Color or B&W ????

GP · September 23, 2008, 03:47:08 AM

Here is a little challenge for all you color correction experts:

Is this portrait in color originally or does it just have a bad case of color cast? I'm still undecided and would appreciate some input from you.

mitzs · September 23, 2008, 04:09:28 AM

I am not a expert, but on her chin and going down her throat to her shoulder area in between that yellow color looks like real skin tone to me. I've never seen a black and white photo where you could actually see the skin tone color like that.

Tess (Tassie D) · September 23, 2008, 06:58:25 AM

Hi Gerlinde, I get colour when I run it through the filter.

GP · September 23, 2008, 12:04:20 PM

Thanks, mitzs and Tess, for your input.
I'm still not completely convinced that this photo should be in color. Shouldn't her pupills have some shade of color too?

GP

Hannie · September 23, 2008, 02:47:24 PM

Gerlinde, I think the photo is in color and that the lady's eyes are grey.

Hannie

glennab · September 23, 2008, 02:55:44 PM

Ditto, Hannie. I agree that it's a color photo. She appears to me to have light auburn hair and gray/hazel eyes. What I want to know is how in the world you'll fix her face. The only thing I can think of is to make a desaturated layer just for the face - mask off everything else, because her hair is pretty decent, repair the uneven shades and any other flaws and then add a color layer for her skin.

GK

GP · September 23, 2008, 04:24:58 PM

Hi guys,
thanks for your input! You may be right, that this is (was ) in color. Right now I'm working on a b&w version. As you already observed, Glenna, it's nearly impossible to even out her skin tone. Maybe later I will recolorize it. I have never done that, but this would be a good opportunity to try. ::)
Here is my current wip, started to fix the damage.

Hannie · September 23, 2008, 05:15:05 PM

Gerlinde, with yellow stains I sometimes click on channels and highlight the blue channel (with the other channels still visible) and then I dodge (midtones) carefully with different strength settings to lessen the yellow blotches. Sometimes they disappear completely that way.

Hannie

mitzs · September 23, 2008, 05:33:11 PM

Hannie what do you mean by highlight the blue channels with the others channels still visible? The only way that I know to keep all channels on is by keeping the rgb channel on. If I ever clicked on one of the color channels the eyeballs disappear on the other ones.

Hannie · September 23, 2008, 05:50:34 PM

Mitzs, in CS2 you can highlight one channel and simply click the eyeballs back in to make the channels visible. That way you can work in one channel but see the end result immediately in RGB.

Hannie

mitzs · September 23, 2008, 06:38:09 PM

Quote from: Hannie on September 23, 2008, 05:50:34 PM
Mitzs, in CS2 you can highlight one channel and simply click the eyeballs back in to make the channels visible. That way you can work in one channel but see the end result immediately in RGB.

Hannie

Ohhh, I will have to see if I can that in CS3 too. Keep your fingers crossed for me.

GP · September 23, 2008, 09:40:06 PM

I finished the picture and posted a new thread in the difficult section. :up:

Hannie, I tried your suggestion. It did not work for this one or maybe I did it wrong. Dodging the mid tones in the blue channel turned the areas blue.

After a lot of trial and error I think I got it right. My head is still spinning and I can't remember how I did it. :D

link to new post

Tom · September 24, 2008, 03:09:42 PM

To follow up on the B/W idea.
Did this quickly with CS3's Black/white adjustment, levels and curves.