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Editing with Mastin Labs

Mastin Labs have now released their second pack for Capture One, Fujicolor Original.

Prized for its clean skin tones and vivid three-dimensional color, it’s the originator of the light and airy look.

Kirk Mastin is back to Join David in a informative and interactive webinar to show you how to get the best out of Fujicolor Original Styles for Capture One.

✓How the Mastin Labs system works perfectly with Capture One
✓Practical help to get the best results with your photos
✓Inspiration from Kirk

Length: 60:00 minutes

Download a 30-day trial of Capture One Pro.

capture one raw photo editor changing it up with Capture One by Michael Clark using Fujifilm GFX100 Sparky Go (5.11) on the Sparks Wall in Indian Creek, Utah.

5 reasons to switch to Capture One Pro

NOTE: This article discusses an older version of Capture One Pro. To learn more about our latest version, click here.

Over spring, I got the chance to try out the FUJIFILM GFX 100 ahead of its launch in May 2019. I knew that Fujifilm had partnered with Capture One for tethering and much more, and that the GFX 100 RAW image files were supported by the photo editing software even before the new camera had launched. It seemed like the perfect time to try out Capture One Pro and see how it compared to my workflow using Adobe Lightroom Classic.

Now that I’ve been using Capture One for four months, I can confirm that it is a very powerful image editing software with some new features that I have not seen anywhere else. One of the best things about trying out a new RAW editor is the sense of discovery – my Capture One Pro images had a new and exciting look to them. I also really like the straightforward, professional approach of Capture One Pro. There is no fluff in this image editor – it’s all business.

One new favorite feature is the Color Balance tool, which allows for easy color grading of specific part of the images, as well as tools that allow for a speedy and efficient workflow. In this blog post, I’ll list the top five features that have transformed my RAW editing workflow.

Focus Mask

The Focus Mask feature (found under View > Focus Mask) is the most useful feature I have seen in any RAW editing platform ever. With the Focus Mask turned on, I can quickly scan a grid of images and highlight any images where the subject is not in focus. The tool applies a green overlay mask to the aspects of the image which are in focus, so I can immediately identify where the focus points are in any image.

As an adventure sports photographer who often captures images with a fast frame rate, this allows me to instantly figure out which images are sharp and which are not, so I can cull faster and really speed up my workflow.

When you double click on any image from the grid, the Focus Mask remains overlaid on the larger preview image, so you can look more closely at the focus. This one feature alone is a reason to make the switch to Capture One Pro.

Auto Levels Adjustment

Another amazing Capture One Pro feature is the Auto Levels Adjustment in the Levels tool. I would typically never use auto anything in a RAW processing app – especially not in Lightroom – but Capture One’s Auto Levels Adjustment gets it right almost every time. The tool gives me a huge head start on adjusting levels. I use it as a departure point – it’s often the first thing I apply before diving into any further editing, which then makes the overall editing process go much faster.

In the above example I have only applied Auto Levels Adjustments without any further editing, which already dramatically improved the image. All I needed to do was add a Gradient Mask to darken the bottom of the image and add clarity.

Layers

For those of us that use Photoshop, Layers are a huge part of any digital imaging workflow. The way layers are incorporated into Capture One feels very similar to Photoshop —and maybe is even more powerful. Basically, anything you can do on the background Layer can be done on a Mask. No other raw processing software that I know of has that capability.

I use a lot of Linear Gradient Masks for my images so that I can help push the viewer’s eye around the image. Having all of those masks on a separate layer and being able to adjust much more than just the exposure or brightness of that Gradient Mask is very powerful. Additionally, the option to go back and adjust the opacity of any layer is also a huge bonus.

The upshot is that with Layers in Capture One I can take my raw processing further before I go into Photoshop to finalize the image.

Color Editor Tool

Capture One’s Color Editor includes both an eyedropper sampling tool and a color wheel which allows me to color edit specific parts of an image in an intuitive and simple manner. To use the tool, simply choose the eyedropper in the Color Editor tab and then use it to sample an area of the image. You can then fine-tune the area selected by manipulating the range that shows up in the color wheel above the sliders. To see exactly what part of the image is selected, click “view selected color range” at the bottom of the dialog.

