Capture One

Latest Posts

Five features retoucher Jan Wischermann can’t live without

Credit: Left – TUSH magazine, photographer RANKIN, retouch artist Jan Wischermann Right – Givenchy, TUSH magazine, photographer Armin Morbach, retouch artist Jan Wischermann

Working with big-name brands and magazines like ELLE, The New Yorker, Mastercard, and Schwarzkopf, delivering high quality edits with speed is important to professional retoucher Jan Wischermann. With years of experience, he has perfected his workflow to be as efficient as possible while maintaining full control over every element of the images he works on.

Here are five features in Capture One Pro that he can’t live without – or at least work without.

1. Your favorite tools at your fingertips with Custom Tool Tabs

Don’t waste any time looking for the right tools. In Capture One Pro you can create Custom Tool Tab to have all your favorite tools just one click away.

This is Jan’s first tip for a more efficient workflow. In his workspace, Jan has set up different Custom Tool Tabs for when he is on a shoot, when he is doing image selection, and when he is retouching.

Credit: SYOSS, TUSH magazine, photographer Armin Morbach, retouch artist Jan Wischermann

“For instance, if I am on a shoot, I put things in the Custom Tool Tab that I use the most while shooting, like the Live View, White Balance, and the folder structure. Then I know where to put things and I don’t have to switch between tabs,” explains Jan.

“I found that this saves me a lot of time since I don’t have to move my pen very much. I can just stay in one place and have it all there. It is these tiny little seconds that count.”

2. The power of Layers

“My focus when retouching is to have complete control over every part of the image. If I don’t have that, I am limited in my options and can’t really deliver the result that I have in mind,” says Jan.

“When it comes to the power of layers, you can have full control over colors and grading.”

Working on layers in Capture One Pro means that Jan can target his adjustments to specific areas of an image without touching others and easily evaluate the different edits he has made to the image.

“When I have introduced a grade, I can check the layer and see that it has made some quite dramatic changes to the image.”

Find out how you can make the most of Capture One’s layering capabilities.

Credit: SYOSS, TUSH magazine, photographer Armin Morbach, retouch artist Jan Wischermann

3. Mask work makes the dream work

As an extension of working with layers, taking full advantage of the mask feature is what gives Jan command over each element.

“Sometimes you work on fabrics and need to have a precise color. If you want to add a grading to the image, but don’t want the color of the clothes to be affected too much, you can take it out of the mask, or you can work with the opacity overall and get a more subtle grade.”

Working with Masks, Jan is able to isolate the background, the sky, props, or even skin to do detailed work on each element.

4. Guide the viewer’s eye with Style Brushes

According to Jan, Style Brushes have become an essential part of his workflow.

The built-in Style Brushes that come ready to use when you download Capture One Pro let you quickly make detailed adjustments to light and color or make specialized enhancements to things like teeth, irises, or the sky.

“I love the dodge and burn because it allows me to paint with light and be in control of the elements,” Jan admits. “It can be for shaping the light in the overall image or for minor details very close on the skin. With light, you can really guide the viewer’s eye.”

Every time you use a Style Brush, Capture One Pro automatically creates a new layer with the name of the brush you are using. This means that you can easily add or remove adjustments if you are not happy with how the image is looking.

“I suggest trying them to find the ones that improve your workflow,” advises Jan.

Watch this quick guide to get started with Style Brushes in Capture One Pro.

5. Create your own Style library

Just like with Style Brushes, there are built-in Styles and Presets in Capture One Pro to help you quickly get to a good starting point when editing your images.

Capture One Pro also offers the opportunity to create your own Styles and save them in a Style Library. Whether you want to recreate a look from a previous project or create a master edit to apply across a series of images, you can save your edits as a Style to be used again and again.

Credit: Sicily, Women and Cinema, photographer MOJA, retouch artist Jan Wischermann

“I have a lot of Styles from all kinds of different editorials I have done in the past that I can use to apply to the image and have a starting point,” says Jan and adds that he also likes to share and exchange his Styles with other retouchers and photographers.

“I often like to browse through this to get some inspiration and it saves a lot of time when you do similar shoots.”

Try out Jan’s tips or find more tutorials and inspiration to improve your workflow on the Capture One Learning Hub.

New to Capture One? Get a free 30-day trial here.

capture one webinar customising capture one

Customising Capture One Pro

It’s very rare that two people have identical workflows and editing habits. This also means that the way you navigate around Capture One – as well as the tools you frequently use – are likely going to be different.
You probably have your own visual and technical preferences when it comes to editing, too.
Fortunately, Capture One’s extensive toolbox can be shaped to your liking.
Join this Livestream to find out how to customize your workflow and learn how this can benefit your editing process by making it as flexible as possible.
The webinar will teach you how to:

Customise and save your workspace
Influence how Capture One looks

NX Studio vs. Capture One Pro. Find the best RAW converter for your NEF files

Why Capture One is the best RAW converter for your Nikon images

Not all RAW converters are created equal when it comes to getting the most out of your images. Find out why Capture One is the most effective RAW processor for your Nikon NEF files.

Nikon RAW software or Capture One Pro?

Capture One Pro is relied upon every day by Nikon DSLR and Z-series mirrorless camera users to get beautiful true-to-life colors from their Nikon RAW files. As the most powerful alternative to the Nikon RAW editor NX Studio, there are many benefits for Nikon owners using Capture One Pro.

