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Correct a colour cast
With a lot of my photos I seem to be getting a rather
harsh colour across the whole scene. With some shots it isn’t noticeable, but
for others it completely ruins the image. Is there anything that can be done to
fix this?
Your images seem to be suffering from a mild colour cast,
which is where the image is subject to a slight colour tint. This is usually
caused by harsh lighting, but setting the incorrect while balance, or the
camera choosing the wrong auto white balance for the scene can also cause this
common issue.
Before
Before
A: Sky: The grey sky is a large part of this shot, which
makes the colour cast very prominent.
B: Colours: with so many different colours and local points,
a harsh colour cost is a big distraction.
C: Changing light: with the changing weather, your camera
can become confused as to which white balance to use
After
After
Step 1
Step 1
Photoshop elements: use Elements to correct an unwanted
colour castLike many editing programs, Element has a built-in colour cast
removal tool that guides you through the simple process. Simply go to
Enhance>Adjust Color>Remove Color Cast to open up the tool.
Step 2
Step 2
A new window will appear giving instructions on how to
remove the cast. From here you are able to follow the instructions or clock
through to learn more about that cases a colour cast.
Step 3
Step 3
With the window still open, simply use the dropper to select
either a black, white, or grey part of the image. This will correct the white
balance to this colour, removing the colour cast.
Step 4
Step 4
With an image like this, using the grey sky is perhaps the
easiest way of correcting the colour cast. However, it may require some trial
and error to get the best look.
3 of the best ways to remove a colour cast
Hue/Saturation
Hue/Saturation
Opening up the Hue/Saturation adjustment window will allow
you to alter the colours of the entire image. From here you can give the image
a slight tweak as well as boost the colours.
Color variations
Color variations
The Color Variations window gives a variety of options to
remove a colour cast. Choosing the different lighting levels on the left, you
can simply add or reduce different colour.
Auto color correction
Auto color
correction
Photoshop elements gives the simple option to automatically
correct the colour of the image. However, selecting this option will not give
you any control over the colour correction.
Rescuing a washed-out sky
Every time I take photos I seem to get a washed-out,
bright sky. The foreground is usually okay, but I would like to be able to
include the colours and details of the sky in my photos. Is there anything that
can be done to help this?
There are lots of ways to combat an over-bright and
uninteresting sky, many of which are very simple techniques that you can employ
with any camera with any camera. Adjusting the focus point, experimenting with
filters or even using a dedicated scene mode such as Sunset or Cloudy mode can
help to give you a photo that is a closer representation of what you can see.
However, falling this, it is also possible to use some simple editing steps to
bring back a dull sky for a more dramatic shot. You can use a few different
methods in Photoshop Elements to give your skies more presence in the shot.
Before and after
Darken skies: bring back dramatic definition to horigons
Step 1
Step 1
Open up the image in Photoshop Elements and darken the
highlights or play with the brightness to bring back the detail in the sky,
then simply save this as a second shot.
Step 2
Step 2
Open both the original and new image in Photoshop Elements
so that they both appear in the project bin. Go to file>New>Photomerge
Exposure to open up exposure blending options.
Step 3
Step 3
From here you can use the automatic blending mode or select
the areas you want to blend with the paint brush. This lets you use the
foreground from the first shot and the sky from the new image.
