Color Balance
Color balance is also somewhat self explanatory. In most graphics programs you can click and drag 'sliders' to adjust the color balance of your digital photograph. In the "Color Balance" tool example below on the left we have added some red and yellow to warm up the photo a little. Some imaging programs also have a "Hue and Saturation" adjustment. Hue and Saturation allows you to control the color tint (HUE) and the intensity of color (SATURATION) and the darkness or lightness. You can do this on the MASTER channel which includes adjusting RED GREEN and BLUE simultaneously or you can do these adjustments on each color channel separately. Many imaging programs also include a tool called "Variations". This approach puts up a bunch of thumbnail images of your original in a 'color circle' type of arrangement. You can see how your image would look with 'more red' or 'more green' or 'lighter or darker'. If you see a 'Variation' that you like, just select it and the tool sets your original image to the new color balance. See an example of Photoshop Elements 2 "Variations" tool at the bottom of this page. Notice that both the "Color Balance" and the "Variations" tool allow you control which tonal range areas of the image your color adjustment primarily effects (Shadows, Highlights or Midtones)
COLOR BALANCE TOOL	HUE AND SATURATION TOOL

PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 2 'VARIATIONS TOOL'

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