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Colour & Colour Management

Colour Grading

The deliberate shaping of an image's colour for stylistic effect, as distinct from correcting it toward accuracy.

In depth

Correction comes first and answers to measurement — neutral greys, believable skin. Grading comes second and answers only to intent: cooling the shadows, warming the highlights, pushing an entire sequence toward a palette. Keeping the two stages separate is what makes a grade consistent across many images.

Examples in practice

A documentary series is corrected for neutral skin, then graded with cool shadows and desaturated greens for a consistent look.