Trying to use gray ????
 

Having a go at working with a gray card/ DVD player and see if my colors do well. This is the uncropped picture of my grand daughter and I think the colors are right on. Any suggestions on how to improve colors?

Excellent clean, rich colours and very clean textured whites.

Right on the mark, inacar, as far as I can tell here. No need for any improvements in my eye - except you may want to be on her level - not looking down on her. You may like the image better that way.

Norm D

Sometimes my back just won't cooperate as much as I'd like. I'll try and do better.

Ina

If you cannot do it, do not worry about.

If your body will not let you do it, just do the best you can - as you do. I just thought I would offer the suggestion - nothing more.

Norm D

HI Lisa

Had a close look at your portrait and its very pleasing.

For my preference here is a little too much Red.

In the shot you have Two neutral reference colours to try - the Grey of the laptop and the white of the emblem on her shirt.

Try the picker in PS levels first with White and then with Grey - choose the one which gives you the closest Skin colour - then go to Curves _ pick Red and drag the curve Down a smidgen to take out the Red cast until the image seems right for you.

I know its a bit of a bind, but if you dialled in a Custom WB for the light your shooting with the the Post Processing would be minimal.

Lovely subject by the way.

Kind Regards

Brian

Lisa, a lovely natural photo but its a little to red for me as well, so I hope you don't mind, I have had a play to get a more natural colour. I went into levels and used the gray eyedropper on the laptop then I went into Hue/saturation and took -30 out of the red channel.

I don't mind but the shirt really is redder. I wish I had Adobe so I could play around a bit more with the rest of you. One day I will get better toys. I appreciate all your pointers.

My opinion exactly but I think too much red has been taken out. Instead of the above try matching a grey point on the laptop as Saphire but reduce all colour channels/saturation to make the image real.

The human eye is tolerant to too much red greens and blues are more noticeable.

Lisa, what program do you use to do your edits if I have the program I will have a go at editing in that to see what I get and tell you how I did it.

I have tried again in CS but have noticed the web photo looks a little underdone compared to the open image in CS and the profile settings are the same.
I have done the levels the same, in the Hue/saturation I have not gone quite so far.
Alll channels +15 red channel -15.

Christine, I have several freebees, I downloaded Faststone and that's where I've been lately. I have Canon Professional also but I'm completely lost there, I go in and come right back out. Of coarse I have the HP solutions, and a Picture It 7.0. which I had been using up till I went to to the Canon Camera. I was wondering does Adobe PS Elements have any of the tools I need or do you have to bite the bullet and get the "big PS"?

P.S. The -15 does look better now. Thank you.

Lisa I will have a go into faststone and elements and see whether I can get the same results, and post how I have done it.

I have had a play.

First faststone.

Right click on image and go to edit

RGB levels where you can alter the R-G-B channels, play with the settings until you get rid of any colour casts, check by pressing preview.

Also in Edit alter any constrast and brightness.

Elements 2

Enhance Menu- adjust brightness.constrast- Levels use middle eyedropper to pick out anything that is gray. The laptop in this case, that should get it close. If it needs lightening or darkening use the slider under the histogram.

Then go to enhance-adjust color-hue/saturation. For this photo I set Master +15 then the red channel to -15.

Hope this helps Lisa.

I am a keen Lightroom, Elements 5 fan. Element 5 has most of the needed tools. Lightroom is a great RAW converter.