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Color tools for fashion imagery

Capture One Pro is extremely versatile. It’s always been a powerhouse when it comes to handling RAW images. With Capture One Pro 9, more powerful color tools have become available – so powerful that personally I’ve moved almost all of my color grading to Capture One Pro, versus Photoshop. In this post, I’m going to talk about how I use Capture One to achieve a desired look for fashion and portraits.

To start things off, let’s have a look at the original RAW image of Chelsea in Capture One Pro:

Original image

Luma Curves

Firstly, the hair was a little dark in the shadows so I wanted to slightly bring out the detail without impacting the image dramatically, which is normallt what you would see using the shadow save slider.

Black tone Changes with Luma Curves

Using the Luma curve, I slightly brought up the shadows. The new Luma curve is great since it doesn’t affect saturation. I often use the curve eyedropper tool to pick out the areas on the histogram that I want to affect. In order to reduce the affected areas, don’t forget to lock down elements outside of the area that you are working with.

The change is subtle, but sometimes subtle changes are all you need

Skin tone uniformity

Our model, Chelsea, already has great skin tones. What we want to do is to bring the shadowed skin tones more in line with the well-lit skin tones. To do so, I jumped to Local Adjustments, created a new layer and named it “skin”. From there, I went to the Color Editor and selected the Skintone tab. Here, you want to grab the eyedropper and select an area of skin. I often turn on the “View selected color range” checkbox so I can see exactly which tones I am selecting.

Quick mask with skintone eyedropper

You will notice that we are only selecting her skin tones as the blue background is not showing. This is a great quick mask, however, we do not want to alter her lips. Therefore, I will typically throw a secondary mask on. Make sure you are on the skin adjustment layer and paint away.

More complex mask to remove lips

After writing the post I discovered that with the release of Capture One Pro 9.1. there is actually also a new feature making it possible to transform a color selection into a mask. The feature is called Create Mask from Selection and it would have been very helpful in this case. See more in this tutorial. From 2:30 onward.

Now that you have a great mask, you want to turn up the uniformity slider. This can be found in the Skintone tab, which will blend the tones nicely. Often, I find the tones a little red, so I’ll play with the hue rotation tool to achieve the desired skin tone.

Color Editor for subject isolation

For this particular image, I wasn’t a fan of the blue background. Having the “view the selected color range” check box on gave me the idea to eliminate the blue background. To do this, I used the Color Editor tool and selected a spot on the background with the eye dropper. Make sure to be under the Advanced tab.

You will notice the sampled color appearing in the list and now it’s ready to be adjusted. I pulled down the saturation to -100 to get rid of the blue all together. Moreover, I pulled up the lightness a bit, to brighten the background.

Removal of blue background with the Color Editor Tool

Color Balance Tool for shadows, midtones and highlights

Now that the image is at a good baseline, I played with the colour balance. With the Color Balance tool, you can shift the shadows, midtones and highlights independently on hue, saturation and luminosity.

You can do something sutble… (see below)

Or something drastic… (see below)

Drastic Shadow hue shift

For this particular image I wanted to add just a slight orange to the shadows so I dragged the circle over to the right. You will notice two curves on either side of the large circle. The left is for saturation, and the right is for luminosity. The notch on the circle identifies the hue. So, there are really two ways of approaching this; You can either play around with the small circle in the middle, or dial it with the notches to your liking.

Adjustment Layers for eyes

Furthermore, I noticed that the eyes could use a little light, so I jumped back into the adjustment layers and masked the eyes, turning up the shadow recovery just a bit..

Ahhhh, just right

For this example, I didn’t adjust the mis-tones or highlights, only the shadows.

Bring up the shadow in the eyes with the adjustment layer

The final result

And that’s basically it! It doesn’t seem like we’ve done much to this RAW file, but let’s review the before and after pictures below:

Final RAW conversion comparison

As you can see. we now have an image that is more isolated (removal if the blue background), with more consistent skin tones as well as a nice push to the warm tones in the shadows.

This RAW image is ready to be exported into photoshop for retouching.

I hope this quick tutorial helps you on your next portrait or fashion shoot.

How to apply lens correction without lens metadata

When using a DSLR camera or a Phase One camera, lens metadata information will automatically be added to the RAW file. From the lens metadata, Capture One Pro 9 will know if it is a supported lens and, in case it is, automatically apply lens corrections to the image.

When using an older manual lens, for instance via a simple adapter, or perhaps using a technical camera, there will be no metadata describing the lens.

Other data like the aperture used for the exposure of the image is also missed, so lens correction will not automatically take place.

Using a technical camera with lens movements makes it even more challenging when lens corrections need to be applied. Despite not having proper lens metadata in the RAW file, the Lens Tool in Capture One Pro 9 still has some options for applying lens corrections.

