Lightroom for color grading?

[mercer]

On occasion I’ll save a frame onto my phone and then mess around with it on the Lightroom App. In fact, I find the controls more intuitive than the color tools in FCPX and Resolve.

Does anyone know if Adobe Camera Raw works within Lightroom for video or can you create a preset in Lightroom that you can use in Premiere or export for other NLEs?

I’ve never used the Adobe Suite, but I’m contemplating getting a subscription because I know a lot of people prefer the color from ACR than Resolve with ML Raw.

[kye]

43 minutes ago, mercer said:

On occasion I’ll save a frame onto my phone and then mess around with it on the Lightroom App. In fact, I find the controls more intuitive than the color tools in FCPX and Resolve.

Does anyone know if Adobe Camera Raw works within Lightroom for video or can you create a preset in Lightroom that you can use in Premiere or export for other NLEs?

I’ve never used the Adobe Suite, but I’m contemplating getting a subscription because I know a lot of people prefer the color from ACR than Resolve with ML Raw.

I started using Lightroom to catalog and manage my footage but (IIRC) as soon as I moved from the 700D to the XC10 that stuffed it up because Lightroom wouldn't even recognise the files existed, so I think it depends on what file formats you're using.

I can try it for you if you tell me what file format you're interested in using.

[mercer]

8 minutes ago, kye said:

I started using Lightroom to catalog and manage my footage but (IIRC) as soon as I moved from the 700D to the XC10 that stuffed it up because Lightroom wouldn't even recognise the files existed, so I think it depends on what file formats you're using.

I can try it for you if you tell me what file format you're interested in using.

ML Raw would be CDNG.

[kye]

I pointed Lightroom to a folder containing an image sequence of CDNG files and it sees all of them, and seems to import them fine.  I then made edits, copied those edits and pasted to a bunch of images (in one click - not one-by-one) and went to the export window (but stopped short of actually exporting) and it seemed to be fine with all of that.

Does that answer your question?

[Edit: the CDNG files were extracted from an ML clip, so should be the right format]

[Mattias Burling]

I remember James Miller making a tutorial about that but now I couldn't find it.

Sometimes I actually miss grading Raw video using After Effects just for the controls of Adobe Camera Raw. But I can't say the same about the time it usually took to export.

[webrunner5]

One of his videos in After Effects.

 

[mercer]

12 hours ago, Mattias Burling said:

I remember James Miller making a tutorial about that but now I couldn't find it.

Sometimes I actually miss grading Raw video using After Effects just for the controls of Adobe Camera Raw. But I can't say the same about the time it usually took to export.

I’ve never used After Effects but the sliders in Lightroom are so much more intuitive than hsl curves and wheels. The simple sliders in the LR app for clarity and contrast would be a breath of fresh air in an NLE. The Raw adjustments in Resolve just seem too... mathematical.

16 hours ago, kye said:

I pointed Lightroom to a folder containing an image sequence of CDNG files and it sees all of them, and seems to import them fine.  I then made edits, copied those edits and pasted to a bunch of images (in one click - not one-by-one) and went to the export window (but stopped short of actually exporting) and it seemed to be fine with all of that.

Does that answer your question?

[Edit: the CDNG files were extracted from an ML clip, so should be the right format]

Thanks, Kye... it sounds doable. Do you have a subscription for Lightroom?

[andrgl]

23 hours ago, mercer said:

On occasion I’ll save a frame onto my phone and then mess around with it on the Lightroom App. In fact, I find the controls more intuitive than the color tools in FCPX and Resolve.

Does anyone know if Adobe Camera Raw works within Lightroom for video or can you create a preset in Lightroom that you can use in Premiere or export for other NLEs?

I’ve never used the Adobe Suite, but I’m contemplating getting a subscription because I know a lot of people prefer the color from ACR than Resolve with ML Raw.

@mercer

You can generate a LUT from Lightroom grades with this program:

https://generator.iwltbap.com/

Kinda convoluted. You make a HALD file, apply you Lightroom preset, save it, then use the program to export a CUBE file.

The LUT only affects color, so no texture, clarity, denoise, etc.

