bobishkan Loc: Fort Myers Sunny Florida

I'm having a problem with my Nikon D7500. When taking portraits, I want the colors of the clothing to be more saturated. After playing with the picture controls, pop and vivid modes, etc. I can't make that happen without the faces having a slight red tinge. I don't want to do any post processing. Any suggestions as to settings? Also, does anyone have any experience with the CHILD mode? Thanks so much, Bob

burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

Use controlled, consistent lighting.

Use FULL manual exposure (ISO, aperture and shutter) and a custom white balance (Nikon probably calls it a “Preset” white balance).

Establish the white balance in reference to a proper calibration target held where the subject will be.

Run tests. Evaluate the tests on a hardware-and-software calibrated monitor. Then adjust menu variables on the camera to get the look you want, retesting as needed.

I set up the parameters for a major school portrait company back in 2005, doing exactly that. It works, if you are disciplined about it. Check lists are recommended!

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

Best advice: open a new request in the post processing section, explaining your issue, attaching a straight from the camera JPEG, and confirming you'd like example adjusts and explanations of actions to perform to the image and / or camera to address the redness and saturation.

E.L.. Shapiro Loc: Ottawa, Ontario Canada

When you increase all over color saturation by means of a camera menu choice or in post-processing, all the color and tones in the image will become more vivid and saturated.

In PORTRAITURE the skin tone and color balance is important. Traditionally neutral or warm skin tones are considered more flattering. Folks,sometimes don't mind a bit of a "tan" but may object to a bright red "flushed" skin tone. Again, traditionally, extremely bright clothing may be considered a distraction unless the costume is part of the motif of the image. Of course, there are many differences in individual skin tones and colors- folks of color and have different pigmentations. Most people will respond well to a natural flattering and not exaggerated complexion.

If you are adept at post processing, you can have your cake and eat it too by keeping the skin tone natural and selectively enhancing the clothing or other colors in the environment.

If you post an example of this issue, I (we) can guide better guide you to a solution- you can start off by doing that here. There are two specialized sections in this forum. There is one dedicated to Post Processing that is very well moderated and subscribed to. There is the Advanced and Professional Portrait section which all interested folks are welcomed to join in as well.

So...post an image with all the technical details- lighting source, camera settings, menu options and what you did in post processing. Help will arrive sooner and better if you furnish more information and some images.

By the way-this is a very good question and should garner lots of interest- thanks for posting it!

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

In post processing (with Lightroom), you can increase certain colors. If a woman is wearing a green dress, you can boost the green without affecting her face.

jaymatt Loc: Alexandria, Indiana

If you use Lightroom, have you tried pulling down the red?

berchman Loc: South Central PA

The OP stated that he didn't want to do any post processing.

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

Our OP should post the requested example then, storing the original, preferably in the post-processing section ...

mizzee Loc: Boston,Ma

That's quite a quandary, especially because you don't want to post process. Any in camera setting will be applied to the entire photo, obviously faces too. What is the most important part of the photo, i. e. your goal? Is it the faces or the clothes?

Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)

The easiest way to do this is with post processing and the hardest would be to use a picture mode in your camera. There is no escaping the post processing thing.

You are looking to get two different levels of color rendition from a single exposure. If you shoot raw, and/or use Lightroom or Photoshop, using the local editing brush tool you can either "paint in" higher contrast and color, or increase the contrast and color for the entire image using the global tools and dial back the saturation and contrast on the faces.

In Photoshop you can also use any number of tools, layers and blend modes to achieve the result you are trying to achieve.

Traveller_Jeff

Yesterday's New York Times published an article highly relevant to this question.
Read it at this link:
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/25/lens/sarah-lewis-racial-bias-photography.html?searchResultPosition=10

berchman Loc: South Central PA

The article you reference has nothing to do with the OP's problem. He is photographing a WHITE face which is coming out too red because he is boosting the color of the subject's clothing and he refuses to do post processing.

photoman022 Loc: Manchester CT USA

You can't selectively boost color saturation in camera. If you want color saturated clothing you will also have color saturated skin tones. That's just the way it is when using in camera settings.

RichieC Loc: Adirondacks

You can tweek settings in that camera. My D800e has been tweeked a bit - menu looks different, but appears to do the same thing. Adjusts how certain colors are handled- so you should be able to drill into the magenta or red channels a bit. So I went looking for how to do it in your camera. I believe you can then save these settings and get to them in future. SCROLL DOWN to see how to customize them individually!

Look here.
https://onlinemanual.nikonimglib.com/d7500/en/17_image_enhancement_01.html

Some other things i found. SOme may be helpful=, however it will tell you that there is a lot of adjustment possible in camera- you just keep googling. :)

https://www.dummies.com/photography/cameras/nikon-camera/manipulate-exposure-color-nikon-d7500/

https://www.cameratips.com/nikon/d7500/cheat-cards?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIy8jHl8_94QIVCZSzCh2mWQLcEAMYASAAEgJzrfD_BwE

larryepage Loc: North Texas area

Actually, I would look at white balance. If it's set too far toward the blue end, reds will be emphasized along with the yellows. Even the green/magenta axis might be adjusted slightly to improve results. But this is also why red filters were used a lot in black and white portraiture...to even out the effects of imperfections and ruddy skin. Green filters were used to make faces appear more rugged and craggy. I like strong saturation also, but it isn't conducive to attractive portraits, whether at exposure or via post processing.