In the example above, I used the Color Editor to adjust the hue, saturation and lightness of the reddish-brown rock wall. I also used the Color Editor to dial in the purple color of the sky in the background. This tool is incredibly useful for getting creative with color or to adjust specific colors so that they are as accurate as possible.

Customizable interface

I can work much faster thanks to Capture One’s customizable interface. You can move pretty much anything anywhere you want it. You can pull tools out of the sidebar and make them bigger or smaller as needed and you can make tools appear and disappear as well. It is also easy to accommodate dual monitors – you can even locate your tools or a grid of images on the second monitor.

For those coming from Lightroom, you can set up Capture One to mimic a similar layout, which makes the transition much easier.

One of the most useful keyboard shortcuts – especially for those coming from Lightroom – is to edit the keyboard shortcut to “Show/Hide Viewer.” Simply go to “Edit > Edit Keyboard Shortcuts…” and then open the View section.

Scroll down to “Show/Hide Viewer” and set that keyboard shortcut to something that makes sense for you but isn’t already used. For example, I have it set to use the “~“ key. By using that keyboard shortcut, I can go in and out of the “Show/Hide Viewer” mode super fast, as shown above in the two screenshots.

Switching doesn’t have to be hard

Learning any new software might seem intimidating – but switching to Capture One is not really a case of learning everything from scratch but finding the comparable tools in the new photo editing software.
In the case of Capture One Pro, I was thrilled to discover completely new tools that dramatically sped up my workflow and allowed me to take my images further in the raw processing stage. I am deeply impressed with the results so far and excited to keep using Capture One to improve my digital workflow.

If you don’t already have Capture One, download a 30 day trial and try it out.

Eager to learn? Access webinars, tutorials and expert help in the Learning Hub – completely free.

Migrating Apple Aperture Libraries to Capture One Pro

Apple will release macOS Catalina 10.15 in October. In a knowledge base article on their website, Apple confirms that Aperture will not run on this new version of macOS. Some may choose to postpone upgrading macOS in order to continue using Aperture. I recommend migrating to Capture One Pro.

When Apple announced in 2014 that they had ceased development of Aperture, I chose to find a new raw image editor. I wanted all the Aperture features I loved, plus all the features Apple confirmed it was never going to deliver.

I used Lightroom prior to using Aperture. After Apple’s 2014 announcement, I tried it again. With user interface and performance issues, Lightroom still didn’t measure up, so I downloaded Capture One Pro’s 30-day free trial and it quickly became my image editor of choice.

After spending a few weeks importing and editing images from my Aperture archives, I was impressed with how quickly and easily I adapted to the new workflow. Even better, the image quality of Capture One is far superior to Aperture’s and the Aperture Library import tool is more complete than Lightroom’s. Capture One Pro almost immediately felt like home and is now my go-to tool for photo editing.

Migrating between Aperture and Capture One Pro may seem intimidating, but it can be done smoothly. When I first downloaded Capture One Pro, I had over 50,000 images in my Aperture Library. After some careful trial and error, I developed a workflow to easily migrate all my images to Capture One. I’m here to share that with you – if you prefer visuals, I also go through the process in this video:

Information imported into Capture One

Before you migrate your Aperture libraries into Capture One Pro’s Catalogs, you need to know what Capture One imports, and how to preserve the information Capture One does not import.

Image Files and Versions

Capture One Pro imports all the images in your Aperture Library as referenced images. If your Aperture Library is “Managed” (the images are stored inside the Aperture Library), you need to relocate the original images to a referenced location outside the Aperture Library before migrating to Capture One Pro. You do not want Capture One Pro to reference images stored inside the Aperture Library package directory. Capture One Pro also imports all the image versions as Capture One variants.

Metadata, Keywords and Attributes

The following metadata in Aperture libraries is preserved and directly imported into Capture One Pro.

All Aperture color labels are imported
- Aperture Color Labels – red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, gray
- Capture One Color Labels – red, orange, yellow, green, blue, pink, purple
- Aperture purple is imported as pink, and Aperture gray is imported as purple

Aperture Versions are imported correctly as Capture One Variants
All Aperture keywords and IPTC metadata are imported to Capture One
All Aperture star ratings are imported to Capture One

What doesn’t get imported?

