How do I reduce redness in an image?
Discussion
I did a photo shoot at a mate's 50th at the weekend. He's always wanted to play at the pub he drank in as a young 'un so for his 50th he and his band performed and I have to say, he was fantastic!
Anyway, the shots look ok, but there was a lot of red lights pointing at the stage. Now in a way I want to preserve some of the redness because that's how it looked, but I think it would be worth turning it down a little. I've got Photoshop Elements, what would I need to tweak to drop the red back a bit?

Anyway, the shots look ok, but there was a lot of red lights pointing at the stage. Now in a way I want to preserve some of the redness because that's how it looked, but I think it would be worth turning it down a little. I've got Photoshop Elements, what would I need to tweak to drop the red back a bit?
Did you shoot in raw?
If so correcting the white balance would be an easy starting point, and one which is quick to try.
I'd try dropping the WB picker on the lettering of his shirt, that looks as if it might be neutral -ish and might get you close.
Otherwise you can go into individual colour channels and turn the red down a touch but the likelihood is that will give his face a curiously pallid look.
If so correcting the white balance would be an easy starting point, and one which is quick to try.
I'd try dropping the WB picker on the lettering of his shirt, that looks as if it might be neutral -ish and might get you close.
Otherwise you can go into individual colour channels and turn the red down a touch but the likelihood is that will give his face a curiously pallid look.
Ari said:
I don't have that, only Photoshop Elements.
Just trying to find the white picker but no luck, what's it under?
In Elements you need go to File > “open as”. Find the image and change the bottom box to open as RAW. Then it will open the ADR screen. The WB dropper is on the top left of the screen.Just trying to find the white picker but no luck, what's it under?
DIW35 said:
Given that the only light on your subject in that shot is fully at the red end of the spectrum, you might be better off converting to black and white. I have a feeling that just reducing the red channel will produce a washed out looking pic.
I'd be very tempted to do this, and then dial in some noise reduction as required.Ari said:
My view is that the blacks are very red, if that makes sense. It needs a black balance too, although you might achieve a respectable result by adding blue and green to the blacks (cyan basically).This is a bit closer, although the skin tones are still off, I think I was starting to lose the quality in the image though.
Edited by Super Slo Mo on Monday 22 April 13:51
I might have taken out too much redness though, since it's supposed to be the point of the picture.
I don't know how elements works, but in Photoshop I sampled the black of his shirt, then just used the Colour Balance tool to add green and blue until all three black levels were the same in the Red, Green and Blue channels. "Correct" doesn't always mean 'right' for a given image though, and it's starting to lose detail in the blacks now. It's probably not the best way, but it's quick, dirty and works for me!
I don't know how elements works, but in Photoshop I sampled the black of his shirt, then just used the Colour Balance tool to add green and blue until all three black levels were the same in the Red, Green and Blue channels. "Correct" doesn't always mean 'right' for a given image though, and it's starting to lose detail in the blacks now. It's probably not the best way, but it's quick, dirty and works for me!
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