Switch around a colour for impact

Subvert norms and get creative by changing your subject’s colours at will!

Every scene you frame up presents you with a vast array of choices. From focal length to focus point, and from depth of field to motion, your brain will be busy filtering through all the different permutations to arrive at the desired result. Unlike these choices, we usually accept the colours presented to us as they stand. But it doesn’t have to be this way. There’s a certain purist streak that tells us if we manipulate colours, we’re no longer indulging in photography, but have taken a detour into the world of ‘digital art’. But if you’re happy to slot in different-coloured backdrops for a still-life or portrait, what’s wrong with changing any other colour to capture your idea?

In Photoshop, manipulating colour is a relatively easy process. Provided you can make an accurate selection of the item you want to change, all it requires is a Hue/ Saturation Adjustment Layer. This gives you access to the HSL controls, where you can change the colour (Hue), its intensity (Saturation) and its brightness (Luminance) to mix up pretty much anything you like.

With this technique nailed, you can use it in subtle ways to restrict your colour palette, or you can be really bold and create arresting pics that subvert the norms the viewer expects. Whether you want to change the eye colour of a model to match their clothing or turn fruit into its opposite colour to grab attention, this technique will show you how.