Using a 100% mechanical lens

In the first example, I have been using a 100% mechanical and manual lens on a Phase One Camera and the raw file does not contain any information on lens name, focal length or aperture. Therefore, I have to make some notes or simply use my smartphone to document the shoot.

When you load the image into Capture One Pro 9 and look at the Lens Tool, it will just show a Generic lens profile without any default corrections.

Image will show up with a generic lens profile as no lens metadata has been savned into the RAW file

The lens used for this image shows a bit of barrel distortion, as well as some chromatic aberration, so I want to correct these artifacts.

For this image, I was using an older Phase One 45mm TS f/3.5 lens, which is a lens supported by Capture One Pro 9. To select the lens profile, I will have to pick it from the ‘lens profile list’ under ‘Phase One lenses’:

After the right lens has been selected, the image will automatically be corrected for Chromatic Aberration and distortion. If I had been using a lens that was not supported in Capture One pro 9, I would still have the possibility to do a chromatic aberration correction. If you would like more details on how to do this, read the following blog post:

https://learn.captureone.com/fixing-chromatic-aberration-in-macro-images

Fixing distortion

When fixing distortion on a non-supported lens, you will have to try if either the Generic or the Generic pincushion lens model can fix it. For many lenses, you can actually bring down the distortion to a level where it is not noticeable any more, by using these generic lens profiles.

Furthermore, I will correct the keystone. Since this image has a dominant rectangle, I will use the Keystone’s cursor tool:

Next, I carefully place the four alignment circles on the corners of what I would like to be shown as a keystone free rectangle in the image.

To finish the image, I did a minor color adjustment on the blue sky with the Color editor.

Using a technical camera with lens movements

In the second example, I have been using a technical camera to create a keystone free image of a building by shifting the lens 5 mm up. I was using the Rodenstock ALPA HR Alpar 4.0 35mm lens; a lens that is supported in Capture One’s Lens Correction Tool.

Image and corresponding LCC reference image shot with a 35mm lens with 5mm shift up without any corrections

Even though the image was taken with lens movements, it is still possible to correct for light fall off, chromatic aberration and distortion, as long as Capture One Pro has the information about the lens movements and the aperture. The raw file does not contain any metadata information on the lens, the aperture or the movements of the lens, so I have to record this information, as mentioned previously.

In the lens correction tool, I do the following:

Select the lens used for the shot in the drop down menu
Enter the movements and aperture in the movements tab of the Lens Correction Tool
Apply LCC correction as explained in an earlier blogpost https://learn.captureone.com/3-easy-steps-fixing-sky-skin-tone-tool/

In this case, the movement is 5 mm up so I enter +5mm for Y shift.

Final image after LCC-, lens correction and a bot of Color Editor work

It can be a little more challenging to decide the sign for the movements when doing horizontal movements. Here, the rule is that if you stand in front of the camera, the lens movement to the left is “-“ and movement to the right is “+” – like on a classic XY coordinate system. But, if you mount the camera in portrait mode, you may lose track of the directions of the movements, as up and down shifts now should be interred as shifts in the Y direction.

A simple trick

Actually, there is a trick to determine the right sign (+ / -) when entering the movements:

Clone a variant of the LCC image and desaturate the image to get rid of any color variation
In the Lens Correction Tool, select the lens used for the image
Set the Light Fall-off compensation to 120%. The light fall-off compensation use the shift values to determine the right compensation
Use the Levels tool to increase the contrast by dragging the shadow slider. This is only to make it easier to see the effect of Light Fall-off compensation
Enter the Shift amount used for the image. If the image now appears with more even light distribution, you have entered the shift value in the right sign (+ / -)
Try the opposite just to verify that you actually did it correctly

In the above example, I am testing according to the description above, whether to use + or – in my movements. In this case, shift Y at = +8 leads to a much more even LCC file than if I entered -8, indicating that +8 is right.

Niels

3 steps to fix a blue sky using the Skin Tone tool

Capture One Pro 9 has a number of tools designed for working with images captured using a Technical Camera System. The Skin Tone tool in the Color Editor, however, is not one of them. This Tool is actually designed for improving the render of skin tones, ensuring that the skin is clean, smooth and pleasing. Surprisingly this tool also works extremely well for fixing variations in tone of a blue sky captured with a Technical Camera System.

The above image has been captured using an ALPA Technical Camera equipped with a Rodenstock ALPA HR Alpar 4.0/35mm lens and a Phase One IQ3 digital back. To avoid converging vertical lines in the building and to preserve all the details the camera system provides, I have shifted the lens up 8 mm while maintaining the camera is horizontally straight and perfectly level.

