Adobe

Of course, when it comes to photo editing, we have to start Adobe, the leader in the industry in terms of the number of users, name recognition, and overall company value.

Adobe is constantly updating its software and adding features based on AI to Photoshop and Lightroom.  For example, they added a Denoise features that automatically removes noise/grain from images shot at high ISOs.  This new feature goes beyond the previous, simple tools, and creates a whole new raw DNG file.  They also added the ability to make precise edits to clothing and facial hair, as well as new AI mask categories (eyes, eyebrows, lips, hair, etc) for automatically generating a mask in any portrait. These are just a few of the features powered by AI in the Adobe ecosystem.

When it comes to photo editing software, the question, for most photographers, is not whether you should use Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop, but, what else should you add on top of Adobe Lightroom to help your workflow? In other words, most photographers’ workflows will begin and end in Lightroom. Beyond that, however, you may add additional apps, extensions, or plugins.

Luminar Neo

Luminar Neo is a standalone photo editing software application developed by Skylum, a Ukrainian company. Luminar NEO is the newest version in their long line of capable software; this one adds the power of AI to almost every feature. Primarily, Luminar Neo includes what they call Enhance AI, which has two components, Sky Enhancer AI and Accent AI.  Accent AI balances hue, saturation, highlights, contrast, and details, while Sky Enhancer AI automatically detects and enhances the skies in a photo.

You might consider Luminar NEO if you’re a landscape photographer, a photographer who edits each image individually, or a photographer with a bold and vibrant style of photo editing.  You could also consider Luminar NEO if you don’t like the pricing structure of Adobe and you’re looking for Adobe alternatives, however, the overall workflow is more convenient in Lightroom.

Impossible Things

Impossible Things is a new AI Photo Editor from the creators of DVLOP and SLR Lounge.  The AI works inside Adobe Lightroom, automatically adjusting 38 different settings for each image to arrive at a final result.

In addition to its advanced capabilities, Impossible Things is the only AI editing solution that natively works with Lightroom Presets, allowing it to adjust itself situationally without requiring extra training or uploading new catalogs to a cloud or server. For photographers who don’t have their own presets, Impossible Things provides an expanding collection of “cloud styles” that offer instant access to a range of popular looks. (DVLOP is known for its world-class development of “looks” that range from vibrant & punchy to muted, pastel colors, as well as accurate film emulation.)

The AI also incorporates camera profiles and features a patent-pending “Lighting Condition Based Development” system that adapts image color, contrast, and dynamic range to specific lighting conditions.

Retouch4me

Retouch4me specializes in creating A.I. powered photo retouching tools, which you can use as standalone apps or also as plug-ins for Photoshop. Portrait photographers, in particular, will appreciate Retouch4me’s current selection of AI plugins. Among the collection, you’ll find specialized plugins for masking and healing skin, dodging and burning, smoothing fabric, cleaning up backdrops, and color matching, among others.

Check out the video below to see how SLR Lounge Co-Founder Pye Jirsa made the plug-ins a regular part of his post-production workflow.

These AI plugins are available for individual purchase (prices range from $124-$149), but they can be stacked together. Retouch4me delivers on quality and the time saved from using their tools adds immediate value. After all, the real benefit of integrating AI tools like this into your workflow is to get professional-quality results and streamline your workflow to make time for other, non-editing tasks. It’s worth noting that you can try each plugin for free before you purchase it (and pick up a free plugin for frequency separation).

Special Offer: 20% Off for the SLR Lounge Community

SLR Lounge community members can save 20% on any or all of Retouch4me’s plugins. Just use the following code during checkout: SLRLounge20

Topaz Studio

Topaz Labs is a software company that creates powerful and easy-to-use editing tools.  Topaz offers three primary pieces of software that use AI for more technical tasks:

• Topaz DeNoise AI – Eliminate noise while recovering detail in high-ISO and low light images.
• Topaz Sharpen AI – Sharpen images without artifacts to help with shake reduction, focus correction, and blur removal.
• Topaz Gigapixel AI – Get better photo quality by enhancing the detail and upscaling for printing, cropping, restoration and more.

You can purchase any of these applications separately and integrate them into your Lightroom workflow, or you can purchase Topaz Photo AI, which offers a combination of all three applications. Topaz Photo AI offers slightly less advanced tools than the individual applications.

Topaz is a great tool to have in your software lineup, as it can help you save photos that might otherwise be discarded. On the one hand, things like noise, sharpening, and enlargement all lend themselves very well to being assisted by AI. On the other hand, of course, these aren’t the artistic aspects of photography itself, so they are definitely meant to just complement your main creative workflow.

Aftershoot

Aftershoot CULL is a feature that enables you to sort through each pose, variation, or group of people in a photo shoot and select the best image. You can set your own preferences and determine the “keepers” based on factors such as image sharpness or the subject’s smile. You can also adjust the number of keepers for each pose, selecting only a few images based on specific criteria.

Aftershoot EDITS is another feature that allows you to apply your own personal style of color correction and artistic editing to your photos. It learns from your existing work and can automatically perform technical corrections such as straightening and cropping. You can also use your own creative profiles to switch up your editing style.

See our full Aftershoot Review here.

ACDSee

ACDSee, which has been in existence since the early days of digital photography, is comparable to Adobe in terms of its longevity. Although it is not as well-known, the company’s Photo Studio Ultimate software for photo workflow and editing has garnered a loyal following among users who prefer it over Lightroom.

