Help with Colour Adjustments

[Elementz]

Hello everyone ... This is my first post, so please bear with me.

I have this high res scan from my lab that I just can't seem to get colour adjustment properly. I have a target image that is identical where the skin tones are perfect, but no matter what I try, I can't get the new image to look the same. I'm just getting myself back in to using Photoshop (version 7) and I'm a bit rusty, so I'm sure its something simple. For the life of me I can't figure it out.

So here is the colour corrected target image:
http://www.elementzoffoto.com/goodsample.jpg

And here is the image that I need to correct:
http://www.elementzoffoto.com/badsample.jpg

I would so appreciate any assistance you can give ... anyone ... please

[Doug Nelson]

Both are color-corrected to about the same point. The real difference is in the exposure. The "bad" example seems to have about two stops more exposure than the "good" example. The "good" example is actually pretty clipped, so if you use levels to clip the "bad" example to match it brings it closer to the realm of matching.

[Elementz]

I probably should have been more specific. Both examples came from a negative scan (same neg), not a digitally shot photo. The first scan, which is the "good" example is low res and it was done when the roll was proofed. The "bad" example was the high res scan they gave me ... which I think they over saturated because the rest of the high res scans from the wedding are fine.

So basically you're saying that I can use levels to produce similar results ... but does "clip" mean anything in particular. I did try levels and couldn't get it to do what I was looking for, but I'm assuming I may have not been doing it incorrectly.

I'm just at the point where I'm considering having them re-scan the shot, but I'm under a tight deadline and would prefer to avoid that if possible!!

Thanks for the help

[Doug Nelson]

"Clipped" as in information lost.

Use a levels adjustment (on my setup moving the midtone slider roughly halfway to the left worked) to get the histograms in alignment (so they both have roughly the same tonal distribution). It helps to have the two side-by-side. Then you will need to do a little color adjusting using your favorite technique.

I know this won't help you now, but the Photoshop CS Match Color adjustment (new in CS) came very close to matching automatically.

[Leah]

I found that it needed both a Levels and a Color Balance adjustment.

On the attached attempt I added a Color Balance adjustment layer with +60 Blue (preserve luminosity NOT checked) and then added a Levels adjustment layer with Input Levels 15, 2.10, 255. It seems to be getting close to what you're looking for.

[Flora]

Fast and beautiful, Leah!

I just added a couple of steps :

1) Contrast Mask to balance lights and shadows.

2) Hue/Saturation Adjustment Layer.

3) Selective Color Adjustment Layer.

4) Overlay Layer for enhancement.

...Not as close as Leah's ... but here is my try.

[Elementz]

Thanks so much!

You all have been a ton of help. I'm going to print this off and get to trying to fix it. I think I pretty much get what you're doing.

You've definitely saved me a ton of time ... my lab can be such a pain at this time of year and I need to get this done!!

And Doug, now I can't wait for CS ... Anything that makes my life easier.

Thanks again everyone