help with 1D color cast

[paulnj]

i have tried and tried to get rid of the green cast in my files, but i'm over my head when it comes to RAW conversions or anything beyond basic PS skills. does anyone have any suggestions as to a batch action i can use that'll correct "most" of my green casts?

here is an image i only resized from original jpeg(the reason it's 600x401, pesky extra pixel) to show the cast in question. and i know it's not a great exposure(more flash please?)

[Chunk]

Jasc's PaintShop Pro has an Automatic color balance feature that I used on your photo. I just changed the color temp and did not have to check the "romove color cast" box as is sometimes needed when taking photos in flourescent conditions. I don't know if PS has something similar.

[paulnj]

Jasc's PaintShop Pro has an Automatic color balance feature that I used on your photo. I just changed the color temp and did not have to check the "romove color cast" box as is sometimes needed when taking photos in flourescent conditions. I don't know if PS has something similar.

thanks for the reply!

[Peter_AUS]

I had a play around with the image with what resolution and such I had. Is this a bit more like what you wanted. I adjusted it using Auto Colors in Photoshop and added a little magenta in the mid tones.

[ustein]

Peter,

auto WB should be used rarely.

Unfortunately PS does not have a real tool to do a click WB (click on a neutral element in the picture). If I need to correct JPEGs I use iCorrect Editlab.

Paul,

>but i'm over my head when it comes to RAW conversions or anything beyond basic PS skills

Raw is actually dead simple (using Capture One or Camera Raw). All you need to do in the raw converter is:

1. Correct WB (click WB, color temp, ...
2. Correct exposure

You try to avoid raw and make your life more complicated as both EV and WB are hard to do right later in PS. If you manage to shoot perfect JPEGs (EV and WB nailed) then JPEG is fine.

Uwe

[Peter_AUS]

Uwe,

I thought I did a relatively decent job with just what I did. I used Auto Colors not White Balance which fixed up the green. I added just a touch of megenta to give I think a more natural look to the bird. Having not seen this bird in the flesh, I was guessing.

I agree about working with RAW image is easier and much better in Capture One (have only been trying the trial version), I have found the Camera Raw in Photoshop not as good as Capture One.

I know it takes time to type out things, but for the sake of others here, new to photography and digital imaging and manipulation, I hope people take the trouble and type out things and not put everything in short hand. Like EV, WB, CC, etc. It will lead to better understanding of what people are advising. (No dig at you or anyone, just my thoughts).

[ustein]

Peter,

I did not mean that you did a bad job.

It is more a principle:

The right way to correct images from digital cameras is using WB tools. Why? The reason is that digital cameras are pretty truthful to colors if they are well profiled and the WB is ok. Other techniques come from scanning where:

1. the film is off in color
2. the scan is off

Here you have no real reference to the true colors. Tools like auto colors have a better place here.

But in the end the result counts and you showed that in your example.

Uwe

[paulnj]

if you look in critique, you'll see what i usually get... i learned on slide film, so AUTO WB is never an option for me! this was set to 5500k with flash as fill(but my flash was not fully charged... weak batteries)

I thank all for the info/ time.

I guess C1 will be my next program to tackle

[Photo-John]

Paul-
I know I promised to send you my 1D color correction action. I'm sorry I never did. Maybe I will someday. But Uwe is right about RAW processing. I will vouch for the 1D absolutely having a cyan/green color cast. But with a good RAW processing setup, it can be fixed. Since most of my stuff goes straight to the Web, RAW processing isn't normally a practical part of my workflow.

But just for you, I'm going to see about creating a RAW workflow for correcting the 1D color. That will be better than doing it with a Photoshop action. And then when I'm done, I'll share the process and the results. And Uwe can tell me how I've done it all wrong :-)

If you want a quickie fix, try making your own action. I make two adjustment levels. One is a +10 hue/saturation, saturation adjustment. The other is a levels adjustment for color. Notice that if you click the triangle in the "Channel" window you can make levels adjustments in the individual RGB channels. That's how I make most of my color corrections. For my 1D I bring down the green a little, add a bit of red, and add some blue. I also have a second adjustment layer that adds a little contrast. Try to make your own action. It will be a useful exercise for you.

