How to Adjust the Color of a Camera

The brilliance of digital color

One of the most satisfying aspects of digital photography is capturing and reproducing spectacular color. As the photographer, you make a choice with each image you shoot. Is your goal to mimic exactly the tones you see, or do you hope to manipulate the color? Via the magic of digital imagery, you can create your desired effect by simply changing a few settings on your digital single-lens reflex (dSLR) camera.

Instructions

1. 

   Saturated colors

   Change the saturation settings. By manipulating the saturation, you are choosing to either intensify or weaken the depth of the photo's color. Beginners should use preset modes, such as landscape or portrait, while more advanced photographers can set their own parameters. You've surely seen pictures where the color looks unrealistically brilliant---there's a good chance the photographer changed the dSLR's saturation setting. According to The Digital Camera Fan (Resource 1), "Saturation is like salt: A little enhances your photos, but too much kills them."

2. 

   Using a sunlight white balance will result in a cooler image.

   Change your camera's white balance settings. Because cameras are user-friendly, the white balance is designated by icons representing shooting conditions---daylight, shade, cloudy, tungsten light, etc. On an overcast day, if you select a cloudy white balance, you will add warmth to your photograph. On the other hand, a daylight white balance results in a cooler image.

3. 

   By switching a dial, you can shoot in black and white.

   Change the color parameters on your camera to shoot only in black and white. If you see a photo opportunity that you feel would benefit from being shot as a black-and-white image, the process involved is as easy as accessing a menu and turning a dial.

4. 

   Sepia toning adds an interesting dimension to a photograph.

   Change the tone of a monochromatic (black-and-white) photo by applying a toning effect before shooting your picture. Possible tones include sepia, blue, purple and green. If you select a sepia tone when shooting a black-and-white image, the resulting photo will have an overall sepia color.

5. 

   Manipulating color in your digital photography can open up many new possibilities.

   Practice makes perfect. The more you experiment, the more knowledgeable and comfortable you will become with your new skills. By changing the saturation, white balance or tone, or by shooting in black and white, you will be opening up a whole new world of possibilities with your photography.

Tips & Warnings

• In order to utilize saturation, white balance, toning, etc., you should consult your camera's manual. Each camera has unique settings and the manual will discuss the process for manipulating those settings.

• You also have the option of selecting a color filter from the camera's menu when shooting black-and-white pictures. The filter won't add any color, but it can add excitement to the image. For example, a red filter will dramatically darken a blue sky.

• After shooting your photos, you can easily manipulate the color of digital images by using software such as Adobe Photoshop, Corel PaintShop Photo Express or freeware such as GIMP.

• If you choose to shoot a photo in black and white, you cannot retrieve its color at a later date unless it has been shot in RAW format. However, you can always take a photo shot in color and transform it to black and white using digital imaging software.

References

• "Complete Digital Photography;" Ben Long; 2009
• Pics & Tips: Adjusting Colors on Your Camera

Resources

• The Digital Camera Fan: Pump Up the Saturation