6.2.4 Other Colors We Know
If there are identifiable colors other than neutrals in an image,
these, too, can be used to perform color correction. Examples are the
colors of flags, logos, or certain animals. A Canadian flag whose
famous maple leaf emblem were not red would be a good point of
reference for color correction.
Another important class of colors that can be found in many images are
fleshtones. A medium
Caucasian fleshtone has a green around 192, a red that is about 20%
more (234), and a blue about 10% less (176). Darker skinned people
have skin colors with more blue and less red, and Asians have less
blue. Because of the variability of skin tones, relying on them as
guides is more uncertain than using neutrals. Nevertheless, for some
images this may be the only point of reference available for color
correction.
