Lightroom should be easy. So I decided to take a step-by-step course to make it easy.
I’ve been looking for a way to teach Lightroom better because when it’s natural all your photos get better. So I’ve started this series, taking Lightroom step by step.
A Lightroom training and reference guide.
You can watch the parts you need. I’ll keep adding more chapters so they are all kept tidy in a playlist. As this project grows you will be able to come and review any part you need at your leisure.
That’s been my theory in making Lightroom presets and Capture One styles like Filmist, GoldChrome, PowerWorkflow, and more. The tool should work for you. It’s the same with software. If you know what’s happening, the tool will get out of your way and you can work smoothly and better.
I’m also considering a series like this for Capture One so let me know if you’re interested.
You tell me what you want to see.
I’ll keep expanding this. Next will develop settings. We’re going to create the largest free library of Lightroom training resources, so you tell me what you need and I’ll keep them coming.
I made a blog post the other day where I showed you the new Filmist 1.7. It has better Portra presets and my new Fuji Classic Chrome preset for Lightroom and as a Capture One Style and a video LUT.
Classic Chrome is a Kodachrome-inspired simulation popular in Fuji Cameras. I wanted a Classic Chrome Preset that worked on any camera.
Even if you don’t like the Classic Chrome look. You’ll find this video useful for your own editing as I’m going to share secrets about how to make more nuanced color edits that work across all kinds of photos and cameras.
Even if you don’t like the Classic Chrome look. You’ll find this video useful for your own editing as I’m going to share secrets about how to make more nuanced color edits that work across all kinds of photos and cameras.
NOTE: If you have my Filmist film presets pack, the latest Classic Chrome-like preset is included in. But in today’s video, I’ll show you the recipe so you can make your version if you prefer.
VIDEO: How to create a match of the look as a Classic Chrome preset.
Why use the preset over the Classic Chrome camera profile…
Balanced greens are still vibrant but not over the top. Bring that slide film feel even applied to a Canon RAW file like this one.
Simulations in-camera can be beautiful. But to get all the options you have, you have to bake them into a JPEG. This means throwing away information for a color recipe. Custom simulations can be made too, but they only work on the baked-in JPEG also.
The other option is to shoot RAW. Most cameras will then allow you to apply that look as a camera-specific profile. Fuji is one example of this. In Lightroom and Capture One you can select Classic Chrome to look as a profile and it will look very similar to it’s baked-in JPEG counterpart.
I wanted a Classic Chrome Preset that works on everything. I apply the Classic Chrome from FIlmist, I can do it on any file regardless of what camera it came from giving me a consistent look. And I can see every slider that’s been affected, adjusting it as needed.
Classic Chrome look in LIghtroom applied to a Sony RAW file. It produces those nice sift colors with rich tones inspired by Kodachrome
In Lightroom and in Capture One I can even adjust the intensity of the Classic Chrome preset. I can’t with a baked-in profile.
So In this video, I want to show you how the new Classic Chrome look stacks up with the Fuji version of this Kodoachrome-inspired look (hint it’s almost perfect). Then we’re going to rest in it non-Fuji file to get the Classic Chrom to look on Sony, Canon etc.
And in case you don’t have my Filmist pack and don’t want to buy it, I’m also going to spill the beans, showing you my settings and channels in case you want to make your own variation of Classic Chrome.
I hope this was helpful. Let me know in the comments if you have any questions. And subscribe to my YouTube channel for more videos like this.
Gavin Seim
While I can use camera-specific color profiles on Fuji files like this one from an XT3, I find it easier to just use the Classic Chrome preset or capture one and have the added control.
Why do camera-specific color profiles like Classic Chrome have to be camera-specific?
They don’t! In the end, it’s just a mix of colors and contrasts. A very detailed mix. And that’s what I’ll show you this week along with some samples of how these recipes look in real life.
The Filmist 1.7 update brings a lot of nuance, especially in the brand-new Classic Chrome recipe.
The latest version of Portra is more natural in both its LIghtroom Presets Variant and Capture One style. This is one of 3 Portra presets but this one can be found free in the FIlmist sampler pack.
I make Filmist 1.7 to have more refined Lightroom Presets, Capture One Styles, and video film LUTS that include a major refinement to the Gen.2 Portra presets, making them work more naturally like film.
Portra works on nearly anything and after years, the latest version of my gen,2 Portra presets much like the new Natura 1600 is just subline.
The reason great recipes are better as presets is that they take a lot of dialing in. You will never do them manually every time. If you’ve seen things like my Sliders master workshop or the 3 Magic Sliders video on my channel, you have seen how these details matter.
Next, I finished the brand new Classic Chrome preset!
Canon RAW FILE, Classic Chrome Preset in Lightroom Classic.
Yes, I finally finished the much-requested Classic Chrome formula as a preset that can be used in any camera. It’s very clean and versatile. It’s actually a Fuji variant of Kodochrom, though since there were many Kopdachromes I can’t say which one specifically.
For those that don’t have my presets, I will be doing a video on how to create your own version of this recipe on my channel in the next week or so. So stay tuned.
Same image in LR and C1 using the presets / style. Almost identical in LIghtroom and Capture One, I programmed the preset to give a very accurate rendition.