ACDSee’s Photo Studio Ultimate 2023 has been updated with an emphasis on artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities, including a fresh Face Edit feature and subject removal, aligning it more closely with rival offerings from Adobe, Capture One, and Skylum.  The latest version of the app, released in 2023, features layer-editing capabilities similar to Photoshop, and some of its tools, such as Light EQ adjusters, are particularly effective.

However, it lags behind top competitors in areas such as initial raw camera file conversion quality, import speed, the effectiveness of some corrections, and interface usability. For these reasons, our Editors’ Choice photo workflow app, Adobe Lightroom Classic, is recommended for those with higher volume workflows.

Spyne

Spyne AI is an app that takes advantage of AI’s powerful ability to identify mechanical things, cars in this case. Entirely dedicated to auto vehicle photo editing, Spyne allows users to create a “Virtual Car Studio”, putting your car on a showroom floor, and making adjustments such as controlling tint on windows.

The app offers over 100 backgrounds, from showrooms to on-location photo scenes, and a scalable (high-volume) workflow. Last but not least, you can use their technology to turn your own car

Remove.bg

With a straightforward interface, Remove.bg allows you to easily eliminate the background of an uploaded image. Within moments, Remove.bg will return the image without the background.

The standard definition image is available for free download, but higher resolutions require credits, which must be purchased.  Remove.bg also provides options to replace the background with a new one. You can choose from the given backgrounds or upload your own. If you prefer, you can blur the background of the image instead of removing it.

While Remove.bg is free to use, there are limitations. The tool allows unlimited low-quality versions of an image for free. Additionally, creating a free account enables you to download one high-quality image for free.  To access further features, payment is required. As you purchase more image credits, the cost per credit decreases. If you plan to use Remove.bg programmatically, you must pay for API calls too.

autoRetouch

This AI-powered retouching software is made for all types of product photographers, it offers a host of features that may be attractive to e-commerce type businesses.

In addition to basic tools such as automatically removing and changing subject backgrounds, autoRetuoch offers tools such as various cropping, alignment, and border padding tools. Also, besides simple portrait retouching and background “cleanup” tools, there are advanced tools  for product photographers such as extracting a fabric swatch from clothing photos, and generating/exporting different vector paths.

Pixlr

Pixlr is a photo editing software that comes in both free and paid versions. The free version includes standard photo editing features such as background removal (with a separate app available), filters, effects, animations, and collage creation.

The paid version provides access to a vast selection of photo overlays, stickers, assets, exclusive editing tools, and tutorials. Additionally, Pixlr allows users to open images from cloud storage platforms like Google Drive and Dropbox, making it a preferred choice for professionals who need to make quick and simple edits.

Capture One

Capture One is the biggest rival to Adobe Lightroom, because it too offers a catalog system. This means Capture One is capable of a start-to-finish workflow, in addition to special editing tools.

Catering primarily to all types of portrait photographers, the software’s Smart Adjustments tool uses AI to apply exposure and white balance corrections to any photo with a face in it. Of course, Capture One also offers some highly useful tools that all types of photographers will appreciate, and is known for film-like colors that portrait and landscape photographers alike appreciate.

Other AI Photo Editing

Below are other AI Photo Editing options to consider and research.  As we explore each of the companies mentioned below, we’ll expand on them and update this article.

• Movavi Picverse
• PortraitPro 23
• Imagen AI
• Leawo PhotoIns
• Lunacy
• Quik.ai
• Claid.ai
• Slazzer
• Prisma
• Lensa

Conclusion – AI Photo Editing Is Getting Even Better!

As artificial intelligence continues to evolve, it is clear that AI photo editing is the future. What is possible now will seem very common in a few years or less! Thanks to its ability to save time and improve results, AI is poised to revolutionize the world of photography. We created this article to help you understand and utilize this powerful tool to your advantage! Be sure to check back regularly for news about improvements and new opportunities.

Common Photo Editing Styles

Let’s discuss the common editing styles that photograph apply to their images.  Most photographers mix and match these general styles to create their own.

Natural Photo Editing Style

The editing style involves subtle adjustments that emphasize the inherent beauty of the image. This approach to wedding and portrait photography produces an authentic, true-to-life feel that accurately captures the moment. This style is particularly effective for editorial portraits where simplicity in editing is favored, allowing the subject’s pose and expression to take center stage and speak directly to the viewer. You can achieve this style with manual adjustments in Lightroom or with with Lightroom Presets like the Pure Presets.  See more examples of this style in the work of the clean and modern photographers on Wedding Maps.

Bold and Vibrant Photo Editing Style

The unique editing style in is known for its warm, lively, and bold colors. By utilizing the camera’s entire dynamic range and image quality, this editing approach showcases the stunning hues in images that capture breathtaking moments such as fiery sunsets, tropical blue waters, or vibrant wedding florals.  You can achieve this style with manual adjustments in Lightroom or with with Lightroom Presets like the Crush Presets.  See more examples of this style in the work of the bold and vibrant photographers on Wedding Maps.

