Sharpness and Color Settings

Digital cameras do more than simply capture a scene. They also manipulate the image they capture by applying sharpening and color correction (including white balance adjustments).

Some photographers don’t like the idea of their cameras making manipulations like these. If you’re in this group, consider exploring your camera’s menus and tweaking any color and sharpness settings you find.

For example, many cameras have two color modes: “standard” and “real.” The “standard” mode punches up the color saturation—something you can do yourself with iPhoto. I’d prefer to capture accurate colors and make adjustments later. A “real” mode—or its equivalent on your camera—gives you more-natural color. You can always punch it up in iPhoto if you must.