This fiftytwo photo has what could be described as unrealistic colours. It shows my hand reaching out over loaf I baked on Thursday evening.

Both started on the same processing route, as I prepared to adjust the white balance. I use the levels tool for that, reducing the output levels from 0-255 to 7-248 and using the colour pickers to select white, black and grey points. The grey point is hardest to judge so I have found another technique to help with that. I create a copy of the image and then fill it with a mid-grey using the fill tool in difference mode. This compares every pixel to mid-grey; the closer it is, the darker the result. I then use the threshold tool to isolate the darkest pixels, select and delete the rest and the remaining white highlights show me the sections of the picture that are nearest to mid-grey.

That is the technique responsible for the vibrancy of the colour on the picture of the loaf. I did not get that far with my self-portrait – I filled the copied image with grey and was so struck by the colours that I decided to work to enhance them rather than seeking a realistic result. That is why this week’s image is so psychedelic!

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