Drag the slider to see before/after editing in Capture One Pro

Bring out a full range of color in your Nikon NEF files with a powerful RAW processor like Capture One Pro. Before

Bring out a full range of color in your Nikon NEF files with a powerful RAW processor like Capture One Pro. After

Nikon Picture Controls

Capture One Pro’s initial color processing replicates the Nikon Picture Controls in your Nikon camera, meaning you can get the look and feel of your out-of-camera JPEGs with all the power and fine control of RAW.

The individual in-camera Picture Controls are reproduced using Nikon ICC profiles – these are not filters, which can look unrealistic.

You can convert your RAW file to a JPEG straightaway without further modification, or you can use the Nikon ICC profiles as a starting point to fine-tune your images further. If you change your mind, you can select a different look to replicate another Picture Control, and it’s all performed non-destructively. Your Nikon camera, your Capture One Pro. You decide.

Learn more about Nikon ICC profiles.

Advanced image management using Catalogs

Capture One Pro’s powerful Catalog file management system organizes all your Nikon RAW files (along with JPEG and TIFF) – whether that’s on your computer or stored on external drives.

View, sort and rate images; add keywords, captions and all key personal (IPTC) data, with all image enhancements managed by Capture One Pro, so you can spend more time being creative and work at your own pace.

User-customizable interface

Capture One Pro has a customizable interface, so you can decide how it looks, which tools to show, and where the tools are located. This way you have the controls you use most often at your fingertips.

Advanced editing using layers with masks

When the time comes to up your editing skills, you can use Capture One Pro’s advanced layers with mask functionality. This hugely powerful feature enables a wide range of advanced editing techniques, such as localized editing with brushes using masks, while also adding various colors and tonal adjustments to localized areas on various layers.

Speed up your workflow with Styles

Nothing is quicker than editing your Nikon RAW files with Capture One Pro Styles. Unlike photographic filters, Styles are a collection of color and tone settings that keep your images realistic and authentic looking.

Select from several built-in Styles or fine-tune them to match your creative vision. Applied in an instant to one image or a batch, they can be used time and time again to give a consistent look and feel to your photography.

Get the most out of your Nikon NEF files

In addition to dedicated color profiles replicating Nikon Picture Controls and a wide range of built-in and optionally available Styles, Capture One Pro has an easy-to-use, yet powerful Color Editor.

Simply select a color you want to enhance, such as green grass or blue sky, and adjust the hue, saturation, and lightness to taste using intuitive sliders.

Drag the slider to see before/after editing in Capture One Pro

Capture One Pro is the only Nikon software solution you need

As well as RAW conversion, Capture One offers an end-to-end solution for editing and sharing your images. Meaning there’s no additional Nikon software required, even when controlling your camera remotely via tethered shooting.

From importing RAW files, navigating and browsing image folders, to exporting high resolution JPEG and TIFF files – Capture One Pro takes full advantage of your computer’s hardware at every turn.

Which Nikon cameras does Capture One Pro support?

See all Nikon camera models supported by Capture One Pro here

Learn more about the benefits of shooting RAW

Learn some simple but highly effective editing tools to make your images go from RAW to WOW!

Jan Wischermann tests out the flexibility of working on the go with Capture One for iPad

Retoucher Jan Wischermann on using Capture One for iPad on the go

Being on the road for two weeks, shooting in some of the most scenic locations to be found in Sicily, retoucher and Capture One Ambassador Jan Wischermann got to experience the flexibility of Capture One for iPad using the Beta version of the app to work on the go for the project “Sicily, Women and Cinema“.

Watch the behind-the-scenes of the shoots to see how Jan was able to get a head start on his editing.

“Sicily, Women and Cinema” is a photo series by fashion photographer MOJA shot over 12 days in Sicily. The project aims to show off the unique scenery found on the island and encourage more film studios to choose it as the location for their next film.

Moving between different sets all over the Italian island, with time to kill on long car rides or while the crew was setting up the shoots, expert retoucher Jan Wischermann was able to start his work while away from the computer using the newly released Beta version of Capture One for iPad.

“I really love the flexibility of the Capture One version for iPad,” says Jan about his experience with the app. Making initial selections, rating, and tagging the images on the iPad, Jan was able to start the culling and organizing work while on set.

“It has the tools I need to get started working on the images.”

Start on location, finish at home

On the tablet, Jan could also use many of the editing features that he is used to working in on the desktop app.

See the full list of which features will be available on Capture One for iPad when it launches in June.

“I could work on the luminosity and basically already get the picture in a direction that I want to go in when I am back in the office,” says Jan.

“I was able to find the base for the grade for the whole series, so I was really happy I have that option.”

Once back at his desktop, Jan could then simply download his work from the Cloud and continue where he left off in Capture One Pro.

Time saver for busy days

The 12 images in the “Sicily, Women and Cinema” photo series will be shown at the Cannes Film Festival at the end of May. With only days between the end of shooting and the series being displayed at the festival, there is no time to waste for Jan and the MOJA team.

“It saved me some time,” says Jan. “In these hectic days when we are here, having 12 days of shooting and just a week of editing afterward, I could already get some steps ahead.”

“It is truly a great addition to my workflow, and I’m really looking forward to continuing working with it.”