How to get the colors right?

libeco · Dec 30, 2006

Hi all, it's me again! :blushing:

Today I was trying my new polarizer filter with this plant Euphorbia pulcherrima (don't know the english name). Although the difference between photographing with and without polarizer was not that big, it did seem to get me less noise (or perhaps it's just the amount of light).

Well, here's the problem; I've opened the image in Adobe Camera RAW, with which I've been playing the past two weeks after reading tutorial and buying a book about RAW, but for the first time I'm stuck in there. No matter what I try to change, I can't seem to get the original bight red color to appear, which you can see in this image shown on wikipedia;

I've uploaded the original RAW-file (zipped) to rapidshare, could someone try to get something out of this image?

Thanks in advance!

http://rapidshare.com/files/9552464/pic_2006_1230_152024.zip.html

*edit*
And more important for me, can somebody tell me how it should be done if they get it done?

Flash Harry · Dec 30, 2006

Don't fancy downloading the file why not just post what your coming up with to let people see, the one posted looks heavily saturated to me, then again I dont know I've never seen the plant.

libeco · Dec 30, 2006

Well the idea behind posting the RAW file was that it was the original, but ok, here's what I came up with;

Don Simon · Dec 30, 2006

I've downloaded the RAW file and played about with it a bit. Changing White Balance (increasing temperature) seems to help, plus of course you can boost Saturation or use Curves. But I agree that Wikipedia shot looks very heavily saturated; is that really accurate?

libeco · Dec 30, 2006

It was the best shot I could find, it is a little overdone yes, but the plant really has bright red leaves, another picture here;
http://www.leserre.it/enciclopedia573/euphorbiaceae/euphorbia_pulcherrima/euphorbia_pulcherrima.html

Flash Harry · Dec 30, 2006

Here's one of yours, adjusted levels/curves/ saturation and crop:

captbunzo · Dec 30, 2006

I can't answer the questions about color, but the name in english is Poinsettia. And I think the above pic is beautiful....

ksmattfish · Dec 30, 2006

For really accurate color take two shots. One with a gray card or color chart in the photo. Color correct until the gray card or color chart looks good, then apply those settings to the shot without the gray card/color chart. Turn off auto white balance when taking the shots.

The Wiki example is very saturated.

libeco · Dec 30, 2006

Thanks for the replies.

Flash Harry -> That image really looks much better than I can get it to look, I'll try harder to accomplish this in Camera RAW.

ksmattfish -> I don't have a grey card, I'll try to visit the local photographyshop this week to see what they have. My camera also cannot turn off auto white balance. It's either auto or a predefined setting (outside, shadow, daylight, warm white, cool white or spot). There's also a setting where I have to put a sheet of white paper in front of the camera and the camera will than set the wb, will this be any good?

fightheheathens · Dec 30, 2006

it could very well be the plant.
the color of the leaves will vary depending on moisture, soil, age of leaves etc etc...

Flash Harry · Dec 31, 2006

just do your basic corrections in camera raw to get the best exposure then do the adjustments in PS, the raw converter is not really for manipulation.

ksmattfish · Dec 31, 2006

libeco said:
ksmattfish -> I don't have a grey card, I'll try to visit the local photographyshop this week to see what they have. My camera also cannot turn off auto white balance. It's either auto or a predefined setting (outside, shadow, daylight, warm white, cool white or spot). There's also a setting where I have to put a sheet of white paper in front of the camera and the camera will than set the wb, will this be any good?

A custom white balance will be fine, probably the best method actually. You can use the gray card to do the custom balance. The reason I suggest getting off auto-wb is that I've found with the digital cameras I use that the camera can choose slightly different settings from shot to shot even if the lighting and subject hasn't changed. The important thing is that all the photos are taken with the same white balance, otherwise when you figure out what the right settings are on one photo, they may not be right for the next.

Depending on the editing software you are using, a thick piece of white paper (nothing shining through it) may work just as well as a gray card for you. Shoot the plant with the paper, then without. White balance the paper in the software, and when you get it right, apply the settings to the shot without the paper.

Then remember to turn the saturation way up to get it to look like that Wiki photo. It appears to me that the saturation has been turned up so high that there are areas where leaf detail has been lost.

libeco · Dec 31, 2006

Thanks I'll try that!

The over staurated picture was just an example to get an idea of the color, the leaves are not really that bright, but they sure are bright red...