Light and Airy Photo Editing Style

The light and airy style of photography has a distinct charm that is recognized by its soft, pastel colors and dreamy, ethereal ambiance. This popular approach to wedding and portrait photography is often compared to filmic or fine art styles and exudes a romantic and whimsical vibe that is often captured in natural light. You can achieve this style with manual adjustments in Lightroom or with with Lightroom Presets like the Pastel Presets.  See more examples of this style in the work of the light and airy photographers on Wedding Maps.

Dark and Moody Photo Editing Style

The editing style is recognized by its deep, rich colors, and a dramatic, moody aura. Often referred to as boho or earthy, this trendy approach isn’t hesitant to explore the shadows and resides predominantly in the left side of the histogram. You can achieve this style with manual adjustments in Lightroom or with with Lightroom Presets like the Mood Presets.  See more examples of this style from the dark and moody photographers on Wedding Maps.

Film Emulation Photo Editing Style

The Film Emulation Photo Editing Style is an approach that involves mimicking the visual characteristics of traditional film photography film stocks such as Fuji 400, Kodak Portra 400 and others. This editing style is popular in wedding and portrait photography, as it provides a classic and timeless aesthetic to images. The editing process involves adding grain, altering color hues, and adjusting contrast to create a look that resembles different types of film. By emulating the look and feel of traditional film, this editing style creates a sense of nostalgia and timelessness in the images, lending them a unique and distinctive quality.

Black and White Photo Editing Style

The editing style is known for its monochromatic and timeless feel, relying solely on contrast and tonal range to create a striking image. This style is commonly utilized in wedding and portrait photography, lending a classic and elegant aesthetic to the images. Additionally, this approach can eliminate distracting colors and minimize the impact of unsightly elements within the frame, resulting in a cleaner and more polished final image. You can achieve this style with manual adjustments in Lightroom or with with Lightroom Presets like the Black and White Mixer.

Painterly Photo Editing Style

https://www.instagram.com/p/CdGD25ovd9b/

The Painterly Photo Editing Style is an approach to photo editing that is characterized by its resemblance to traditional painting techniques. This style involves using digital tools to manipulate images to resemble a painting, incorporating elements such as brushstrokes, textures, and color blending. This style is often used in fine art photography and portraiture, as it allows photographers to add a creative and distinctive touch to their work.

Cross-Processed photo editing style

The Cross-Processed (or cross processing) Photo Editing Style is an approach to photo editing that emulates the look of film that has been processed using the wrong chemicals. The original technique involves developing color film in chemicals that are meant for another type of film, resulting in unusual and striking color shifts. In digital photography, this effect is achieved by manipulating the color balance and saturation to create a similar look. Cross-processing can create images with bold and unexpected color combinations, high contrast, and a distinctive vintage or retro aesthetic.

HDR Photo Editing Style

The HDR (High Dynamic Range) Photo Editing Style is an approach that involves combining multiple images of the same scene taken at different exposures to produce a final image with a greater range of brightness and detail than is possible with a single exposure. The HDR technique is often used in landscape and architectural photography, where it allows for greater detail in both the bright and dark areas of the image. In the editing process, multiple images are merged and adjusted to create a final image with a high dynamic range, resulting in a photograph that appears more vivid and realistic. The HDR Photo Editing Style is often used in travel and outdoor photography, as it allows photographers to capture and share the beauty of a scene in a more compelling way.

Essential Photo Editing Terminology

Basic Photo Editing or Corrective Photo Editing – Basic photo editing involves the essential adjustments that are necessary to improve an image’s overall appearance. It includes techniques like cropping, resizing, and adjusting exposure, contrast and color temperature, and other basic functions.

Retouching – Retouching involves correcting any imperfections or blemishes in an image, reshaping and liquifying subjects, and other advanced techniques.  This is typically done in Photoshop and other retouching software like Portrait Pro.

Color Grading – Color grading is the process of adjusting and enhancing the colors and tones of a video or image to achieve a desired look or mood. It involves adjusting the brightness, contrast, saturation, and hue of different color channels, as well as applying creative color effects and stylizations. Color grading can be used to correct color imbalances, create a consistent look across a series of shots, or add a cinematic feel.

Advanced Photo Editing Styles – Advanced photo editing involves more complex techniques like compositing, HDR, and frequency separation. These techniques are used to create unique and visually stunning images.

Conclusion

Understanding the different photo editing styles is essential to improve your photo editing skills. From basic styles like cropping and adjusting brightness and contrast to more advanced styles like compositing and HDR, there are countless approaches to photo editing. By exploring the techniques and approaches that define each style, you can develop your own unique style and approach to photo editing. So get out there and start experimenting! Who knows, you may just discover a new photo editing style that defines your work.

In this Zoner Photo Studio X review, we are going to dive into the software’s newest update, and tell you why we think it deserves a status that is actually on par with the popular, industry-leading options!

Indeed, ZPS X isn’t just another free, clunky photo editing software; it does cost money. It’s $49 per year or $4.99 per month. However, this software has what you need: it runs smoothly, is impressively fast, and delivers beautiful image results. Oh, and there’s one more thing: if you stop paying the subscription, you don’t lose access to your photo catalog! (Yes, you read that right!)

There are both advantages and disadvantages, of course, and I will lay them out as clearly as possible for you. Maybe you’re searching for your very first raw photo editing software, or maybe you are looking for an alternative to your current workflow such as Lightroom or Capture One. Either way, by the end of this article you should have the information you need to make the best decision!

