Your camera has several controls that affect how colors are recorded. The first is exposure; lighter or darker exposures change how the colors appear. The brighter exposure better represents the forsythia bush color below.
Last is the Picture Style or Picture Control setting. (See the manual for your camera's name for this feature.) The Picture Style adjusts contrast, saturation, and color tone, all of which can shift the colors in your picture. Compare the reds of the flowers and flower pot as well as the blue reflection in the background puddle in the four versions below.
Learn more settings that can improve your photos in Taking the Next Step with Your Digital Camera on March 28, 2026, at the Lifelong Learning Center in Missoula, Montana. Click here to register.
The White Balance (or color balance) control can also change what the colors look like, especially if you are shooting a colorful, frame-filling composition such as this flower. The sunny white balance photo shows the true colors of the mum.
The automatic white balance setting can also make your sunset pictures look dull. Sunny white balance better shows the orange in the clouds.
Last is the Picture Style or Picture Control setting. (See the manual for your camera's name for this feature.) The Picture Style adjusts contrast, saturation, and color tone, all of which can shift the colors in your picture. Compare the reds of the flowers and flower pot as well as the blue reflection in the background puddle in the four versions below.
