Color Correction
Color correction helps bring balance, depth, and visual consistency to a RAW photo. After adjusting exposure, contrast, highlights, and shadows, the next step is refining how colors appear throughout the image. In this guide, only the Color Balance RGB module will be used, focusing specifically on the master sliders to improve overall color intensity and tonal depth while maintaining a natural look.
Step 1: Contrast
The first adjustment is increasing the contrast slightly using the master contrast slider.
This edit is done to make the bright and dark parts of the image stand out more clearly. RAW photos can look flat when first opened, so increasing contrast helps the photo look deeper and more detailed before adjusting the colors. A small contrast increase also helps colors look clearer without making them look too strong or unnatural.
Step 2: Linear Chroma Grading
The next adjustment uses the Linear Chroma Grading controls.
The global, mid-tones, and highlights values are increased to help the image look more vibrant and bring more color into brighter areas of the photo. The shadows are darkened slightly to add more depth and help the image feel less flat.
Step 3: Perceptual Brillliance Grading
The final adjustments use Perceptual Brilliance Grading.
The global brilliance is increased slightly to make the photo look cleaner and brighter overall. The shadows are then lowered slightly to keep darker areas from becoming too bright and losing depth.
Original Image (Starting Point)
Final Image
After image
After image