Red Heads - Correct skin tone...

LilyJack · January 5, 2012

Hi there,

I took some shots for this senior. He's a red head, has the ruddy skin tone but was also nervous which made him blush a lot. His mom noted it during the shoot and I said I'd be able to tone it down. I've done okay (no expert yet) with some but the one he wants for his wallet is giving me issues. Are there any tricks for getting ruddy skintones to look okay without going greenish? And I know I have lots of lessons to learn with color management...Here's to trying to get better.

Thanks,
Kate

#1 Issues on tones - I can tell it's off because the barn board has a yellowish cast to it too.

#2 Okay tones:

reyvee61 · January 5, 2012

I've shot people with red hair and I had similar issues SOOC but I adjusted the WB in post and corrected their skin tones ...
Based on his white tee collar and the whites of his eyes I's say these are still off a bit....

divamum · January 5, 2012

This is really helpful

http://help.smugmug.com/customer/portal/articles/93364

Icebear · January 5, 2012

Thanks Diva. I'd seen that tute before but had lost it. It helps with razor burn too.

Andy · January 5, 2012

divamum wrote: »

This is really helpful

http://help.smugmug.com/customer/portal/articles/93364

divamum · January 5, 2012

Thanks Diva. I'd seen that tute before but had lost it. It helps with razor burn too.

I have it bookmarked and in a folder where I can actually find it (unlike most of the bookmarks I click while browsing

). It's the best way I've tried to clean up this particular problem

D3Sshooter · January 6, 2012

This is what I do:

1. Camera set to RAW, set WB to the closed possible environmental light condition or auto
2. Before the actual shot, take a picture of a graycard (18%) or a spidercube. (to be used for the WB adjustement later) at that location.
3. Optional, take a shot of a color checker card (X-rite). (used to calibrate the camera afterwards)
4. In Lightroom or any other RAW converter program, select the picture of the gray card and use the eyedropper to set the WB (temperature).
5. Apply these settings to all the pictures taken under the same light conditions.
6. Optional, create a DNG file of the color checker card and apply it to the X-rite color checking software to create the camera profile, then selected that profile in LR. Redo de gray card eyedropper as in step 4.
7. The colors should be fairly realistic, and you can now apply the tips referred to by Andy.

LilyJack · January 6, 2012

Thanks for pointing me to that tutorial. I did use the Hue/Sat, but not quite like this method. I adlusted manually but I should know my now, our eyes don't render it as well as the system. I will try it tonight or this weekend and repost. I have two kids and a puppy so time during the day for me to photoplay is limited

Thanks for that process too, D3. I will have to experiment with that.

zoomer · January 6, 2012

These need a bit more black point.
Go to saturation, reduce yellow a bit.
For red skin...select the skin reduce red saturation to taste.

Eyedropper on the white shirt, black shirt or gray fence...one of those would probably get you close.

Quincy T · January 6, 2012

D3Sshooter wrote: »

This is what I do:

1. Camera set to RAW, set WB to the closed possible environmental light condition or auto
2. Before the actual shot, take a picture of a graycard (18%) or a spidercube. (to be used for the WB adjustement later) at that location.
3. Optional, take a shot of a color checker card (X-rite). (used to calibrate the camera afterwards)
4. In Lightroom or any other RAW converter program, select the picture of the gray card and use the eyedropper to set the WB (temperature).
5. Apply these settings to all the pictures taken under the same light conditions.
6. Optional, create a DNG file of the color checker card and apply it to the X-rite color checking software to create the camera profile, then selected that profile in LR. Redo de gray card eyedropper as in step 4.
7. The colors should be fairly realistic, and you can now apply the tips referred to by Andy.

One of the best tricks Scott Kelby taught me.

SLRdude · January 16, 2012

My girlfriend is a read head and I always fight with getting the right skin tones.

scotthofferphotography · January 16, 2012

I adjust it off the eyes also.. 401058_267774276621835_100001677949791_716036_1821802955_n.jpg

this is Ramona 4 kids and about 36 years old..

novicesnapper · January 17, 2012

If I remember right, you can also use an area of "blackest black" to set white tone? In lightroom, if you have the navigator open, and click set white balance with the eye dropper, you can scan the image with it and see what the white balance would be like, as you move around the image. I actually ran into this issue recently, on a family members image, redhead and was struggling to get the skin tones.

Red Heads - Correct skin tone...

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