Color Correction and Restoration - Beginning Photo Retouching and Restoration Using GIMP - page 89

3. We'll now identify the color cast (it might be obvious, but let's double-check

anyway). Open the Color Picker tool (O). Sample the darker areas of the mom's
pants, which are the most neutral areas in the image (Figure 4-16 ). The readout
indicates an excess amount of red for what should be close to a light gray.

Figure 4-16. Taking a color sample from the most color neutral part of the image

4. Open the Levels dialog box (Image Menu ➤ Colors ➤ Levels). Click the Auto

button, and in one shot, you get the result below (Figure 4-17 ). Use the Color
Picker tool to sample from the same area of the pants as previously, and you'll
see the color percentages match more closely.

Figure 4-17. The auto feature produced good results

In this case, the Levels auto-setting did a decent job; it doesn't always. In this case, it looks much better,
compared to the original image (Figure 4-18 ). If you find the effect too intense, lower the opacity of the Color
Correction layer.