How to Remove a Color Cast Using Photoshop
If you've ever taken a photo under fluorescent lighting, you may have noticed that the photograph had a green tint to it. Or perhaps you've taken a photo and the person's face looks reddish because of light reflecting off of a nearby red object onto the face. This is called a color cast, or an unwanted color shift in an image.
Adobe Photoshop provides numerous tools to work with color casts. From image adjustments that alter the photo at the pixel level to nondestructive adjustment layers that allow you to adjust the photo without affecting the underlying pixels, there are many methods to experiment with until you get your desired result.
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Instructions
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Create a Variation adjustment. From the "Image" menu, select "Adjustments," then select "Variations" from the flyout menu. In the screen that opens, select one of the preview images and experiment with the shadow, midtone, highlight and saturation options. Also try using different levels of fineness and coarseness.
The changes you make are cumulative, so pay attention to the photo on the right labeled "Current Pick" as that is how your photograph will look if you save your adjustments.
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Create an Auto Color adjustment. From the "Image" menu, select "Adjustments," then select "Auto Color" from the flyout menu. This adjusts the image automatically based on Photoshop presets.
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Create a Color Balance adjustment. From the "Image" menu, select "Adjustments," then select "Color Balance" from the flyout menu. Experiment with color balance levels while selecting different Tone Balances.
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Use Levels to adjust the image. From the "Image" menu, select "Adjustments," then select "Levels" from the flyout menu. In the screen that opens, select the "Set Grey Point" eyedropper icon and click an area of the image that is a midtone of the color cast. Adjust the lightness and darkness of the image using the input level sliders in the Levels dialog box.
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Create a Hue/Saturation adjustment layer. From the "Layer" menu, select "New Adjustment Layer," then select "Hue/Saturation" from the flyout menu. In the screen that opens, select the color with which your photograph is tinted. Lower the saturation level by moving the slider to the left.
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Tips & Warnings
Check the "Preview" check box--which is often available on various panels--to allow you to view how your photograph is affected while making edits.
For nondestructive editing, use adjustment layers instead of image adjustments whenever possible to avoid permanently altering pixels that comprise your photograph.
