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Dreamer

Started by Lynnya, December 15, 2016, 08:06:44 AM

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Lynnya

Hi gang... well, struggling along with this one.. seems to me sometimes the numbers work well and sometimes they don't..

here is the original



here's what happened with my usual color correction using difference mode for gray point



I check the numbers on his skin and the cyan was way high and yellow was low..

this is what I got when I lowered the cyan and upped the yellows.. it seemed very intense to me so I lowered the opacity of the layer to 79%


comments??  O.K. I'm deep into Taz Tally adjusting tone, highlights and shadows, and channels with curves.... just when I thought I knew what I was doing  :crazy:

this is the Taz Tally (great guy) color and tone correction using curves each channel being 241 for the lights (240's is his recommendation) probably could have taken that a bit higher.. and 15 for the darks in all channels..
to me? the Taz Tally looks best.. what say you'all
never giving up......learning from others as I go...

Jo Ann Snover

I think the issue here is that there isn't a neutral gray in the image (not surprising with an outside scene), so trying to find something to use this way will inevitably create a cast.

I took a screen grab of your original and made a slight adjustment to the channels (-5 for Red and +2 for Blue), then used a curves adjustment layer with auto/find lights & darks. With a little darkening of the highlights (multiply adjustment layer, masked) you have:



See what you think
Jo Ann

Shadow

#2
Hi Lynn. You little devil you! Another color conundrum.  >:D  Below is my Tally screenshot. Couldn't get CMYK to behave. Ah ... you updated. Like your Tally pic the best. (Left my midpoint high cuz in a hurry.) Be back later to see where to are with this one!




Lynnya

#3
Thanks Lyn and Jo Ann for joining in the fray :crazy: now we need Hannie :halo:

Jo your's looks a little yellow on my screen.. Lyn yours looks a bit cyan.. my mind is going numb with Taz Tally.. he's great and I'm learning a whole lot more about color corrections but it's never just one simple thing is it :D specially with all our color casts..

His red greater than green, green greater than blue for skin tones matches (sort of) the cmyk numbers (ish) and I must admit I'm REALLY now looking at the histograms..

here's the latest..p.s. Jo Ann I found a neutral gray at the back of the dock..looking at it again it looks a little pinkish.. still a red cast I think...


this could be the end of me...starting on yet another skin color correction with Lynda.com and Chris Orwig (correcting by numbers) here we go again lol

never giving up......learning from others as I go...

Jo Ann Snover

I hope this doesn't come across as defensive, but given where the image was taken - outside in bright sunlight - it should look a bit yellower than something shot on an overcast day or indoors under cooler light.

Take a look at this color temperature chart (it was done for a 3D rendering site, but the data's relevant to photography too) of light indoors and out in different settings.

I would suggest that while you want to remove the color casts that come from aging and fading, you don't want to neutralize the color of sunlight and make it look as if it was a cloudy day or a studio portrait.

Obviously these are the things that are very much a judgment call, but it will significantly affect the emotional "feel" of an image. Here are a couple more examples - photography tutorials but they explain the concepts with example pictures in different lighting

http://www.cambridgeincolour.com/tutorials/natural-light-photography.htm

http://www.lightstalking.com/a-beginners-guide-to-colour-temperature/

Jo Ann

Lynnya

#5
No not at all defensive Jo Ann.. great to have your input.. I have a lot to learn about color so am interested in anything you can throw my way thanks. :up: specially like the
Cambridge in colour.. used to live just outside Cambridge until I moved to u.s.  8)

I tried to replicate your flow but it didn't have the color yours did, maybe cos it was a higher res file or something I don't know. Anyhow I get your point and redid using my usual levels, neutral gray, added some warmth and vibrance..

how's this.

never giving up......learning from others as I go...

Shadow

Hi Lynn and Jo Ann ... so glad you are both still here. Lynn, I have been where you are ... thanks for sharing your whole process!  :hug:
And Jo Ann, I have so much to learn about color and restorations in general. Really appreciate your input and tips! I wondered about working by the numbers when you are outside. When you mentioned "slight adjustment to the channels (-5 for Red and +2 for Blue)" how do you do that?
Off to check out Jo Ann's links.

Lynnya

Yes I'm still here cos now I'm so stiff I can't get out of the chair... :P
never giving up......learning from others as I go...

Shadow

You funny girl! Guess if we were actually still "girls" we wouldn't get stiff  :funny:

Jo Ann Snover

Quote from: Shadow on December 15, 2016, 02:55:40 PM
Hi Lynn and Jo Ann ... so glad you are both still here. Lynn, I have been where you are ... thanks for sharing your whole process!  :hug:
And Jo Ann, I have so much to learn about color and restorations in general. Really appreciate your input and tips! I wondered about working by the numbers when you are outside. When you mentioned "slight adjustment to the channels (-5 for Red and +2 for Blue)" how do you do that?
Off to check out Jo Ann's links.

A Channel Mixer adjustment layer. How much is not a formula, but is basically trying to get the three channels closer to what they would have been in the original image (before it faded)

Take a look at some screen shots (click for larger) which might help illustrate. In addition to the dreamer image, I've shown some channels for an outside shot (not on quite such a sunny day, so not directly comparable) of my daughter that gives a sense for how much darker the blue channel is than it probably should be

Jo Ann

Shadow

Hi Lynn, your last image is looking good on my monitor. I like the little boy's coloring. Maybe tone down the green cast on the wall to the right? Did you make it out of your chair?!  :cool:

Shadow

Jo Ann, thanks for the information. Must admit, I find the Channel Mixer challenging for some reason. Have to play with it some more. Sure appreciate your time and efforts!