This lens may not be specifically designed for movements when paired with a Full Frame 6×45 image sensor, as you find in the IQ3 digital back. However when the lens is stopped down to f/11 you find the best compromise between depth of field and, you can then get away with movements of approximately 8-9 mm without losing your image in the corners.

Image on the left is a capture directly out of the camera. It shows large color variations in the sky caused by the wide-angle technical camera lens. The image on the right is the same image processed using Capture One Pro 9 and applying the tools for technical cameras as well as the Skin Tone Tool.

To achieve perfect color render in images like the above, taken on a technical camera, the three steps below are required in addition to capturing the image:

1) Capture a Lens Cast Correction (LCC) reference image

2) Correction for Lens Cast (LCC)

3) Fixing minor color issues

1. Creating a LCC reference file

For Capture One Pro 9 to compensate for the strong color variations seen in the sky, a separate image of a translucent white reference plate needs to be captured.

Without changing the movements of the camera or the aperture, hold the translucent plate directly infront of the lens and make a capture. Typically you’ll need to change the exposure time equivalent to 2 f-stops to get a good exposure.

2) Correcting for Lens Cast

Lenses for Technical Cameras Systems take advantage of the fact that there’s no need for the mirror box which facilitates a normal camera’s prism, and therefore the lens can get much closer to the sensor. This is is a great advantage when designing a wide-angle lens as it allows them to be smaller and optically superior. However, with the lens so close to the sensor there is a significant challenge with the angle of incident light reaching a pixel. The angle of incident light can be quite extreme and exceed the normal range that the micro-lenses of each pixel are designed to accommodate.

In Capture One Pro 9 select the LCC reference file of the translucent white plate. From within the LCC tool in the Lens Tool tab, click “Create LCC”.

Straight out of the camera the images of the translucent white plate show color variations as well as light fall-off.

When you create the LCC make sure to tick the box for Dust Removal Information, as this will allow you to automatically fix minor dust spots in your final image.

Also tick the box for “Wide Angle Lens with Movements” as this will initiate additional calibration data needed for images taken with wide-angle lenses that include movements.

After the LCC calibration has been created, it is automatically applied to the selected image in order to verify the correction actually will be able to correct the image.

With all boxes checked the LCC reference image now shows a perfect grey image without color cast, dust spots or light fall-off.

To apply the LCC calibration information to the desired image, you simply select both the LCC reference image and the image of the building. Once selected, right-click on your desired file and from the menu options select “Apply LCC”.

The task of creating and applying LCC files can be done on multiple LCC files, just select all the translucent white reference files and select “Create LCC” from either the LCC Tool or from the right-click menu in the thumbnail browser. If all your images are organized by a number of exposures followed by a LCC reference image, followed by exposures and then LCC shots (and so on), you can properly batch-apply the LCC calibration information. Simply select all the images including the LCC reference image and select “Apply LCC” from the right-click menu in the Thumbnail browser.

With the LCC calibration information applied to the image, it immediately looks much better. The calibration has reduced most of the colorcast in the image but as I have applied movements to the lens, causing an steeper angle for the incident light on the sensor, the LCC calibration doesn’t fix the color variations perfectly.

3) Fixing the remaining color variation using the Skin Tone tool

To fix the blue sky I will be using the Skin Tone tool in the Color Editor. I could work on the whole image but as there are quite a bit of blue tones in the building I would rather work in a Local Adjustment mask, created from a color selection in the Color Editor. Doing so, I can modify the mask to only include the sky.

From the advanced tab I make a color pick on the blue sky. I click on the “View Selected Color Range” to verify that I’ve got the right selection.

Now when I know I have the right color range selected I can convert this selection to a Local Adjustments Mask. I do so by clicking on the three dots (tool options) in the Color Editor Menu line and select “Create Masked Layer from Selection”.

In the Local Adjustments Tool tab I can finally move into the Skin Tone tab in the Color Editor.

This tool is designed for improving skin tones using the Uniformity sliders; these are designed to even out differences in a subject’s skin. It’s a very specialized tool for specific use, however these sliders also work perfectly on the blue sky of this image. In this example I adjusted the Uniformity of the Hue to 100%, Saturation to 67% and Lightness just a tiny bit. This adjustment totally eliminates any color variation in the sky.

With the Adjustment sliders I can further tweak the color tone to my desired blue tone.

All the best,

Niels

BTS video from Cuba: A photographer’s dream

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

When I’m asked “How was Cuba?”, unlike most countries I’ve visited, it’s pretty simple to explain the cool cars and architecture. What isn’t easy is to explain the people, fashion and culture. It’s an explosion of race, age and color. Upon landing in Cuba for the first time, I didn’t feel a sense of danger or the need for steadfast movement like I had in Africa and India. We were met with open arms and welcomed like superstars. I was instantly enthralled with the untouched Cuban history and culture.

