Monday, October 14, 2013

Try and correct or just leave alone?


The older sister loves her little sister. She hugs the baby, snuggles the little girl, holds her hands and tries to involve the baby in play. In response the little baby laughs and seems to truly enjoy the attention from her older sister.

I saw this moment through the eyes of a grandfather and the moment was right. I also saw the moment through the eyes of a photographer and the light was wrong. The strong, warm light behind the two children was staining the kids with a strong blue cast.

I did what both a grandfather and photographer would do; I shot the picture. Granddad was happy and the photographer was ready for a challenge. The top image was my second kick at the colour correction can. Off to the right is the original image as it came from the camera.

Hint: The highlight in the baby's eye is among the brightest whites in this picture. Of course, it is tinted blue. In colour correcting, enlarge the baby's face until the pixels are clearly visible. Then colour correct used a white eyedropper and click on the brightest blue-tinted pixel in the baby's eyes. Done correctly, this will remove the bulk of the blue tint without blowing an extreme number of bright tones found throughout the image.

If I had the time to try colour correcting this image yet again. I would select the kids first and then colour correct. This would keep the background from being driven well into the bright yellow end of the spectrum as the kids were cleansed of their blue tint.