Advanced Color Correction Part Two

requires version 4

In the previous tutorials we focused on adjusting the entire image. So what if you only want to change part of an image? Fairly easy with the Color Corrector Secondary filter! We will change the middle stripe on the boy's hat from yellow to pink. Not the color he would probably want, but a good case study in what's possible.

Begin by dragging and dropping the Color Corrector Secondary filter on the event. This is for sure one of the FX filters that has the most controls which can be a little intimidating until you use them a few times.

This filter is best used when you are changing a fairly large area that has similar color. You don't have to limit yourself to a solid color, as you can see, the yellow stripe has shading, but you need to keep in mind you are effecting hue. So if there were other yellow objects in the image, those also would be effected.

If you use an external monitor, switch so the preview is returned to display on your computer monitor. This is necessary in order to use the eyedropper to select the area of the image you wish to modify.

#1 Click on the Select effect range eyedropper and move it over the area you wish to modify in the preview window. While holding down your left mouse button make a small rectangle using the eyedropper tool. I selected the the area of the yellow stripe above the boy's nose, below the two main creases.

Dragging the eyedropper is the first step in making a mask. Don't be confused with the size of the mask, that isn't what you're doing with the eyedropper. You're sampling hue. Vegas will build the mask based on your selection area, adding or subtracting from the mask's size. The idea is to pick a representative hue of the color you wish to change. How large an area you sample with the eyedropper has an effect on how easily the mask is built in the following steps. The area does not need to be connected. In this example it is, but if there was yellow elsewhere in the image that also would be effected.

#2 The next step involves some trial and error. I found it useful to switch the show mask option (#3) off and on as you SLOWLY adjust the values (item #2) for low and high under saturation and smooth as well as adjusting the values for center, width and smooth under Limit Hue. You may find it useful to switch the Show Mask switch off and on as you build the mask. The reason I like to turn the mask off and on is I get a better feel for how well the mask is coming along. You're mileage may vary. When the mask is on, the part of the image NOT effected by the mask is shown in black, what is effected by the mask is shown in white. There is usually one or more sweet spots that give the best results.

This is how your preview window will look when the show mask switch is selected. Note that everything that isn't yellow is now black and won't be effected while what is yellow is white in color and WILL be effected in the following steps. If you can't get the results you want, start over selecting a new area to make the mask from. It is common to need to try several areas to get the best one to build the mask from. This becomes more critical the more subtle shading you're trying to change.

Sometimes a smaller mask area is better, other times a larger mask area is what is needed. Since all the bottom half controls interact with one another, a small change in one can effect how the others works. At this stage don't worry about hue at all, you're just trying to make the best mask possible. Once you're happy with your mask it is time to use the controls in the top half of the Color Corrector Secondary FX filter.

Slowly move the Chrominance wheel setting (#4 in illustration). Remember the further to the outside of the color wheel you go the more saturation you apply. Depending on the image you may find you get better results also tweaking the Rotate hue slider in combination with moving the setting of the color wheel.

For image at far left shows the results after applying the setting shown in the color wheel illustration. I only needed to adjust the Saturation and gain sliders. Sometimes you'll also want to use the Gamma and offset as well or maybe just those controls. Notice how nicely the yellow stripe has changed to pink while the rest of the image for all practical purposes is unchanged. That's pretty powerful!

We're not done yet...

Now lets change the background. The second image shows the result of repeating the initial steps, dragging a NEW Color Secondary filter to the event. Select the background as the mask area, then apply the whatever color you wish.

As you can see, I changed the lavender to a peachy color. There is no limit to how many color corrector secondary filters you can use. Just remember each one effects a different hue range. If we wanted, we could change the blue suit to another color and so on. Sometimes it best to know when to stop. Once you're happy with the results drop the Color Corrector FX filter (the one with the three color wheels) and Color Curves on the event to further fine tune your final image if necessary.