Monochrome and Color Correction Techniques

Monochrome Techniques

Monochrome refers to a photograph or image that is primarily composed of varying tones of one colour.
This is used to create a particular mood or to focus the viewer’s attention on the composition and textures of an image.
Techniques for creating monochrome images include using the Black & White Adjustment Layer in Photoshop, which allows you to control the way individual colours are converted to grey tones.
The Channel Mixer tool, also in Photoshop, provides more control over the conversion by allowing you to adjust the impact of each source colour channel.
A high contrast can add drama to the image; low contrast can give a subtler, softer effect. This can be adjusted using the levels or curves tool in image editing software.

Colour Correction Techniques

Colour correction is essential for ensuring that the colours in your photographs reflect the colours of the scene as you remember them.
A common tool used for colour correction is White Balance. This compensates for the colour temperature of the light source to make the image colours appear natural to the human eye.
Hue and Saturation adjustments can be used to change the dominant colours in the image, either overall or in specific areas.
Vibrance and Saturation are two options for enhancing colour. Vibrance subtly boosts the saturation of the less-saturated colours, while Saturation boosts the intensity of all colours equally.
Levels and Curves adjustment layers can be used to correct colour by adjusting the intensity of the shadows, midtones, and highlights for each colour channel.

Ensure to constantly refer back to these points when working with monochrome and colour images to make sure you’re achieving the desired effect. Also, remember that subtlety is key – extreme adjustments can look unnatural and detract from the overall aesthetic.