[Related: Zoner Photo Studio X is First to Support HEIF Image Files]

What Is Zoner Photo Studio X?

ZPS X is more than just an alternative raw conversion engine, as many bare-bones raw editing software applications seem to be. In fact, this is an entire workflow solution, with a catalog system that allows you to quickly import, browse, cull, edit, and export your raw (and other) image files.

Would you rather avoid a catalog system? With ZPS X, you can also simply browse your computer’s folders without having to create a catalog or import every photo prior to editing.

In other words, it is like having both Lightroom and Bridge rolled into one raw editing application!

Just as importantly, ZPS X offers the next major step in many photographers’ editing process, too: actual layers, complete with masking and other blending options. So, if your layer blending needs are relatively basic, you’ll no longer need to open images in Photoshop, either!

There are also advanced brushes available for burning and dodging, plus retouching, and of course gradient and radial filters, too.

Pros & Cons | Advantages of Zoner Photo Studio X

When it comes to the specific advantages and disadvantages of ZPS X, we can cut to the chase by just saying it’s super convenient to have a browser, a catalog, and even a layer-enabled photo editor all in one. It’s even more convenient to know that if your interest in photography ever wanes just a little bit, you can save a little money by ending your subscription while still accessing your raw edits. Conversely, if you’re constantly upgrading your camera to the latest model, you might be waiting a while for compatibility.

With that said, let’s get into further detail!

Speed Comparable To Competitors

While many raw converters have struggled to match the speed and smoothness of big-name brands like Adobe in the past, (and some are almost useless because they are so slow!) …the overall speed of ZPS X has been improved substantially with its recent update, and is very responsive when browsing and editing.

Even with just a half-decent amount of RAM, such as 16 GB, you’ll get fast results when scrolling between photos, zooming in to 100%, or making actual color-correction adjustments.

This is always fantastic news for me as someone who reviews photography equipment and gives recommendations to all types of photographers because I know that many folks may be unable to afford high-powered computers with 64 or 128GB of RAM.

High-Quality Color (And Black & White) Raw Conversions

Another area where raw conversion software can fall short is an extremely important one: The actual control and look of images themselves; that is, the results, the tones, and colors! Without accurate, vibrant colors, or smooth control of highlights and shadows, raw conversion software is simply not worth your time.

Thankfully, this is another area where ZPS X offers impressive results. Not only are the sliders themselves going to sound familiar, (more about that next!) …but, in fact, the ZPS X adjustments are excellent in terms of their actual results.

In their latest update, they have redone the Black & White conversion settings, too, for beautiful tonality from highlights to shadows.

Familiar Sliders For An Easy Learning Curve

I touched on this already: if you’re at all familiar with the Basic Develop Module sliders in Adobe Lightroom, then you won’t have to worry about a steep learning curve when starting out with Zoner Photo Studio. This could be an important deciding factor for anyone who is afraid to try new software because of how much time it will take to get used to it.

Additional Innovative Features

Besides the familiar “Basic” sliders that you’ll feel right at home with, there is more! For advanced editing work, Zoner Photo Studio offers a handful of features that you won’t find in some of the other popular raw editing software.

One of my favorite features is the “Polarization” slider. As you might imagine, this slider fits right in with Saturation, Vibrance, and Dehaze, and does an impressive job of imitating a real-world polarizer filter.

Additionally, the Color Shift tool is excellent. Personally, this type of advanced tool was honestly one of my favorite reasons to go with Capture One over Lightroom, and now, I have it in ZPS X!

Last but not least, something very simple and yet highly convenient: I really appreciate being able to zoom in to 100% (or more) for achieving truly perfect horizon leveling, or any other such angular crop refinement.

Software Subscription, Done The Right Way?

One of the biggest advantages that I see with ZPS X has to do with the pricing structure of a subscription-based service. Not only is a ZPS X license just $4.99 a month, (as opposed to $9.99) or $49 per year, but also, you get to keep using the browser aspect of the software if you end your subscription.

This is something that has always seriously bothered me about Adobe’s business model: they effectively hold your raw photos at ransom forever, because if you stop paying, you stop being able to use your catalog to view your raw photos or see all the hard work you put into editing them.

The caveat for ZPS X, of course, is that if you cancel, you can only view your photos; editing them is disabled. You won’t get to continue updating the software, which means you won’t get any new features that might come out or support for new cameras in the future.

However, if you don’t plan on buying a new camera for a while and all you want to do is browse your photos, then you could definitely save money in the long run, even if you eventually restart the subscription someday.

Basic Video Editing and AVIF Support

If it wasn’t enough to have a full photography workflow tool in one application, ZPS X also has basic, but effective, video editing capabilities too. The functionality is not the same as a full-blown video editing application, of course, but it is intuitive and offers a simplified timeline cutting experience, for those who simply want to put a few clips together and make basic adjustments to them.

Online Gallery Options | Zonerama

Last but not least, for those who wish to be able to go straight from their photo/video workflow to a free online gallery for sharing with viewers, the Zonerama online gallery feature is included. (Keep in mind, though, you don’t need an active subscription in order to use Zonerama!)

Honestly, most photographers will likely go straight to social media with their imagery. However, for anyone who wants to quickly export entire folders or photoshoots to a clean, professional-looking online gallery, this is an excellent solution.

