contrast. Step 11 : The Brightness/Contrst dialogue box opens. Drag the Brightness and Contrast sliders (green arrow) a trifle. The values change (red arrow). Click ok. Step 12 : This is how the photo now looks.

Step 13 : Go to Image>Adjustments>Curves.

Step 14 : The Curves dialogue box opens. Note the diagonal line in the middle (blue arrow) and the handles at top right and bottom left (red arrows). Dragging the diagonal and the handles changes the color and lighting of the image. The defaut is set to RGB. See on top.

Step 15 : You can access the Red, Green and Blue channels individually from the drop down box. (RGB stands for Red, Green, Blue).

Step 16 : I have chosen the default RGB channel and dragged the diagonal up.

Step 17 : The skin tones have lightened and look more realistic.

Step 18 : Go to Image.Adjustments>Hue/Saturation

Step 19 : The Hue/Saturation dialogue box opens. The default is set to Master (red arrow). See the Hue, Saturation and Lightness sliders (blue arrow). You can change them by dragging the sliders to the left or right. The sliders are marked with the green arrows.

Step 20 : Click the drop down box (red arrow) and you will see all the color channels. Each one of the channels will have to be dealt with. This requires patience.

Step 21 : I will first work on the Magentas channel. Click to select it. Click ok.

Step 22 : These are the settings I have given for the Magentas channel. Remember these will vary from image to image.

Step 23 : Go to Edit>Fade Hue/Saturation.

Step 24 : When the Fade dialogue box opens reduce the Opacity slider down to 50%.

Step 25 : Now choose the Blues channel.

Step 26 : These are the values I have set for the Blues channel in respect of the blues found in the photo.

Step 27 : Again Go to Edit>Fade Hue/Saturation.

Step 28 : Now fade the blues channel suitably depending on the blue in the image.

Step 29 : Now you mus repeat the steps with each of the other channels i.e. you must pick one adjust the values then fade it as shown in the steps above.

This is the finished color corrected photo. This just requires patience, but it pays off.

That's all.