Adjusting Colors in Photography

Lens filters can adjust color in photographs.

Direct sunlight gives a neutral color balance, in which a white sheet of paper or white shirt will look white in a photograph but other forms of light can give a reddish or "warm" or bluish or "cool" tint to your images. Shade and overhead fluorescent lighting are cool and clouded sunlight, while incandescent bulbs and compact fluorescent bulbs are warm. You can adjust colors in photography several ways.

Things You'll Need

• Filters
• Post-processing software
• Lights
• SLR camera

Instructions

1. Adjust your light sources for optimal color balance. Try to schedule indoor shoots for daytime if possible and open all the doors and windows to maximize natural light. Replace ordinary fluorescent or incandescent bulbs with daylight-balanced light bulbs or use professional photographic lighting systems.

2. Use the color balance adjustments built into most digital SLRs. If you use an automatic setting, the camera will try to determine the color temperature of the light and adjust color balance to compensate. Choose tungsten/incandescent light bulb, fluorescent or flash settings manually to ensure the camera uses the correct setting.

3. Protect your lens and enhance color balance and contrast in your images by using filters. Polarizing and haze filters can increase color saturation or contrast in certain situations. Select specific filters to compensate for fluorescent or incandescent light or use graduated filters to change color balance or light intensity in specific areas of your photograph.

4. Change color balance in your images with post-processing software. Film photographers can use filters, developing time or chemical balances to adjust color prints. Digital photographers use color balance, hue and saturation adjustments in photo editing software.

Tips & Warnings

• Different brands of film respond to color temperature of light slightly differently. Most professional photographers who shoot film rather than digital cameras carry multiple types of film for use in different light conditions.

• Underexposure amplifies the effects of light temperature. When light temperature is extremely warm or cool, bracket your exposures so you can select an image needing minimal post-processing.

References

• Geoff Lawrence.com; Photoshop Free Tutorial: Color Balance
• Digital Photography School; Introduction to White Balance
• KenRockwell.com; Filters