Cast Away That Color!

I wanted to write a little blurb about color correction as a component of the photo-session process. Many people assume that a great image comes straight out of the camera. In today's digital age, I'd say that this is only partially true. Why? Because no matter how many times you calibrate your monitor(s) and pray that the colors match up, technology is not always perfect, (and no two monitors are exactly the same), so the "real" color will always remain a mystery. Anyway, It's typical for image color to be a little off, so don't freak out - it can be fixed. When you're shooting, a good camera definitely plays a large part in how successful a final image will be, however I wanted to bring to light that there is alot of work on the back end that is rarely discussed or even deemed a significant player in the post-processing sector of a photography package. Of course having a "good eye" should be extremely important, but what is also very important is understanding the properties of color, relationship of colors, and having some strong post-processing skills... because with this, you can make a good image GREAT. So what is color correction? Color correction is basically the process of balancing out the colors in the image so that there is no overlying cast of one particular color and neutralizing shadows so that they also don't create a color cast. This makes your image appear more realistic (if that is what you're going for), crisp, and alive. There are many different methods to properly adjusting color in an image and everyone has their own technique and process. Let me tell you a little about the image to the left. This shot was taken inside a church. It was dimly lit however there was natural sunlight coming through the stained glass and windows. The walls were dark burgundy color and the pews were all dark brown. The carpet was also a dark reddish/brown. I also believe I shot this image with no flash. The image on top is what my camera captured, and the image below is the result of some color adjustments. The top photo doesn't look bad per se, but it also doesn't look great. Notice how the top image has a red/magenta-ish glow to it... and notice how the bottom image is crisper but still has a warm tone, and the bride's skin tone does not seem to blend into her dress the way it does in the first photo. The top photo feels heavier than the bottom photo, which feels is "lighter", and in my opinion, really conveys the emotion of the moment in a happier, more memorable way. This is all the result of some basic color correcting that can easily be applied to any photo. I'm not saying that EVERY photo can be saved by some savvy tweaks and clicks.. but the possibility of turning some "ok" shots into "good/great" ones is there.