Cuba: A dream coming true

It all started when I got a call from the Publisher of The Voice Of Louisville regarding a project in Havana, Cuba for Blue Equity, LLC who had established some business roots in Havana. The project consisted of capturing a twenty page fashion editorial as well as a large feature on the rich culture, communist government and beautiful society. The production called for two five-day trips. The first mission would be to scout locations, meet and cast talent and lock down hanging details.The second trip would be the actual production; game time. When it comes to these types of travel scenarios, I’m skeptical until the flights are booked, but I knew this was the real deal. This was a dream situation that doesn’t come around often for editorial photographers, if ever.

I was in the dark for much of the time leading up to our first trek down to the island. I usually have a great idea of what the target and end goal was for the production. But, a great deal of trust had been placed in my lap on behalf of The Voice Of Louisville, the Government of Cuba and Blue Equity, LLC. I had to own it, I had to deliver, no matter the obstacles that stood in the way.

Visual paradise

Upon arrival in the Havana airport, we were met with a breath of hot weather, but a bleak overcast sky. I quickly learned that Cuba was a visual paradise. The color, texture, automobiles and landscape was overwhelming, I didn’t know where to focus. The sun began to peak through the clouds and set into the horizon, which covered everything with a red-orange blanket of color.Over the course of the next few days, we worked hard during the day and played hard at night. But, my camera stayed by my side at all hours of the day.

Occasionally, a photo opportunity presented itself and I took advantage of the moment. Other times, it was production meetings and finding the best possible locations to photograph the fashion. I switched back and forth from “production photographer” to “street photojournalist” in an instant to guarantee I gained the proper content and knowledge we needed. Throughout our time in Cuba, I was able to really start building the foundation required to create this piece.

The gear

For this shoot I brought a Phase One 645DF with a IQ250 digital back along with a Schneider Kreuznach 40-80mm f/4 zoom lens and a Schneider Kreuznach 110mm f/2.8 static lens.

In consideration of using this setup, we made the executive decision that tethering to Capture One was essential. Thanks to my friends at Tether Tools we created the most mobile, small scale, on location tethering system possible. I knew we would be jumping from location to location and we didn’t have the time for an immense amount of setup.

For the majority of my career, I had been using a device called “CamRanger”, which provides a client preview directly to an iPad. The device was perfect for location shooting, however it didn’t show the initial color vision and didn’t represent the final product. I wanted more, so I ventured into using Lightroom, which I determined to be far too slow for location tethering. It felt clunky and my options were limited. When the project in Havana, Cuba come to fruition, I felt the need to give Capture One a shot, especially since I would be capturing the editorial with a Phase One IQ250 digital back.

The tether was quick, painless and efficient. After numerous tests and experimentation, we felt this was the right software for the job. The color adjustments are clear, clean and easy to use. We needed something that would work for us in a strenuous situation and Capture One soared over all software I’ve used in the past. It was a crucial element for my workflow and more importantly my client who was battling the hot Cuban sun to preview the imagery they had hoped for.

This shoot was a heavy burden on my back. I had a lot to deliver and a lot of hype to live up to. I mentally prepared for a tough few days and made sure Zach was briefed on the logistics of the production. Zach had to work twice as hard as anyone else. Not only was he responsible for the equipment, he was also responsible for language translation and behind the scenes.

The next morning, we hit the ground running. The sun began to soak the city like a warm bath, which designed beautiful lines and shapes on the city streets. Despite a few last minute audibles by the Government Of Cuba and their choice of locations, we adapted to the scenario and landed at our first location, right in the heart of a military base whom had not been advised of our production. We were left to setup, while the rest of the team made sure the hair, makeup, designers and models were moving. Within twenty minutes of setup, we were faced with a series of guards who shut it all down. Fortunately, Zach was able to speak some broken Spanish and make sure everyone remained calm.

By late-afternoon I was pretty beat and my forearm felt like rubber. The sun was record-breaking hot and my camera was heavy. With all the accessories, it was close to fifteen pounds, which can add up after ten hours of lifting and holding. Although the team stopped for lunch, we decided to keep moving. Each set required about thirty minutes of time with setup and pre-lighting. The models were rolled out like products on a conveyor belt, it was an extremely productive process and very essential. But, it was a challenge to capture models in the right lighting and include the surrounding environment. We wanted the people, we wanted the bustle and we wanted the noise. Sometimes, that required the right amount of patience. We waited for the right moment and the right timing for the story to form.

And, fifteen looks later; we were still shooting and I was completely bushed. We wrapped the day on the rocky shoreline with our backs to the Malecón and a crowd of people. I was excited, confident and ready for a cocktail.

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