Section 6.4. Changing HueSaturation

6.4. Changing Hue/Saturation

When the image interpretation you're after is all about color that goes beyond what you're likely to shoot in the original and exists only in your imagination, it's definitely time to think about the Hue/Saturation adjustment layer. This is once instance where it's especially useful to have the nondestructive nature of an adjustment layer on your side. This command makes it possible to boost the intensity of colors far beyond anything your screen can see or a printer can print. So before you even start to use it, turn on the ViewGamut Warning command, especially if you plan to boost saturation rather than reduce it.

As you probably know or will see as soon as you open the dialog, changing the intensity of colors isn't all this dialog does. It also lets you change the overall Hue or color balance of the image. Yet another slider lets you change the brightness of the image's midtones and is especially worth giving a try when you want to bring the image back into gamut by sacrificing brightness for color intensity. One again, keep the Preview box checked so that you can use these sliders interactively.

6.4.1. When to Change Saturation

If you've made your shot in dull or foggy lighting conditions, increasing saturation may be the way to bring the image back to life. Or sometimes you just want to increase the impact of a colorful subject, such as a punk hairdo or an iPod billboard (see Figure 6-27).

Figure 6-27. A colorful image before and after having its color saturation enhanced.

Granted, the Figure 6-27 is an exaggeration. Fujifilm discovered sometime ago adding saturation to the colors of nature often adds to the appeal of an image. Forests look greener, wild flowers pop, and skies are bluer.

On the other hand, if you turn on Gamut Warning and start seeing solid gray blotches in the brightest colors, the Hue/Saturation adjustment layer should be your first choice for rescuealthough anything that turns down brightness or desaturates color can be a candidate. Just lower the Saturation or Brightness. (You can even try changing the color balance, although that's likely to produce a result that is unacceptable.)

6.4.2. Mapping Hue/Saturation to a New Color Model

The Hue/Saturation adjustment layer can be used to completely remap the colors in the image. This can often be a wonderful punk or fantasy effect. Note that there are two color spectrum ramps at the bottom of the Hue/Saturation dialog (Figure 6-28). If you go to the Master menu (above the sliders) you will see the names of all the adjustable color ranges. Choose one and the lower color ramp will become bracketed; this will allow you to adjust the bracket to widen or narrow the range of colors. Then, as you move the Hue slider the colors within that target spectrum are remapped.

Figure 6-28. The Hue Saturation dialog.

After playing with the possibilities for a while, try changing the Opacity and Fill of the Hue/Saturation layer. You can also try painting black or dark gray into the Layer Mask to bring portions of the image back to the original colors. In the before and after image in Figure 6-29, all of these adjustments have been done in the righthand image.

Figure 6-29. In the after image, the colors for yellow have been remapped by moving the Hue slider. Also, details in some of the shadows, such as the interior of the closest sailboat, have been brought back to life by masking them from the effects of the Hue/Saturation adjustment layer.

NOTE

You can use the eyedropper in the Hue/Saturation dialog to pick a color to transform instead of choosing a more general color from the Master menu. This is a good way to change the color of the sky from red to pink, for example. With a bit of masking, you could even use it to change the color of an object, such as a car or shirt.