You may recall a few weeks back, I had to put my unshod foot down and get Deke to stop talking about the Levels command. (I’m just trying to keep Martini Hour somewhere in the not-exactly-an-hour space, dekeOphiles.) But I’m a woman of my word, so this week I let Deke resume that discussion, this time addressing the ability that Photoshop gives you to adjust levels on independent color channels. Although it sounds complex, you know Deke will walk you through with patience and compassion. And knowing how to do this will allow you to use the Levels command to remove a color cast while your fixing contrast problems. Efficiency and martinis, that’s what we provide in the dekeLounge.

Here’s where Deke went when I let the reins loose:

Although having listened to Martini Hour 58 will be useful for following along with this particular discussion, we are starting from scratch (and you can follow along from scratch with the same image, courtesy of fotolia.com).

And if you’d like to follow along, you can download the very file we’re experimenting with by right-clicking on the image below and choosing Download or Save (depending on your browser).

In the world of digital light, the Red, Green and Blue channels make up the eventual colors we see. So learning how to manipluate these channels independently with the Levels command allows greater control for balancing the overall color cast of your image.

Deke suggests starting with the Auto button first, to get a head start on where you want to go. Then, letting the histograms guide your way, you can adjust each of these channels to taste. Listen and follow along to see how the master approaches this essential skill.

Oh, and for those of you who are concerned that I’m working in the lounge without a properly calibrated monitor, I have since retreived and implemented the ColorMunki monitor calibration tool. Thus, Deke and I can now agree on whether our model is green or purple. (Thanks to our friends at x-Rite for keeping peace and tranquility flowing in the ‘lounge.)

And don’t miss Deke’s bonus tip disguised as a toast to the Brightness/Contrast command!

Nobody wants to be told “just do it the way I told you to.” So I’m telling you to join us and learn how Deke approaches this inexact science. Here’s the regular-quality (128kbps) audio file. You can stream, or for best results, right-click and choose Download or Save. For you audiophiles out there, here’s the link to the high-quality (320kbps) version. Be sure to download, don’t stream. And don’t forget the usual suggestion to subscribe via iTunes.

Thanks for joining us once again. Cheers until next week!