The following is a list of attributes in an Aperture Library are not imported into Capture One along with some recommended steps to preserve them.

Flags – Capture One does not have “flags” as an attribute on images. Filter your Aperture library for flagged images and add a special keyword to them to save the flag status.
Custom Metadata Fields – Capture One does not support custom metadata fields. You will need to move your custom metadata field information to standard IPTC fields in order to preserve it. As with flags, I recommend filtering on your custom metadata fields and adding special keywords to save this information.
Books, Slideshows, Light Tables, Web Journals, Web Pages – Capture One Pro does not have these products. If you want to preserve them, create an album in your Aperture Library for each one before migrating. Aperture albums are imported into Capture One as albums and will help you retain the list of images in each of them.
Image Stacks – Aperture Stacks can stack different images. Capture One Pro stacks can only stack variants (versions) of a single image. In order to preserve your Aperture stacks, create a special album for each stack in your Aperture Library before migrating it. Aperture albums are imported as Capture One albums.

Keywords deserve special attention. The Aperture keyword field does not honor keyword hierarchy even though the Aperture Keyword tool provides a keyword hierarchy. To preserve your hierarchy, export your keyword list from the Aperture keyword tool to a text file and import that text file into your Capture One Catalog using the Keyword Tool before you migrate any images to Capture One. This is illustrated in the video above.

Global and Local Adjustments

Every photo editing software package has its own algorithms when it comes to adjustments – these are usually not transferrable between programs. Capture One Pro will import many global adjustments and do a best-effort at converting them to their corresponding Capture One Adjustments. You will have to review these converted adjustments and refine all of your images after importing into Capture One.

Aperture local adjustments (brushed-in and brushed-out) are not preserved. You will have to recreate them in Capture One using Layers and Layer Masks, which are far superior to Aperture’s brushing in and brushing out. Each Layer with a Layer Mask can reflect multiple adjustments using almost all of the Capture One Pro adjustment tools. Recreating your local adjustments in Capture One Pro should take less time than it took to create them originally in Aperture.

A learning good exercise for your 30-day trial period is to bring over your Aperture archives and recreate their look in Capture One Pro. It will get you familiar with Capture One Pro’s corresponding adjustment tools and how the Capture One Pro controls work. Plus, Capture One offers free tutorials and webinars to help you master the software quickly

Preparing for the Migration

It took several attempts to develop the right workflow for migrating my Aperture libraries into Capture One. Before migrating, you need to prepare your Aperture Library and Capture One Catalog and create a working folder. Here’s a checklist to help you prepare for your migration:

Create a new master Capture One Catalog
Create a working directory for temporary Aperture ibraries and Capture One Catalogs

- Export the keywords from your Aperture Library keyword tool to a text file in your working directory
- Import the working directory keyword text file into the Capture One Master Catalog Keyword tool
- NOTE – Commas are not permitted in keywords – a comma is a keyword separator character
- Get familiar with the Aperture “Export > Project as New Library” dialog screen
  - UNCHECK “Copy originals into exported library” – they are referenced outside the library
  - UNCHECK “Copy previews into exported library” – Capture One will not import previews
  - CHECK “Show alert when finished” – handy to know when Aperture finished an export
  - Use “File > Relocate Originals” to move originals to referenced folders outside the Aperture Library

Relocating your originals to referenced folders outside the library is very important. Capture One does not copy your Aperture originals. It imports your Aperture originals by reference where they currently reside on disk. If your Aperture library is “managed” (I.e. your originals are stored inside the Aperture Library), Capture One will reference them there. If you later delete your Aperture library, you will remove the original files Capture One is referencing.Relocating your originals to referenced folders outside the Aperture Library may take some time if your libraries contain a lot of images. You will need to think through the folder structure you want before relocating them. A good starting point for your referenced folder structure is the organization you use inside your Library. You probably put a great deal of thought into that structure.

Recommended Migration Workflow

Once you have completed the preparation steps, the following migration steps will get you through the process of getting your images from Aperture to Capture One. The video linked to this article illustrates the preparation and migration processes. I recommend migrating in small batches. This will let you get comfortable with the process, allow you to edit your images in a smaller Capture One catalog before importing it into your master catalog, and help you track of your progress. I chose to migrate project by project since that is the library organizational unit that Aperture uses to “contain” images.

