Fix White Balance in Photos: Post Processing Guide
Correcting Color Issues in Existing Photographs
Previously, we discussed camera white balance and methods for resolving color inaccuracies directly within your camera settings. However, many photographers find themselves needing to adjust the color of images already captured.
Addressing Color Problems in Post-Processing
This article will detail how to rectify color imbalances in photographs you’ve already taken. Adjusting color in post-processing allows for greater control and refinement.
Several software options are available for color correction. These range from simple smartphone apps to professional-grade editing suites.
Common Color Issues and Their Solutions
Understanding the types of color casts is crucial for effective correction. Common issues include a blue cast, indicating a warm lighting environment, or a yellow/orange cast, suggesting cooler lighting.
- Blue Cast: Often occurs in sunlight. Counteract this by adding warmth (yellow/orange).
- Yellow/Orange Cast: Frequently seen in incandescent lighting. Reduce warmth by adding cool tones (blue/purple).
- Green Cast: Can result from fluorescent lighting. Correct with a touch of magenta or red.
Most photo editing software provides tools like temperature and tint sliders. These allow for precise adjustments to the overall color balance.
Utilizing White Balance Tools
Many programs feature a white balance selector tool. This allows you to click on a neutral gray or white area within your image.
The software will then automatically adjust the color balance to neutralize that area, effectively correcting the overall color cast. This is a quick and often effective method.
Advanced Color Correction Techniques
For more complex color issues, consider using color grading tools. These provide granular control over individual color channels.
Adjusting curves and levels can also refine color and contrast. Experimentation is key to achieving the desired look.
Remember to save your edited photos as a new file to preserve the original image. Non-destructive editing is always recommended.
Addressing White Balance Issues in Existing Photographs
We received requests from numerous readers following our white balance explanation, asking for guidance on rectifying white balance errors in photos they’ve already taken.
Although adjusting white balance during capture is the recommended approach to minimize post-processing, we recognize that achieving perfect settings consistently can be challenging.
Situations arise where photos exhibit incorrect white balance despite careful camera settings. Consider a scenario at a family gathering where a flash is used, and a single image suffers from color imbalance due to the flash's cycling.
If this image captures a cherished moment, like a grandmother’s joyful interaction with her grandson, a minor edit is certainly worthwhile.
Thankfully, correcting color casts in photographs is typically a straightforward process, often non-destructive, and doesn't demand advanced photo editing expertise. The following steps will demonstrate how to achieve this.
Essential Requirements
This guide will demonstrate color correction techniques using either of two popular software options, or both for a comparative learning experience.
- Picasa
- Adobe Photoshop
A free workflow will initially be presented utilizing Google's Picasa, a photo editor and organizer. Alternatively, a more robust and adaptable method for color correction will be detailed using Adobe Photoshop.
Prior Knowledge Recommended
Before continuing, it is highly advisable to review our explanation of white balance. This resource will cover proper camera settings for balanced photos.
Furthermore, understanding the scientific principles behind white balance will enhance your comprehension of the adjustments made within photo editing applications.
Correcting Photo Colors Using Picasa
Picasa, a free photo organizer and editor developed by Google, offers a straightforward way to enhance your images. Importantly, all edits made within Picasa are non-destructive, meaning the original image data remains untouched and changes can be reverted at any time.
Applying Color Correction
For demonstration purposes, the same photograph utilized in a previous camera white balance tutorial will be employed here. This allows for a direct comparison between post-processing adjustments and in-camera white balance settings.
The image has been loaded into the Picasa interface. The editing panel is located to the left of the displayed image. Access the lighting and color adjustments by selecting the second tab within this panel.
Within the second editing tab, locate the Color Temperature slider and the Neutral Color Picker at the bottom of the panel.
While manual adjustment of the Color Temperature slider is possible, it’s often best reserved as a final refinement step. The Neutral Color Picker provides a balanced approach between automated correction and user control.
Many users immediately utilize the one-click fix buttons (represented by yellow wands), but the Neutral Color Picker offers a more nuanced solution.
