1st Image.

[ggroess]

Everyone,
Here is the first image for you to play around with. 

I would like you to tackle this image 2 ways.

1) Use the color wizard to adjust this image and post your results.
2) Correct this image in LAB color space without the wizard. 

Goals for the image:
1) Increase contrast slightly.
2) Correct the color; it is off...using only Curvemeister.
3) Keep the colors reasonable.

Hint...the flower is almost a peach color when you get this right.

For those of you new to Curvemeister you can access LAB color by opening the plug-in on your image and closing the wizard.  Then click the LAB option and Curvemeister will convert the image to LAB for your adjustments; then back to RGB when you hit the "apply" button.

Please try out LAB it is one of the most powerful color spaces allowed in Photoshop. It is featured in the class and if you use PSE this is one of the only ways to access that color space.

Have Fun..
Greg

[ggroess]

Here is my version of the image using the "Wizard".
Please try this out and see how much you can improve the image with a few simple steps.

Hint: there is no real neutral in the image so you can skip that step...

Greg

[sjordan93436]

Set highlights and shadows and then LAB boost.

[imported_BoydMac]

Hi Greg - It's been well over a year since I last participated.  I set the light and dark points and then used the curve to lighten the green leaves a bit.

[imported_BoydMac]

Greg, I'm having trouble with the color space.  The posted image looks nothing like the image I have on my computer.  What space should I use for the postings?

[ggroess]

When you are done it should be sRGB so that the various browsers of the world can see it well.
Nice Job by the way you got rid of the little bit of Blue that was hanging around he image...

Greg

[ggroess]

Steve...
There is some blue in the leaves and other parts of the image that you can get rid of...

Greg

[imported_BoydMac]

I've converted it to sRGB.  Let's see if it looks different.

[ggroess]

Wow..What color space was it in before sRGB?
Greg

[ggroess]

OK for those waiting for a full LAB correction here you go.

If you have never experienced LAB before you need to know a few things.  LAB is considered a perceptual color space.  This means that you work with LAB much the same way you perceive color.  The LAB color space is divided into three channels.  L for Luminance, A channel is the red green Axis of the colors and B is the Yellow Blue Axis. 

The Strength of LAB is the separation of brightness from color.  In RGB color if you change the brightness of one channel you create a color cast.  In LAB you can adjust the contrast and brightness without effecting the color.  A very powerful tool indeed...

LAB also has a wider color gamut than RGB this means that you can create more color in LAB than you can in RGB.  This is both positive and negative.  Positive in that you can really make images pop in LAB space.  Negative in that you can create colors in LAB that cannot be printed in RGB or CMYK colors.  This gets technical real fast but the bottom line is that LAB is a powerful and fast color space to adjust the images in.

Try out the lab space and go slow...a little change goes a long ways.

Greg