In fact, while social media collectively fails to offer any sort of image quality guarantee whatsoever, Zonerama doesn’t compress your uploaded files, and its resized images for various different size displays are impressive, too. There are no limits on quantity either, so this could be an option for archival use.

Having a simple, aesthetically pleasing gallery for any collection of photos, whether it is your 5-star portfolio or a quick portrait session you did for a friend or client, the option to use Zonerama might be of interest to you.

Pros & Cons | Disadvantages of Zoner Photo Studio X

Considering that the software has received an impressive speed upgrade, delivers impressive image results, and is more affordable than top competitors, I personally hope that you’re wondering if there are any drawbacks or disadvantages. If anything ever sounds too good to be true, you should be skeptical!

With that said, the pros do outweigh the cons here, but, to summarize, if you’re okay with the subscription pricing and if your camera & OS are currently supported, then there’s really not much stopping you from buying ZPS X.

Windows Users Only

Let’s get this one out of the way first and foremost, because it is very cut and dry: If you’re on a Mac, you won’t be able to use ZPS X. That is unless you can emulate Windows, of course.

A lot of creative people do seem to like Mac, so this is unfortunate, but obviously, Windows is still the more common operating system. Hopefully, the folks at Zoner are working on Apple compatibility!

Controversial Subscription-Based Pricing

The first thing that potential users will notice is, of course, the fact that you can’t just buy the software outright like you used to with other software in years past. However, I just called the price tag, and the overall value, an advantage/pro of this software. So, can its pricing structure really be considered a “con” at the same time?

Some people really like to have permanent ownership of a software license, because it gives them the freedom to either “never” upgrade that software, or at least choose when they are ready to upgrade.

In many long-term cost estimates, however, an affordable software subscription actually comes out ahead for anyone who eventually upgrades their editing software every couple/few years.

To me, what sets this software apart from others is simply the fact that if you cancel your subscription, you’ll still be able to at least browse your photos and see your raw edits, even if you can’t perform additional edits. I do wish there was an option to pay an additional buyout fee and continue editing your photos, too.

Supported Cameras (And Lenses) Needs Updating

It may be very useful to always have access to your catalog of raw photos no matter what, however, you might find that if you own one of the newest-generation cameras released within the last 1-2 years, ZPS X may not be able to natively read the raw files yet!

For example, the Sony A7R IV is not yet supported, nor are the newer Sony cameras such as the A7SIII, or of course the just-announced Sony A7 IV. Nikon and Canon mirrorless cameras have very limited support, too.

Additionally, certain lenses may not be represented in terms of correction profiles, which could result in distortion or vignetting that you’re not used to seeing because we’ve all become so accustomed to profiles hiding “all manner of sins”…

The lack of support for the newest cameras is actually a common drawback with other raw conversion software, however, ZPS is definitely lagging behind Lightroom and Capture One in this regard. Surely the folks at ZPS are working on updating the software since a lot of new cameras are coming out now.

Before you think of it as a deal-breaker, though, just remember that you can always use Adobe’s DNG converter to roll back the raw compatibility to an “older year” and that should likely give you full access to all your files. There are many articles about how to do this, including one on the Zoner website, here.

Conclusion | Zoner Photo Studio X Review

Zoner Photo Studio X is one of the best options I have ever seen. It’s on a much higher level than all the other “alternative” raw software options and aims to compete with the big-name brand players in the market for whole workflow solutions.

As a photographer (and currently a Windows user) who does all kinds of photography from landscapes and nightscapes and wildlife, to weddings and portraits and other paid work, (with a Sony A7 III) I found ZPS X to be exactly what I wanted it to be. This software will definitely be in my future!

If you’re interested in trying it out, their one-month trial is free, of course.

[Related Reading: The Ultimate 3-2-1 Data Workflow with the GNARBOX 2.0]

In this video tutorial, Elena Jasic is going to be demonstrating one of the most important things in photography, and that’s workflow. She’ll show you how Import, backup, and organize images using Adobe Lightroom for a successful workflow.

We’ll start off by plugging in our memory card reader, with our memory card and navigate to the images on the card as you can see right here;

Next, we are going to create a folder on the desktop by right-clicking, and going to new folder.

The folder structure we are going to be using is year/month/date followed by the client, project, location, or event name. Then we are going to create two folders within that;

• The first folder we are creating is the one that will hold all of the images. This folder is going to be called 0 – RAW
• The second folder we are going to create will hold our Lightroom catalog. This folder will be called 1 – LR

Now we are going to click on our Raw folder, navigate to our card reader, click an image, press command A to select all, and drag these images into our newly created Raw folder and then create a new Lightroom catalog.

We are going to do this by opening up Lightroom, clicking choose a different catalog, go down to create a new catalog. We are going to navigate to the Lightroom folder that we created on our desktop called 1 – LR and we’ll call this Barcelona.

Once we have created our new catalog, we are going to go to import our files.

Now Navigate to the top right corner, and under “build previews”, we are going to select 1:1.

When selecting 1:1 Lightroom will render previews, standard previews, and thumbnail previews all at the same time. After we have selected build 1:1 we will go to the bottom right and select import.

Once your images have imported and rendered, go back to the desktop and we’ll show you an example of how to use a color-coding system to organize your workflow, and keep track of progress on projects.

So what I’m going to do is since these are new images I have not looked at yet, I have not sorted them, I have not color corrected them, I am going to mark this folder the color red. The color yellow would represent a project that is currently being worked on, and the color green would be a project that is finished.