Using the Neutral Color Picker
To utilize the color picker, first click on the eyedropper tool. Then, identify an area within the photograph that exhibits a true white or gray neutral tone.
In this example, a white card was included in the image for this purpose. However, any neutral color will work – a white shirt, gray concrete, or even a cloudy sky can be used effectively.
Clicking on the white card initiates the color adjustment process, as shown below:
Experiment with sampling different points within the neutral color area. Variations in lighting or surface texture can result in slightly different color temperatures. For instance, shadowing on the white card created cooler tones in certain areas.
The resulting image now exhibits a considerably improved color balance. While not perfect, it’s a significant enhancement achieved with minimal effort.
Final Adjustments
A subtle warming adjustment can often be beneficial. Slightly shifting the Color Temperature slider to the right can enhance the overall appearance.
For portraits and family photos, a warmer white balance is generally preferred, as it renders skin tones more naturally and healthily, avoiding the potentially unflattering blue cast.
Correcting Photo Colors in Photoshop
Photoshop represents a significantly more sophisticated – and correspondingly pricier – application, offering a broader spectrum of editing and adjustment capabilities.
Let’s begin by opening our photograph within Photoshop and demonstrating the most straightforward method for color correction, mirroring Picasa’s one-click functionality. With your image loaded, navigate to Image -> Auto Color:
Given Photoshop’s reputation as the industry standard for professional photo editing, you might anticipate exceptional results – and you likely won’t be disappointed:
In contrast to Picasa’s basic color adjustment, which left a slight blue tint, Photoshop’s automated algorithms achieve a remarkably accurate correction. The colors of Spawn, the white card, and the surrounding foliage and wood appear exceptionally lifelike. Indeed, the resulting image is nearly indistinguishable from the in-camera white balance correction demonstrated in a prior tutorial.
However, not all images respond equally well to automatic correction. This particular image benefits from a large area of white, providing a substantial reference point for the algorithm.
Photoshop offers numerous approaches to color adjustment, but some can be overly complex, similar to their simpler counterparts in Picasa. For instance, manual adjustment of color tints in shadows, midtones, and highlights is possible, but it’s not the most efficient method and isn’t ideal for routine workflows.
A more streamlined approach involves utilizing adjustment curves. Those familiar with our recent Photoshop tutorials will recall their extensive use in our guide: How to Enhance Your Black and White Photos with Adjustment Curves. Here, we won’t manipulate the curves for artistic effect, but will leverage the same fundamental tools.
Right-click on your image within the Layers panel and select "Duplicate Layer." This duplicated layer will serve as our workspace for curves adjustments. With the layer selected, navigate to Image -> Adjustments -> Curves, as illustrated above.
Select the white eyedropper tool and then choose a point within the photograph to establish the white anchor point.
Unlike our black and white tutorial, we will refrain from adjusting the gray and black droppers. Utilize the gray and black droppers only if the image contains a true 50% gray point (such as a gray reference card) and/or a true black reference point (like a deep shadow or a black object, like a black reference card). Applying the black dropper to anything other than a black reference will excessively darken the image, and using the gray dropper on anything other than a 50% gray object will significantly distort the colors.
As shown in the image above, the photograph exhibits a slight blue cast. While improved, it still requires some refinement. Having established your white point with the Channel selection set to RGB (the default), you can further fine-tune the image by selecting individual channels. To address the bluish-green tint, let’s switch the Channel selection to Blue and gently slide the black arrow on the horizontal slider to the right:
This adjustment substantially reduces the blue cast, but we must repeat the process with the green channel. Remember, you aren’t limited to strictly linear adjustments. The Curves tool allows you to click on the angled line in the Red, Blue, or Green Channel and curve it subtly for further color refinement.
Let’s examine the result after adjusting the Blue and Green channels:
The improvement is noticeable! The image now closely resembles the automatic correction, though we’ve slightly warmed the tones (as previously mentioned, a warmer tone is often preferable when photographing people, rather than striving for absolute color accuracy).
Do you have a photo editing tip, trick, or workflow to share? Contribute to the discussion below and share your expertise.