Auto Levels

[monelle]

Auto Levels don't seem to work very well for skin tones--true? I have a

portrait I took indoors. It has a marked yellow cast. If I use manual

levels, I cannot get rid of the yellow. If I use Auto Levels, the yellow goes

away, but the faces now have too much saturation and probably too much

contrast (these show more in print than on the monitor).

 

Is there a way to git rid of the yellow with using the color balance? What is

it that Auto Levels does to get rid of it? I can, of couse, using lighten and

brighten adjustments, but is there a better way to use levels?

 

The photos are at http://www.photo.net/photo/6507956 and I am

also attaching small versions. Thanks for any help you can give me, I

appreciate it!<div></div>

[KenPapai]

This might not be the answer you're looking for but white balance is by far best done in your Raw processing step. Else use the three droppers in Photoshop Levels dialog -- black, grey, and white if you did not shoot in Raw.

 

Auto Anything is always a crap shoot and usually worthless for good work like you're trying to achieve.

 

Try another trick -- the Color Balance dialog; that often can do nice fixes on JPG color casts. (everything I refer to here is from PS CS3)

[mag_miksch]

Hmm, open levels and select the white point picker and pick on the point you think that should be the whitest in the scene. Regards Martin

[silverdae]

Do you adjust each slider individually in levels, or do you only use the rgb slider? If you aren't adjusting each slider individually, try that. (Blue is the opposite of yellow, so use the blue channel to rid yourself of yellow.)

[bill_tuthill]

It is true, AutoLevels does not usually work well for skin tones.

Sometimes AutoColor is better, although not in this case. Assuming

your sample is before (top) and after (bottom), I think it is easier

to just whiten the background in this case. Your "after" picture is

not Photoshop Autolovels; it must be something else. Once in a while

the best skin tones come from adjusting each RGB channel upward and

downward to fit the histogram.<div></div>

[jacopo_brembati]

Monelle,

<br>

a good white balance can't be done using levels or curves.<br>

RGB color space is a wrong space for chromatic adaptation.

<br><br>

Looking at the histograms of the 2 images you posted, it seems that both were manipulated. Did you edit the photo before try white balance?

<br><br>

Jacopo

[bill_tuthill]

I disagree with Jacopo's first two sentences, but agree with the 3rd.

In particular, Curves are all powerful if you use them right.

 

On a more helpful note Monelle, did you try setting white balance

in your camera? Tungsten or Fluorescent WB might have helped.