The next and arguably most important thing we are going to do as a photographer is to BACK. UP. YOUR. FILES.

[Related Reading: The Ultimate Data Storage And Backup Strategy For Photographers]

If you are a hobbyist, aspiring professional, or working professional, regardless of the level of photography, it is an absolute must to back up your files.

Once we have transferred our files, we can now safely begin working on the project.

[Related Reading: How to Use Lightroom Classic and Luminar 4 Together in Your Workflow]

Once we’ve gotten the import and backup created the next thing to do is to get to work on the new image set by going through every image and check for sharpness and focus. Since we have already rendered 1:1 previews,  we are now able to look at each image at 100% quickly and easily and can start culling and editing our preferred files.

And that’s it! We hope this video and write up gives you some good starting points for your own workflow and data organization. Be sure to check out the related posts for more details on backup strategy and workflow tips. Be sure to let us know in the comments below if you have any questions or suggestions for your own workflow improvements.

Imerge Pro is still a relatively new product on the scene but is already making waves amongst photographers and composite artists looking for more control over their final output. The desktop app – which allows editing and non-destructive compositing with RAW layers in 16-bit – offers something different from other options on the market: a completely non-destructive end-to-end workflow.

The new release introduces even more powerful retouching and color grading features, adding up to a total of 68 entirely non-destructive effects and filters available. Canon CR3 support has also been added, along with a new preview downsampling feature to speed up performance on large projects.

Imerge already has some of the most versatile color editing tools available for photographers, allowing you to take full advantage of 16-bit RAW data. With version 8, Imerge users can now take even more control over their grades with Split Toning and Gradient Maps.

The Split Toning effect has a highly intuitive interface that enables you to see the position of both shadow and highlight tones around the color wheel. This feature makes determining color harmony quick and easy, making it simple to maintain perfect complementary color as you make adjustments. Hue positions can also be locked-in relative to each other so that moving one color will automatically adjust the other.

The two and three-point grades that most RAW editors offer sometimes just aren’t enough for our needs. With Imerge Pro’s new Gradient Map effect, users can create practically unlimited, custom, cinematic grades not possible in other RAW editing applications by using up to 16 color points. Each point has full RGBA control, and the balance between points can be adjusted for each step in the gradient. You can even choose between Imerge’s 20 blend modes for different effects. You can also use gradient mapping to create a signature stylized color effect, a trend that’s popular amongst contemporary designers.

If you’re into cleanup and retouching, Imerge can offer the workflow you’ve always dreamed of. As well as the new ‘Dynamic Contrast’ effect which uses frequency separation to adjust fine, medium and large-scale details independently (great for skin retouching), Imerge Pro 8 now includes Clone Stamp and Healing Brush tools. Like everything in Imerge, these powerful new cleanup tools work completely non-destructively, so you can go back and make changes at any point. They also include handy controls for ‘Rotation,’ ‘Scale,’ and horizontal/vertical flip – making it easy to retouch 3D edges that contour or change in depth throughout an image.

The new release is available now for $199 at fxhome.com or at B&H here, and that comes with 12 months of updates to keep up-to-date with the latest tech that gets included in the software. Find out more at fxhome.com/imerge-pro.

uncalibrated

calibrated

If there’s one thing you can be sure of, when you post an image online, it’s going to be viewed on countless different devices, meaning that no two people will be seeing it the same. Generally speaking, most screens are set too bright along with whatever the default color profile the particular brand of monitor happens to use. For some, the differences will be minor, but for the majority, the color shifts will be significant! As a monitor or device gets older, the colors change, the contrast shifts, the black and white levels skew. No matter what you do, over time these screens and devices will slowly burn out and be less accurate. 

Calibrated

Cool

Warm

In order to help ensure your images are at least color accurate and standardized is to calibrate your screen, (especially if you’ve already used an accurate color chart/calibration tool like the Datacolor SpyderCheckr 24), to ensure you’ve got the best color representation and brightness level on screen as possible. 

What Is Monitor Calibration?

As we discussed in my previous post, color calibration is critical to ensuring your images always look accurate and consistent across all your devices. Yes, it starts with your on-set / in-camera shooting, but it’s still absolutely important and critical to calibrate your monitors as well! 

To calibrate your screens, you’ll need a small “hockey puck” sized device, (my Canadian is showing), that you hang on your screen and it measures the colors being displayed.

Technically speaking this is called a spectrophotometer, measuring the light color of your screen. There are plenty available on the market for you to choose from, and a LOT of top tier monitors come pre-packaged with them, but one of the best on the market is the SpyderX from Datacolor. They all have their pros and cons, but one thing I’ll scream from the mountaintops (and you can read my initial review of this device here), is that it is the fastest and most accurate calibration tool I’ve ever used! In fact, it actually saved my old laptop screen from the garbage heap.

Calibrated

Uncalibrated

I’ve gone through several brands of calibration tools and the SpyderX was the only one able to take my nearly 10-year-old laptop screen which was failing and very blown out, and actually create a profile, that while still not perfect (it was broken, only so much you could do), it got it to a point where I could actually edit without using an external monitor! It truly was a lifesaver and it took under 2 minutes to do! Something no other calibration tool was ever able to match, (and hasn’t since either!).

Why Is Calibration Important?