[kye]

4 hours ago, mercer said:

I’ve never used After Effects but the sliders in Lightroom are so much more intuitive than hsl curves and wheels. The simple sliders in the LR app for clarity and contrast would be a breath of fresh air in an NLE. The Raw adjustments in Resolve just seem too... mathematical.

Thanks, Kye... it sounds doable. Do you have a subscription for Lightroom?

Yeah, I'm on the ~$10pm photography plan which gives you PS and LR.

The LR panels are pretty optimised I think.  Their target users are people who do weddings and need to process images really quickly and efficiently.

By the time you go through the sliders, and setup local adjustment brushes for things like under-eyes (lighten shadows, reduce clarity), brighten eyes (increase vibrance, sharpen), flattering skin (reduced clarity), and a couple of dodge/burn presets, you can process images at a pretty quick pace.

[mercer]

21 hours ago, kye said:

Yeah, I'm on the ~$10pm photography plan which gives you PS and LR.

The LR panels are pretty optimised I think.  Their target users are people who do weddings and need to process images really quickly and efficiently.

By the time you go through the sliders, and setup local adjustment brushes for things like under-eyes (lighten shadows, reduce clarity), brighten eyes (increase vibrance, sharpen), flattering skin (reduced clarity), and a couple of dodge/burn presets, you can process images at a pretty quick pace.

That’s not too bad, I guess. I’ve been messing around with B&W lately and the controls in LR dwarf what I can do in FCPX... well at least it seems a lot easier.

I graded the top shot in FCPX and then saved the frame, sent it to my phone and opened it in the LR app to do the bottom B&W...

I’ll have to look around, maybe there’s a plug-in for FCPX that has similar controls as LR.

Or maybe I’ll get a trial of the Adobe suite and give it a go. 

Thanks for your help!

21 hours ago, andrgl said:

@mercer

You can generate a LUT from Lightroom grades with this program:

https://generator.iwltbap.com/

Kinda convoluted. You make a HALD file, apply you Lightroom preset, save it, then use the program to export a CUBE file.

The LUT only affects color, so no texture, clarity, denoise, etc.

Thanks, that sounds cool. Of course, I love the clarity slider in LR, but I guess it’s similar to Midtone Detail in Resolve.

[Attila Bakos]

On 7/22/2019 at 12:49 AM, andrgl said:

@mercer

You can generate a LUT from Lightroom grades with this program:

https://generator.iwltbap.com/

Kinda convoluted. You make a HALD file, apply you Lightroom preset, save it, then use the program to export a CUBE file.

The LUT only affects color, so no texture, clarity, denoise, etc.

If you don't want to install anything, I created an online version that does the same thing: http://colorizer.net/index.php?op=lightroom

[kye]

7 hours ago, mercer said:

I’ll have to look around, maybe there’s a plug-in for FCPX that has similar controls as LR.

Or maybe I’ll get a trial of the Adobe suite and give it a go. 

Thanks for your help!

No worries!

Cool B&W frame.  There's richness and depth in the subtle shading that is very nice  

After messing around with B&W in the cheap camera challenge I've gained a new appreciation for it.  I recall a famous photographer once saying that things should always be B&W unless they're better in colour, and that that's the logic that should be used when deciding which way to go.  Interesting perspective.

 

[Kisaha]

On 7/22/2019 at 1:54 AM, kye said:

The LR panels are pretty optimised I think.  Their target users are people who do weddings and need to process images really quickly and efficiently.

By the time you go through the sliders, and setup local adjustment brushes for things like under-eyes (lighten shadows, reduce clarity), brighten eyes (increase vibrance, sharpen), flattering skin (reduced clarity), and a couple of dodge/burn presets, you can process images at a pretty quick pace.

I do a few photo jobs per year and that is exactly how I use LR.

I have a free standalone version from the NX cameras (yes, they were offering LR for free also!) I own, and I edit every photo on its own.

I found the LR controls the easiest to work in the industry. Lumetri is trying to imitate that process but it isn't not even 90% there yet.

[mercer]

On 7/23/2019 at 12:15 AM, kye said:

No worries!

