Color Correction Service

Color correction – What does color correction mean in terms of image processing?

Color correction is the retrospective adjustment or modification of the color effect in photographs. The first step is to alter the images that have been scanned or read in, to create a natural effect. After the color correction, the photo should look the way it did at the moment when it was taken.

How does color correction work?

Depending on the location, the light or the choice of camera or film, photographic shots might acquire a color cast. Several methods can be used for color matching:

White balance: The first step is usually to modify the photos to create a natural effect. After color correction, the photo should look exactly the way it did to the photographer at the moment it was taken. The initial approach for this is the white balance of the software. You simply have to find a point in the environment that represents maximum white.

Color and contrast adjustment: If there is still a color cast on the photo, despite the best photographic conditions, it can be compensated for by adjusting the color and contrast with image processing software. To do so, you must search for a point in the image, with maximum white and/or maximum black and click on it. An expert is also able to recognize points of medium gray and click on them, in order to begin the color balance, based on these average values. The software recalculates the color distribution in the image according to the clicks, and usually, the color cast is eliminated. In rare cases, further processing is still needed, because a few color deviations still remain in parts of the image (e.g. in the sky). In this case, the image processor applies a mask to the faulty areas, changing the color distribution by means of the same techniques used for the entire image.

Filters: Professional image editing software also provides filter programs which enable you to apply a color effect to the photo, in order to intensify it. Often, the color range is shifted between the color values for red and yellow, which can increase the impact of the photo, especially where skin tones are involved. Alternatively, you can consciously remove a certain pixel that is not gray, but which should appear gray after the color correction. This results in an overall shift of the color values, changing the impact of the photo in the process.

Alternative formulations

Color corrections I Have your images color matched I Image processing color correction I Have the colors of your images corrected I Change skin tones