2017

surface such as a window or metal surface as they are often too bright. Enable Plot and then sample
the whites in the result clip.
In the Basics menu, a red plot line is displayed in the 2D luma histogram indicating the luma value of
the sampled whites in the result clip.
2 While viewing the 2D luma histogram and the image, adjust the white level to modify the luma value
and set the white point—drag left to darken the highlights and right to lighten them. The Plot sample
is updated as you drag the field.
TIP You can view both the 2D luma histogram and 2D vectorscope to determine what adjustments you
need to make to the highlights. For example, if the white point is set to an acceptable level in the 2D luma
histogram but the sampled chroma value shows an unwanted colour cast in the 2D vectorscope, use the
Highlights trackball to modify the chroma value in the highlights. See
Removing Unwanted Colour (page
822).
3 Enable Plot and sample the shadows in the result clip to determine the black level. Sample the darkest
part of the image to determine the black point.
A red plot line is displayed in the 2D luma histogram indicating the luma value of the sampled blacks
in the result clip.
4 While viewing the 2D luma histogram and the image, adjust the black level to modify the luma
value—drag left to darken the shadows and right to lighten them. The Plot sample is updated as you
drag the field.
TIP Once the black level is set, you can use the Shadows trackball to adjust the chroma values in the highlights
while viewing the plot sample in the 2D vectorscope. See Removing Unwanted Colour (page 822).
Removing Unwanted Colour
Unwanted colour can be caused by factors such as inconsistent lighting conditions during a shoot or
incongruities between the white levels set on a video camera and the given lighting conditions. Factors such
as these can result in clips or images that contain unnatural looking colours or one predominant colour,
which gives the image an unwanted colour cast. After setting black and white points, you can remove the
unwanted colour without affecting the black and white levels. You can:
■ Use the Shadows, Midtones, and Highlights trackballs to remove colour from the shadows, midtones,
and highlights ranges.
■ Use the Suppress trackball to remove a range of colour, such as a colour cast that pervades the entire
image.
Not all colour casts detract from the natural appearance of the image. Before you remove a colour cast, it is
best to analyse the image or clip, both in relation to other clips in the project and with an eye on maintaining
the atmosphere, or mood inherent to the clip. For example, images of sunny summer days should have a
reddish cast to convey an atmosphere of warmth. Completely removing the reddish cast may result in a
colder feel than you want. In cases where the cast is a complementary one, you may want to refine it to
improve the overall effect. See
Creating Colour Casts (page 833).
The shadows, midtones, and highlights trackballs in the Basics menu are described as follows.
822 | Chapter 19 Colour Correcting