Color correction was something we never really thought was important when we began our journey with photography a few years ago. We figured the most crucial aspects of photography were composition, good lighting, and creativity. And let’s be honest, with Lightroom and Photoshop, is it really that important? It’s so easy to alter hues, saturation, and exposure on a screen. Also, let’s not forget about these new cameras that have integrated systems for “almost perfect” white balance and color. Although I believe someday we will get rid of all color correction tools, I don’t think we’re quite there yet.
Color correction is not for everyone. We know many photographers that do without and they’re making a living just fine. Personally, we feel it is an extra layer of protection. Working in the commercial space you never really know what the client will require but we always anticipate that color is of great importance. Imagine working with a brand that spent countless hours choosing distinct colors for their beautiful labels, or a designer who chose Periwinkle for their interiors, and instead the photo reads… Mulberry. Take Nike for example, you go on their website and see a photo of shoes you want to purchase. You can’t wait to get your hands on those vice-colored running shoes so you order a pair only to get them in the mail and the colors are just so far off.
The point is, you have to think of your client and all the time they’ve spent on their brand and products. Try your best to match the colors they have chosen and deliver great quality photos that will have them coming back to you.
There’s a lot more that goes into color correction such as color space: RGB, SRGB, but we will save that for another post.
You can check out my two favorite color correction tools here: https://kit.co/pryme/color-correction
You can also view them here.
Color Correction
These are some tools we use for color correcting. We like to get as close as possible to the exact color.
Datacolor Spyder5ELITE – Designed for Professional Photographers (S5EL100) w/ Datacolor SCK200 SpyderCHECKR 24
For screen calibration, we have the Spyder Elite. Note that if you buy this version it comes with the (24) color card. You would need to purchase the additional (24) color card that is not pictured here for the fullest potential.
X-Rite ColorChecker Passport Photo (MSCCPP) Color Balance Target for Photography
I previously used this color checker and I still do because I love the size. It's so easy to take around. I now use the Spyder because I have the screen calibration software on our computers.