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Colorado Adventure and Editorial Photographer

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Color correct for the concept.

January 18, 2011 • Blog, Tech Tips

Colorado is a dynamic place to live.  One day it is 60 degrees, the next day the temperature is hovering around zero.  We recently had a sub-zero spell, which always produces great ice crystals on my office window.

A big topic with optimizing images in the computer is getting the correct color balance.  Some shoots require accurate colors, other don’t.  When we shoot models, we pay attention to skin tones and strive for “close to accurate” white balance.  I’m not to concerned if there is a warm tone, say if we shot using a Cloudy white balance.  Some photographers shoot all their outdoor portraits in Cloudy white balance.  Others use a color checker card to get very accurate white balances.  There isn’t a right or wrong answer, both client and personal preferences will vary depending on who you ask.

As with other aspects of my photography (lens choice, lighting, location…), I often choose a white balance that contributes to the concept I want.  The ice crystal shot is a good example of this idea.  If I shot this image and kept my white balance at Daylight, the pale brown image above is the result. But if I change my white balance to Incandescent, daylight will turn deep blue. Going back to basic color theory, I know that blue conveys cold which helps improve the impact and concept of a sub-zero ice crystal shot.  This blue color may be a little different than what I saw, but not to far off if I shot at twilight.  And for this image I wasn’t worried about reality, only enhancing the bitter cold I felt!

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