Cool B&W frame.  There's richness and depth in the subtle shading that is very nice  

After messing around with B&W in the cheap camera challenge I've gained a new appreciation for it.  I recall a famous photographer once saying that things should always be B&W unless they're better in colour, and that that's the logic that should be used when deciding which way to go.  Interesting perspective.

 

Thanks, and I agree. I am slowly warming up to B&W as a “why not” choice in my filmmaking instead of a “why” choice. 

I wont bore people with too many of the B&W conversions I did in the LR App, but the nuances in tones of 14bit color really helps to create a beautiful B&W image... much better than I am capable of doing with colorgrading.

This shot was from a Nikkor 28mm f/2 lens. I graded it in FCPX with just the color board and some light curves. The B&W was converted in LR on my phone and I adjusted some of the Luminosity controls, added a touch of contrast and clarity...

And this frame was shot with the Zeiss 25mm ZF... with the same workflow from color to B&W...

I actually like the color version of those shots, which is a rarity for me, but I feel the B&W levels the field between my low rent hobby quality and something that could be seen in a real production...

They still suck though and I have a lot of practicing to do. 

Anyway, it’s good to know that I can use LR in some capacity for future work. I assume once I get my new monitor/computer, I will download a trial version of the Adobe suite to see how I like it.

[kye]

@mercer Cool shots!

I like the colour as well as the B&W versions.  One of the things that makes the colour shots nice is the contrast of warm/cool tones, a kind of orange/teal grade but done in real life rather than in post (which is 1000% better than doing it in post IMHO).

One thing lacking from the "shot-by-shot" decision making that photographers have is that its typical to have the whole film graded in the same look, so we're making one decision for all of our shots in the design phase instead of in post.  Making the decision in production design gives an advantage as we can shoot for colour or shoot for B&W, giving us the chance to get things better in-camera.  

I think ML has a B&W preview mode doesn't it?  That might be useful as you'll get a better sense of what the finished product will be like.

[webrunner5]

I think Mercer will find he gets better B&W from his BMMPC than his 5D3 even in ML. They just have a lot more info in them. BMD hit upon a magic look in them.

That video that Skip77 bought back up I posted using a BMPCC proves no Canon camera is going to look that good in B&W compared to it. Ain't happening.

[mercer]

19 hours ago, webrunner5 said:

I think Mercer will find he gets better B&W from his BMMPC than his 5D3 even in ML. They just have a lot more info in them. BMD hit upon a magic look in them.

That video that Skip77 bought back up I posted using a BMPCC proves no Canon camera is going to look that good in B&W compared to it. Ain't happening.

I know you’re not a Canon fan even with ML Raw but I can say wholeheartedly that I will get better images with my Canon than my Micro. 14bit color Raw with only 12 stops of DR will give ME better results than 10bit color and 13 stops of DR. I’m sure a better colorist can eek out a better image with the Micro, but I’m not that guy and I really don’t want to be a great colorist... too many other things to worry about with a one man band production. With that being said, B&W seems to be the great equalizer for a hobby filmmaker like myself.

20 hours ago, kye said:

@mercer Cool shots!

I like the colour as well as the B&W versions.  One of the things that makes the colour shots nice is the contrast of warm/cool tones, a kind of orange/teal grade but done in real life rather than in post (which is 1000% better than doing it in post IMHO).

One thing lacking from the "shot-by-shot" decision making that photographers have is that its typical to have the whole film graded in the same look, so we're making one decision for all of our shots in the design phase instead of in post.  Making the decision in production design gives an advantage as we can shoot for colour or shoot for B&W, giving us the chance to get things better in-camera.  

I think ML has a B&W preview mode doesn't it?  That might be useful as you'll get a better sense of what the finished product will be like.

@kye thanks, I always appreciate your insight. I’m really just killing time in between script pages and shooting days even messing around with post color work until I get a better post set up... but it’s still kinda fun to do even if it has no reflection on what my final film will look like.

And yes, ML has a greyscale preview or you can set the live view to any picture profile you want without it affecting the final image... so I do use monochrome on occasion to see tones but mostly to see the focus peaking better.