Master Aperture Library > Small Aperture Library > Small Capture One Catalog > Validate / Edit > Master Capture One Catalog
Select a project in your Aperture library and Export to a New Library in your working directory
Create a Capture One catalog in your working directory and import the new Aperture library
File > Import Catalog > Aperture Library
Validate all the images were imported and edit the images in the temporary Capture One Catalog
Close the temporary Capture One catalog and import it into your master Capture One Catalog
File > Import Catalog > Capture One Catalog

Validate the set of images imported into the master Capture One CatalogCapture One will import all the images and adjustments from the temporary Catalog and recreate previews and thumbnails of the imported images in the master Catalog. Let this process complete.

Repeat this process until all of your Aperture Library images have been successfully migrated into your master Capture One Catalog. If you have multiple Aperture Libraries, use multiple corresponding Capture One Catalogs in order to keep things straight. Do not hurry this process. Be patient and take your time. It is a deliberate and methodical process designed to ensure 100% success.

Comparing Aperture Organization to Capture One User Collections

The Library Tab in Capture One is where you organize your image collections. There is a Folders section that shows you where all of your images reside on disk. There also is a User Collections section that allows you to create virtual organizations of your images that may differ from the disk folder structure.

When you import an Aperture Library into a Capture One Catalog, some User Collections are created automatically. When you import a Capture One Catalog into another Capture One Catalog, you automatically get a User Collection that includes all the user collections of the imported Catalog.

Here are the similarities and differences between Aperture Library organization and Capture One Catalog User Collections.

Similarities:

Aperture Projects are converted to Capture One Projects
Aperture Folders are converted to Capture One Groups (Folders)
Aperture Albums are converted to Capture One Albums
Aperture nested Folders become Capture One nested Groups
Selecting a Project displays all the images in all the Albums it contains
Changing Inspector / Tool Tab panels does NOT change browser/viewer panel
Capture One has many built-in filters that let you search you catalog
Capture One creates a User Collection Group named after the imported Aperture Library
Your Aperture Library organization structure is recreated inside this Capture One Group
Aperture and Capture One allow you to place your tools on the left or right side
Aperture and Capture One allow you to customize the user interface (Capture One even more)
Customizable user interface (in Capture One can define and switch between workspaces)
Full screen, dual-monitor and floating resizable tool palettes support

Differences:

Projects are how Aperture groups images. Albums are how Capture One groups images.
Capture One creates an Album in each imported Project that holds the Aperture Project images.
Aperture associates images with Projects. Capture One associates images with Albums.
Aperture Versions can reside in different Albums. Capture One variants cannot (except Smart Albums).
Aperture Stacks can have different images. Capture One stacks contain the variants of a single image.
Selecting a Folder in Aperture displays all the images it contains.
Selecting a Group in Capture One does not.

If you don’t already have Capture One, download a 30 day trial and try it out.

Eager to learn? Access webinars, tutorials and expert help in the Learning Hub – completely free.

Capture One RAW photo editor 10 reasons why capture one blogpost mountain landscape by Taylor Burke feature

10 reasons why pros prefer Capture One

NOTE: This article discusses an older version of Capture One Pro. To learn more about our latest version, click here.

Capture One Pro is my must-have photo editing software for my professional wedding and portrait photography. It helps me edit large batches of images faster and create professional-grade photos for my clients – plus many other benefits!

In this blog, I’ll share 10 reasons why Capture One Pro is the go-to photo editor for professional work. Plus, I’ll share resources so you can learn more about the individual tools and features and discover them for yourself.

1. Customize your own Workspace

The ability to customize your own workspace in Capture One is an underrated but powerful feature – and one of my favorite things about the image editing software!

Every tool in Capture One is a “Floating Tool” and can be arranged anywhere on the workspace. You can move the tools around and customize each Tab to suit your workflow. My custom-built interface means I can quickly find the tools I need and cut down on my editing time.

I set up different Workspaces for different types of photography assignments – for example wedding shoots, portrait shoots, corporate portraits, etc.

Watch this quick tutorial to learn how to set up your perfect workspace.