If you own a fuji Camera that supports the Camera specific RAW profiles in LR, or C1 you can shoot RAW and then apply the camera-specific color profiles. The problem is they don’t work on other files or even older models of your Fuji camera that did not include that Film profile.
The win here is that you can use this on any file type!
Here I used Classic Chrome on a Sony A73 file and result looked great.
Classic Chrome is a process that many photographers love because it’s very gentle and has that subtle feel.
This recipe is only included in the Complete version of my Filmist, since I already give away the Classic negative recipe for free in the Filmist sampler pack.
Side by side – The baked-in JPEG of the Classic Chrome look next to the preset process on the RAW file. Lightroom.
While in the Lightroom vs Capture One debate, I often favor the interface and speed of Lightroom. This was one of those times when the more advanced color controls in Capture One let me dial it in a little easier.
As you can see here however even in Lightroom, the baked-in JPEG from the Fuji camera next to the same photo from RAW file and NOT using any camera-specific profiles, just the preset. Well they are nearly identical which makes me happy.
A baked-in JPEG varies a lot from the settings and dynamic range you apply inside a Fuji camera. Here you just have the clean look and then can simply mod it with sliders of even the built-in Chemical tone mods that are in FIlmist. More control is the order of the day when you shoot RAW and then apply the color after.
Like I said next week I plan to make a video showing how to edit with Classic Chrome and where it works well. I’ll also give you an insider’s view of the formulas so you can play around and make your own variant even if you don’t use my presets or styles.
Layers let us do easy masking and Lightroom has really improved that feature this year. here’s wahts new…
When people compare Lightroom to Capture One, they often talk about layers in Capture One. This year that advance has waned, because what we call masking in Lightroom, is really the same as layers. They are probably more powerful, practically speaking than Capture One layers. Competition is good, right?
In this video, I want to show you the new masking in lightroom layer mask updates. They are not only more adjustable like the presets, they are also faster. A lot faster. Especially the Ai masking which is honestly pretty unreal now.
Neither Lightroom or Capture One replace Photoshop layers. Those are different levels of editing. See how I use BlackRoom actions for an example of this.
That said, the ability to do this new kind of detailed masks and layers instantly in Lightroom is still changing how I edit. Even though Photoshop has more advanced layers, the batch and speed abilties of doing layers in a RAW editor eviroment is better for many things.
Thej Lightroom masks panel gives you layers than can be easilly adjusted.
I’ll also show you in the video how to use Speed masks for these layers, or make your own speed mask presets in lightroom. I’ll also show you the new features and why they are a big deal.
Elegance Speed Masks 4.2 update.
If you use my Elegance 4 mask system to speed up combo masking and effects, I made a big update that improves the Ai tools since they are so much more usable now as well as other things. Make sure you get the Elegance 4.2 presets update. If you did not get an email, you can login to your dashboard here.
Lightroom masks vs Capture One Layers?
Masking in LIghtroom is layers in any practical sense and regadless of what you call it, it can transform the way you edit RAW files in Lightroom, espcially if you use Speed Mask presets to make it fast and easy.
In practice they can do the same things and C1 has more slider avilable on layers, and Lightroom only has the more limited local adjustments panel.\
But masking in Capture One is manual. No the mahic brush is not even clos eto Lightroom Ai masks. Worse, you still can’t save layers into Capture One styles, making autiomatic this process like we can now do in LIghtroom with Speed Mask presets, a non option.
All and all, I would say Lightroom has taken the lead. But you personal prefence will of course weigfh in here and both do a great job.
Let me know if the comments what you think of how masks and layers are working in these updates. – Gavin Sem
First AI masks and now Adjustable presets. They’re the best new Lightroom updates I’ve seen in years!
Lightroom and Capture One are competing head to head these days. Plus with others like DXO and OnOne Raw working hard. It’s good to see Adobe having to step up its game and deliver real features that reward subscribers.
I’ll be quick today as I show you the game-changing feature you’ll find in Lightroom 11.4 and its companion versions of Lightroom Cloud and even Lightroom mobile.
Still using Lightroom 6? Obviously, this feature is only for cloud subscribers. But a subscriber put me on to a plugin called Opal that gives you this function. I never knew about it until now. Don’t expect it to be as integrated and fluid as this new 2022 feature, but it looks cool.
Grab some presets (there are free versions) like FIlmist, Natural HDR or Silver and try this yourself like I did in the video. It’s pretty amazing.
Finally, adjustable presets in Lightroom!
It’s something people have asked me about for a long time. While it was something you could add to a point with extensions, it’s now a simple tool that just works in Lightroom. It even works inside mask mode to increase or decrease the intensity of effects like in Elegance 4 Speed Masks.
I think this is better than what we can do with layer opacity in Capture One, because it’s not simple and works on every setting we can apply. it changes settings dynamic to alter the effects, rather than creating a lower opacity like a layer.
This is so easy to use. Just watch the video and tell me in the comments what you think.
What I love here is that this feature is tightly integrated with how RAW develops and the presets module works. It dynamically updates all settings related to the current LIghtroom preset, which means you can then go on to add another preset to mod it, manually adjust settings, etc. Everything remains fluid and non-destructive/.
