Commercial Photography II CTE Practice Exam

In commercial editing, you establish a neutral, accurate baseline before adding any artistic look. That means first performing color correction to fix exposure, white balance, contrast, and ensure consistent color across all shots. Only after that correction is solid should you apply color grading to create the desired mood, tone, and stylistic look.

If you grade before correcting, you lock in any color casts or inaccuracies, making it hard to achieve uniform skin tones and consistent color across the sequence. Applying adjustments and looks simultaneously can blur the separation between fixing what’s wrong and styling what’s right, leading to inconsistent results across the edit. Ignoring color corrections defeats the purpose of delivering precise, professional color, especially when matching shots and meeting client standards.

So the best sequence is to correct first, then grade.