View Full Version : Color correction by the numbers (skintone)


Peer K
10-10-2007, 04:59 PM
Hello,

Normally I don't have any problems with skintone but in this particular image I can't get that right tone. I'd like to send but I can't due to restrictions.

But.. I can try and describe what I do. In the rare cases where it's necessary to colorcorrect (normally I get it right (enough) from greycard neutralizing and using the right icc profile). I use the following guideline :

- Set eyedropper on representative skintone
- Set info-palette to CMYK
- Create curves layer with eyedroppers on the same location in R, G and B
- One channel at a time go back and forth trying to make C be 1/3 to 1/5th of M and Y, keeping M and Y close, but with Y a little higher and K at zero or close to it.

This particular image is of a white, but fairly tanned girl. I keep running into either a look that's either lacking PUNCH (for lack of a better word) or sort of pigskin-colored.

Can anybode provide med with some tips? Better numbers?

Thank you!

AdamZx3
10-10-2007, 05:36 PM
Hard to say without seeing it....never seen a Pigs skin before :)

I found this tutorial on adjusting skin with cmyk readouts (seem to be giving this one out a lot latley lol)...pretty good but left me wanting more:
http://www.smugmug.com/help/skin-tone

Theres a multi page article on the same thing in the most current issue of Digital Pro Photo magazine.

Also a book called Skin or something that deals with skin correction, I hoped for more skin tone information as its only a chapter, however I will probably still get it.

Hope this helps