Photo Editing

There is no single answer as to how a photographer can go about changing colors in Photoshop. This is because there are three very reliable ways of tackling the process, but each applies to a different need. There is the “Color Replacement” option, the “Selective Color” tool, and the “Replace Color” panel as well. The most important thing to remember about replacing color in any image is that the work should always be done on a copy and never the original.

Which is the best? It all depends upon the image and what you hope to achieve. The Color Replacement tool is best when the photographer is going to have to “paint” over the specific areas needing replacement. It begins with opening the tool and then using the cursor to select the exact color to be replaced in the image. This prevents any other pixels from receiving the new color treatment. It is up to the photographer to then go over the image and hit the areas needing the new color. The way the color is applied is highly adjustable and “Tolerance” can be set to low or high accordingly. This can allow colored shadows to receive the proper hue or shading.

The next option is the Selective Color tool which allows the photographer to select a primary color from the drop-down tool. This is done by selecting the layer in which the image is located, and then choosing the “Selective Color” option. This opens the adjustment panel where they can select the color to be altered, and then change every instance of this hue by using the various sliders. For example, let’s say that a photograph contained images of an apple, banana, and green pear. The user could choose red as the selective color to be altered and only the bright red apple would be changed by the use of the tool

Lastly, the photographer could opt to replace any instances of a specific color in their image. This is done by selecting the “Adjustments” option and then the “Replace Color” panel is opened. Here the user clicks on the color they are going to replace within the image, and this means they have to select every occurrence of that color they are going to replace. This option includes the “Fuzziness” slider which allows the replacement to be included or restrained from neighboring pixels accordingly. This is one of the more “tweakable” options for changing color, but it might not be the ideal answer for all scenarios.