The best way to explain why calibration is important is to edit an image completely including color-grading and then print that image using the default settings. I can almost guarantee if you edit on an uncalibrated screen and make the image look great to you on that screen…it’ll differ wildly when you print it and compare the two. This example also applies when looking at the same image on different devices. The colors will vary from device to device, which is why it’s incredibly important to at least have your image and screen calibrated and synced properly.

There’s nothing worse than spending hours working on an image just to find out that the colors are completely off when you get them back from the printers. For instance, this is an old wedding photo I did, while not terrible, but when I initially worked on this, it was with my laptop that was uncalibrated, and a screen that was (at the time unknown to me) dying. So as you can tell, the greens are WILDLY oversaturated. When I first sent these off to be printed…yeah….it was a shocker haha.

Calibrating is important even if you don’t ever plan on printing, as mentioned above, even viewing on different devices will cause shifts in color and clarity. A good indication that your monitor needs to be calibrated is when your images end up having a slight color cast or seem washed out / flat when viewed on anything other than your monitor  (IE Instagram and your phone)

Calibrated

Cool

Warm

Calibrated

Cool

Warm

Calibrated

Cool

Warm

How Do You Calibrate Your Monitor?

Using the Datacolor SpyderX Elite or SpyderX Pro is pretty straightforward as they will walk you through the entire process. Once you open the app, select Calibrate My Display and click next, the app will then provide you a checklist of things to be sure of before moving forward, then you want to select your monitor type, (for instance, my MacBook Pro screen is a “Wide LED”), and then click next to move into the workflow selection.

Here you’ll choose if you want a step by step assistant, simply choosing a profile to match from another monitor, or using the “expert console” to give you total control. Then we dive into the fun stuff. The next step is to select the calibration depth for your screen. Given that the process is so fast, I tend to do a full calibration each month to ensure that my monitor is getting the best color presentation possible.

Then just place the SpyderX calibration tool in the place shown by the app and click next. Once the calibration is complete, you’ll be prompted to name and save the profile created and then the fun stuff happens.

On the next screen, you’ll be given an array of images ranging from landscapes to color swatches to portraits showing you your nice new (accurate), calibrated color profile for the monitor! And the best thing here is you can now click a button to “switch” and show the previous uncalibrated view! This screen is kind of epic as you can often see a drastic shift in color, contrast, and sharpness! After you move past this the application will show you the % of sRGB, NTSC, P3, and AdobeRGB covered by your monitor and the calibration.

And that’s it! It’ll definitely take you longer to read these steps than it will to actually calibrate your screen with the SpyderX tools. You’re now running with a calibrated screen that’ll give you accurate color representation in applications like Lightroom, Capture One Pro, and any browser you use! 

Conclusion

As a visual creative, we spend hours and hours a day staring at our screens. From the Back of the camera, to our smartphones, to our laptops/monitors/computers and tv displays….we’re always in front of one. So ensuring that all of these devices are calibrated and synced is critical, and yet is very often overlooked. Especially since no two brands or devices display colors the exact same way.

Calibrated

Cool

Warm

Failing to calibrate your camera, monitor, and print devices, especially when in a professional setting, can lead to some disastrous results for both you and your potential clients. It leaves you working “blindfolded” with next to no actual control over your finished product.

Having a calibrated screen is absolutely critical to your photo and video work. Getting your images “right” is one of the most important and first steps you should take with your work, so ensuring that your devices are consistent is critical to this process. You wouldn’t send your raw files to your client as the finished product? Because they aren’t finished. The same rules apply to your monitors. You should always edit on a properly calibrated screen to ensure you get consistent and quality results.

Datacolor has launched its SpyderX Photo Kit, at a special 50th-Anniversary price of $199* (retail price: $399) – a $200 savings!

The Datacolor SpyderX Photo Kit has everything you need in one convenient and cost-effective package to ensure precise color, depth, and detail for all your photos from capture through post-production. The SpyderX Photo Kit includes:

• SpyderX Elite – Datacolor’s fastest and most accurate calibrator to color calibrate displays. SpyderX Elite aligns seamlessly with monitor upgrades for screen types, resolutions and gamuts, and is 64-bit ready.
• Spyder Checkr 24 – Color correct your camera, lens, and system combinations for more consistent, accurate color within post-production workflow in Adobe Lightroom, Adobe Photoshop, and Hasselblad Phocus.
• Spyder Cube – Set your exposure and white balance in RAW conversion, for accurate detail across shadow and highlight areas.

Calibrated

Uncalibrated

Check Pricing & Availability of the Datacolor SpyderX Photo Kit Here;

Datacolor 

Find the Datacolor SpyderX Elite Here;

Datacolor

The app is made incredibly user-friendly where the first thing you see is a list of interactive tutorials (more details on that below), helping you work through the new features (and old if you’re a rookie like me) to see a nice overview of what the application is capable of. The interface is easy to navigate giving you a ton of control over each step of your editing, and with the AI features included in this release, the program reportedly runs much faster than any previous version! So what exactly is new in this update that was released back in October/November of 2019? Let’s dive into all the details below.

What’s New in Portrait Pro 19

Interactive Tutorials

So I have to be honest, this was VERY impressive to me. Having never used the app before, it was an absolutely brilliant way to dip your toes into the Portrait Pro pool! With step by step built-in tutorials, I was able to try out a wide range of the functions and features of the app and it came along with explanations for what each of the sliders in the related sections were for with an “average” use range for best results. I feel like as a new user this was an absolutely fantastic way to get started!