[Asylum Steve]

Peter,

I understand how some beginners may think some of us are writing a secret code when we abreviate a lot of these terms with initials. I hate to say it, but it has always been thus... :-)

IMO, anyone who uses an adjustable digicam, even a point and shoot, should know that WB is short for white balance. That's how it's refered to on most cameras now. And EV is listed as exactly that on a light meter. In fact, the initials are really what are commonly used to describe exposure, not Exposure Value. CC for Color Correction is also very common...

I see these new abreviations no different than ISO, ASA, IE, etc., etc., etc., which we've all thrown around in the past. Beginners need to learn them...

Anyway, as much as we hate excluding folks from the meaning of our messages, if the rest are like me I think they're going to want to keep abreviating these terms. It makes writing about things much easier...

-Steve

Uwe,

I thought I did a relatively decent job with just what I did. I used Auto Colors not White Balance which fixed up the green. I added just a touch of megenta to give I think a more natural look to the bird. Having not seen this bird in the flesh, I was guessing.

I agree about working with RAW image is easier and much better in Capture One (have only been trying the trial version), I have found the Camera Raw in Photoshop not as good as Capture One.

I know it takes time to type out things, but for the sake of others here, new to photography and digital imaging and manipulation, I hope people take the trouble and type out things and not put everything in short hand. Like EV, WB, CC, etc. It will lead to better understanding of what people are advising. (No dig at you or anyone, just my thoughts).

[paulnj]

OK, i know i'm going to sound like a fool(since i can google"PS layers" anytime), but layers is a term i've heard and understand , but never actually tried to make. i'm sure i can understand your post none the less!

(I have PS6.0 and C1 is only a download away.)

funny thing is.... i printed one file over the last 9 months(8R from jpeg and it looked great), so i never cared about playing in raw or larger files.

btw.. i think auto WB is such a joke(sure it works sometimes, but i'd rather set it in kelvin to what i believe is right for my style/theme). changing color temp in a raw file would be cool(ok, VERY COOL), but i basicly document with my camera and prints are optional ;-)

[Trevor Ash]

For what it's worth, I always shoot (10D and G3) with a fixed WB setting (around daylight temperatures). But because I also always shoot in RAW it becomes irrelevent anyway.

The benefit I gain from always using the same WB and always shooting in RAW is that I *never* have to worry about WB when I take the shot. This allows me to focus my thoughts on other things.

I should comment however that the AWB on the Canon 10D is pretty darn awesome compared to the other digital cameras I've used including many point and shoots as well as the Canon D30 and D60. If I wanted to, I could leave the white balance of the 10D to auto and be just as happy. I temd to like color casts in my photos however.....especially tungsten lighting and even that green flourescent every now and then

[Asylum Steve]

For what it's worth, I always shoot (10D and G3) with a fixed WB setting (around daylight temperatures). But because I also always shoot in RAW it becomes irrelevent anyway.

The benefit I gain from always using the same WB and always shooting in RAW is that I *never* have to worry about WB when I take the shot. This allows me to focus my thoughts on other things.

I should comment however that the AWB on the Canon 10D is pretty darn awesome compared to the other digital cameras I've used including many point and shoots as well as the Canon D30 and D60. If I wanted to, I could leave the white balance of the 10D to auto and be just as happy. I temd to like color casts in my photos however.....especially tungsten lighting and even that green flourescent every now and then

Trevor,

You clearly point out why discussions on these kinds of things need to be interpreted by the user. Most, if not all of the CC advice from both a shooting as well as editing point of view is based on the precept that we want COMPLETELY ACCURATE color in our photos.

Like you, I usually do not...

Still, as the old saying goes, you should know the rules before you break them. I like to have as much knowledge about color and WB control as possible, then use what works best to get PREDICTABLE results.

[ustein]

>we want COMPLETELY ACCURATE color in our photos.

Starts with the question what this would be :-). Fortunately pictures are viewed by people. Their perception and tastes vary a lot.

I use the WB in the raw converter to drive the color in a direction I like. Strat with a gray click correction if I find a neutral or use the color temperature feature.

Sorry, I hardly touch JPEGs. Except currently for the Sony F828 which has a very good auto WB. Here I use iCorrect Editlab to perform a gray click correction.

Uwe
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