Color Correction Handbook: Professional Techniques for Video and Cinema, Second Edition

Chapter 5. HSL Qualification and Hue Curves

There are many instances where, instead of making a primary color correction to an overall image, you need to adjust a specific object or subject within the frame, leaving everything else alone. For example, you may want to make the sky more blue, make the grass a bit darker, or tone down an actor’s aggressively loud shirt.

These kinds of adjustments are referred to as secondary color corrections, since they’re generally made after the primary color correction that you made to fix any issues with the overall color or contrast of the shot. Secondary color corrections are an essential part of any colorist’s toolkit, and every professional color correction application provides a variety of ways to accomplish ...