UI Enhancements & More

According to some of the team here at SLR and the press info, the UI has been improved, giving you more sliders to customize your image than any other previous version. These include Expressions (more on that below), a Black & White slider, and an improved “fix lighting” slider, giving you much more control over your images.

Lens Correction

Something most Adobe users are already familiar with, now Portrait Pro uses 3D modeling in the software to accurately correct lens distortions created when using wide-angle lenses or things like smartphone cameras.

Hair Color Changes

Now, this feature was fun! In version 19, PortraitPro has much better hair detection loaded with an exciting range of colors(shades) to enhance or completely change the look of your subject! I only messed with this briefly but had a blast seeing what my subjects would look like as a brunette/blonde and even with green hair! With the controls for this, you can adjust the temperature, saturation, contrast, and more. If you’re working on a beauty campaign with some fun and vibrant makeup, this could be a fun tool to completely change your models hair to match/compliment and make the colors pop even more!

Facial Expression Adjustments

I’ve seen these tools in a few different apps, all with varying levels of success (looking real), and I’ve got to admit this one is pretty accurate! Again with most features like this, it’s pretty easy to go way overboard really quick, so you’ll want to be careful with the intensity you use, but PortraitPro 19 now offers the tools to enhance several different facial expressions ranging from frowns to shock and surprise! You can make customized minor adjustments to enhance or shift your subjects smile, brow, and even the “squinch” of the eyes with real results.

Picture Controls

The system now comes loaded with a plethora of “global” level presets for you to choose from giving your portraits a quick and easy series of looks to start with. If you’re ever unsure how you want your shot to look, it’s a great way to give yourself a fun starting point by using a preset!

Automated Skin Retouching

Powered by new deep-learning algorithms, PortraitPro 19 offers Anthropics’ most advanced skin improvement to date. The new ClearSkinTM 5 technology based on state-of-the-art A.I. intelligently maps the contours and features of the face and retouches skin accordingly. It also replicates the face’s natural skin texture, allowing users to subtly remove blemishes while maintaining the subject’s natural appearance. When combined with the improved Fix Lighting tool, this new technology makes it significantly easier for photographers to retouch their portraits.

[Related Reading: Four Reasons You Should Add Portrait Pro To Your Workflow]

This is pretty much what I had heard about PortraitPro all these years, it was an automated skin retouching tool and given when I started, I wasn’t really doing any skin work I kinda breezed by it and never checked it out. With Version 19, I can confirm it’s actually a pretty awesome app to give you a fantastic starting point for your skin work! It analyzes your shot and helps you automatically remove blemishes and smooth out your subject’s skin.

A complaint I’ve heard used about previous versions is that it was pretty easy to overuse this feature and leave the skin looking waxy and overly plastic. With 19 being the first version I ever tested, I can say that this isn’t the case! (at least at default levels haha). The app out of the box uses a new proprietary ClearSkin technology to do an incredible job at preserving texture along with highlights and shadows on your models’ skin. Making it much easier to find that perfect and realistic “zone” where you and your client will be happy with the final look.

Keep in mind, when retouching skin, it’s always best to keep your retouching subtle and not overdo it. In other words, this tool is EXTREMELY powerful, and like Uncle Ben once said, “With great power, comes great responsibility,” so when you’re using this skin tool, it can be quite easy to go too far without even realizing. So be sure to have a close look and remember that dialing it back a notch can be a very good thing.

Batch Processing (Studio Max*)

PortraitPro Studio Max 19 allows you to automatically process entire batches of images at the same time. The software will detect faces and features in the images, apply a chosen preset, and automatically saves the result, and thus saving you time. Reportedly with this release 19, the software handles images 2x faster than in previous versions for even more efficient processing. This tool is exclusive to the Studio Max edition of the software.

Optimized Plugin (Studio Max*)

Some Before & Afters

Here are two of my edits. First, using just the default out of the box adjustments and a single click to change her hair to red.

This image is from a friend July Castillio comparing the RAW file to the single click “Contrast” preset in Portrait Pro 19

Final Thoughts

I spent the weekend playing with some of my old portraits and was surprised at just how good the software was at doing a base level clean up straight out of the box with no adjustments made myself. Given my control-freak level I want on my retouching, I’m always going to bring things into Photoshop to do some manual tweaks and my own creative color grades or flare, but even with that in mind, when it came to portrait work, this app allowed me to save a TON of time on my skin work and hair clean up! It was an actual joy to use!

If you’re new to skin and portrait retouching, PortraitPro 19 will give you an incredible foundation and understanding of what each tool and term means and how to use them effectively. If you’re in the advanced retouching world, then this update will help speed up your workflow making it quicker and easier for you to get through large volumes of images, saving you time, money, and honestly, having a better time behind the computer!

Download a Free Trial Here!

Check Pricing & Availability of Portrait Pro 19 Here;

• PortraitPro 19 – $44.95
• PortraitPro Studio – $69.95
• PortraitPro Studio Max – $139.95
• PortraitPro Standard Upgrade – $33.71

Get an EXTRA 15% OFF discount for SLR Lounge readers – with coupon code PP0436 at checkout. Usable on any edition or upgrade!