2. Shoot directly to your computer with tethered capture

When I shoot portraits, it’s essential that the lighting is correct and super sharp – but it can be difficult to make sure of these details when looking at the LCD screen of my camera. That’s why I love Capture One’s tethered capture, which lets me shoot images directly into my computer and review each shot live.

Another advantage to tethered capture is that you can back up your files instantly, so you don’t risk losing your work. For professional photographers, time is money which is why it’s crucial to work efficiently.

This feature also allows me to apply the first color grading to the image, so the client can get a clear idea of my vision for the shoot.

Get familiar with tethered capture and how to manage multiple headshots

3. Get total control of your colors

With powerful color editing tools, Capture One Pro gives you complete creative control of the colors in your image.

The color editing tools let you adjust the hue, saturation and luminance of any color – independently of any other color in the image. You can even adjust the highlights, mid-tones and shadows of any color independently from one another. This means that you can change the hue and saturation of a green leaf in sunlight without affecting the green of the grass in the shade.

There is also a tool specifically for skin tones. You can sample a subject’s skin tone, and then use a set of sliders to make the hue, saturation and luminance more uniform. This saves me from going through complex and time-consuming retouching processes.

Learn more – and check out the other posts on color editing in the Learning Hub.

4. Adjust parts of a photo with Masks and Layers

This feature is a game-changer. I use Masks to select a specific area of my image to edit – without affecting the rest. For example, in wedding photography I use masks to make edits to the sky without affecting the people in the image. I also use Layers to control the impact of certain edits by adjusting the opacity.

Check out this masterclass on Layers and Masking.

5. Choose between Catalogs or Sessions

Capture One lets you manage your files using either Catalogs or Sessions, and you can choose whichever option best suits your workflow. I personally use Sessions.

Sessions is directory-based, meaning you create one Session per project. Catalogs are database-driven, so each Catalog is organized around a theme – for example I could create a Catalog based around wedding or portrait shots.

For my work, it makes sense to have one Session per job. When I finish a job or project and deliver the images to my client, I can back up the Session and delete it from my computer – this keeps the amount of files I’m working with to a minimum.

Unsure whether Catalogs or Sessions suit you best? Learn more about Catalogs or Sessions in this webinar.

6. Save hours with Shortcut Keys

As a photographer editing large batches of photos, every second counts. If I can save 2 seconds spent editing each picture by using shortcuts, I’ve saved more than 13 minutes when editing 400 pictures (which is not an unusual amount of photos when editing a wedding shoot). That means if I shoot several weddings, I can save hours of work time by using shortcuts.

Learn how to edit your own shortcuts to speed up your workflow

7. Export with ease using Process Recipes

Another great Capture One timesaver is Process Recipes – a fast way to export your photos for different purposes and destinations.

Think of it like a preset for export settings. Create recipes with specific settings for file naming, file format, export size – and process your photos using several different recipes at the same time. That means you can export the same photo with different settings for print and social media at the same time, instead of waiting for one export to finish before you start the next one.

Learn more about how to save time with Process Recipes in this short video.

8. Edit faster with Styles and Presets

Is there an adjustment setting that you use over and over? With Capture One Pro, you can save them as presets or set specific color grading as a Style, so you can easily access the same adjustment settings in the future.

Capture One also has a range of Styles – preset adjustments – developed in collaboration with major names in photography including Mastin Labs and Pratik Naik. They’re a great way to speed up workflows for professional photographers – use them as a starting point for your own editing or tweak them to speed up your process. Learn more about Styles in this free webinar

Image with Spectrum SP-03 Style applied

9. Software tailored to studios

Capture One also has a specific photo editing software designed for professional photo studios – Capture One Studio. With tools that automate data entry and colors profiled specifically for studio lighting, it saves photography studios both time and money and helps them shoot large volumes of photos, faster. Learn more about Capture One Studio

10. Designed with you in mind

One of the best things about Capture One Pro is that it’s designed with photographers in mind. The developers welcome feature requests, so if there’s something you’d like to see in a future version of the software, get in touch via Support or Social media.

If you don’t already have Capture One, download a 30 day trial and try it out.

Eager to learn? Access webinars, tutorials and expert help in the Learning Hub – completely free.