Layer One: Luma Mask. New in Capture One 12 is Luma masking. I love this tool! It is such a great time saver for masking highlights. I use it here to mask out the highest highlights in the image and then use the High Dynamic Range sliders to pull back the highlights.

Capture One is used like raw converter and for some basic adjustments. Most of the color grading and all the skin retouch are done in Photoshop without using any filters, actions or plugins. Camera: Canon 5DS R. Light: Available light. Software for retouch and color: Capture One & Photoshop. Length: 53 minutes (all in real time and recorded in. This week I’ve created a video to explain soft-proofing for print in Capture One Pro and Photoshop, in response to a question from Chris Moore. I’d been meaning to do a video on soft-proofing in Capture One Pro for a while, so thanks for the question Chris! Capture One is used like raw converter and for some basic adjustments. Most of the color grading and all the skin retouch are done in Photoshop without using any filters, actions or plugins. Camera: Canon 5DS R.

Coloratti Joan Boira has just released a new post on matching color on a photo display between different programs: Photoshop, Lightroom, Capture One, Aperture. A photo opened in these different software program may appear differently from another.

He kindly agreed to share his thoughts with X-Rite friends! Here an abstract from joanboira.com:

“The truth is that it is a difficult task since many factors, and match results is very complex. These are the main points to consider:

• Proper monitor calibration and profiling.
• Setting color management of each program (configuration profiles and color spaces).
• The internal color space using a certain program to work. To work on different gamuts (“color palettes and luminosity” of a color space) that can be applied to a file (sRGB, Adobe RGB (1998) or Prophoto RGB). It is usually a wide color space as Prophoto RGB or similar.
• The color conversion engine. By default the programs often use an internal motor itself or the operating system (in Photoshop can choose it).
• The purpose of conversion. The matching calculation between two profiles (or color space) different. Is the method used, for example to compress an Adobe RGB (1998) to an sRGB. Usually Perceptual or Relative Colorimetric.
• Adaptation of a color space of a picture, play different profile of my monitor (assuming you have calibrated and profiled).

Obviously the solution is complex and can not always deliver perfect results, because each application has a configuration and tuning options … and usually are usually different for each program. Moreover, some programs “hide” your settings internally, so they do not know, what is your setup, and many have no option to change them.
Let’s be positive, and the information and options we can try to unify criteria. We can use Photoshop settings as a starting point (if you have properly configured for our workflow) and try to match the rest of the programs.

Color Settings in Photoshop:

• RGB working space: sRGB monitor / web / MINLAB, Adobe RGB (1998) to print and ProPhoto RGB to work with photos in 16 bits.
• Color Management Policies: Preserve Embedded Profiles.
• Conversion Engine: Adobe ACE or operating system (Apple or Microsoft ICM CMM).
• Conversion Purpose: Photoshop allows us to choose between the four types, the most recommended: Perceptual or Relative Colorimetric.

Color Settings in Lightroom:

The internal color space using Lightroom in the Develop module is very similar to Prophoto RGB and not modifiable. The calculations and processes are performed in the color space to ProPhoto RGB values, but with a gamma correction value of 1.0, since Raw files using this value. At this gamma curve is applied sRGB (very similar to gamma 2.2) to achieve a more uniform distribution of the histogram values ​​and editing easier and intuitive.

The color conversion engine, although I have not found documentation about it, I understand that is the Adobe ACE. So in Photoshop should select the same to equal results.

Configure color settings in Capture One:

The internal color space using C1 not explicitly specified, the only fact is that it is a color space “very large, similar to that captured by the camera sensor,” possibly like a ProPhoto RGB.

The color conversion engine, although I have not found documentation. We test and compare the two engines available in Photoshop and compare the results to those offered by C1.

Conversion Purpose: Capture One allows us to choose between the four types, the most recommended: Perceptual or Relative Colorimetric.

Color Settings in Aperture:

The internal color space using Aperture is not explicitly specified, the only fact is that it is a place of “wide range”, possibly like a ProPhoto RGB.

The color conversion engine, although I have not found documentation about it, I understand that is the Apple CMM. So in Photoshop should select the same to equal results.

Conclusion:

The solutions, as you can see, they are not easy to apply. So we have to use “common sense” and try to adapt the program (or programs) that use about Photoshop or vice versa, taking into account the possibilities of each and which can adapt more easily to the other. And though Photoshop is probably the best program we can adapt to our needs, it is quite possible that we have to limit the options that we provide the other programs.

I hope this tip is of interest. I am very interested to receive your opinion and your preferences on what topics, programs, tips, etc, more interest you …

You can leave your opinion in the comments section of the end of the post.

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Joan Boira uses ColorMunki Photo, i1Display Pro, and ColorChecker Passport color management solutions from X-Rite. Learn how you can stop guessing and start knowing with X-Rite color management solutions from X-Rite at www.xritephoto.com.

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I tend to not jump from one workflow to another too often, because every software package has its own learning curve, language, and quirks. It can be frustrating to learn how to do something in one program and then relearn it in another (along with different menu settings, key commands, ect.)

That being said, sometimes it can be worthwhile to compare different software or processes to see if there is something that could further improve image and, more importantly, print quality.

I had been using Lightroom 3 for developing of raw files since 2010, and was fine for my mirrorless Sony Nex camera. I then got the new Nikon and have been relying on that more than shooting MF film/drum scanning. Now I needed an updated RAW converter that supported the new camera and was still able to support OS 10.6.8 (long story).

Capture One Pro vs Lightroom

Fortunately Capture One 7 can run on Snow Leopard. I think Capture 1 is a little clunky and the 'development' stage can be unintuitive. At first I was simply converting the NEF to DNG with Capture 1, and then imported and developed as normal in Lightroom.

When I compared exported tiffs processed in Lightroom to those processed in Capture 1, the later were all sharper, with less apparent sharpening artifacts, along with better contrast and mid-tone separation.

After lots of testing, I found that while the initial de-mosaic processing of Capture 1 is actually better, but the black and white conversion isn't as good as what I am able to achieve in either Lightroom or Photoshop. I tried making multiple cloned variants with different B&W conversion settings to later mask out and blend in photoshop. None of that was as good as the B&W conversion done with Lightroom or exporting a full color tiff to convert Photoshop.

Local Adjustments

Capture One and Lightroom both have the ability to make local adjustments to the raw files before exporting, and I think capture one does it slightly better. It uses what are effectively adjustment layers and the ability to paint in the amount of adjustment. Lightroom does the same, but with adjustment brushes, that are not as easy to control (or figure out how much of an adjustment you are making). I prefer to use these tools to get the general lightness and darkness and contrast balanced, or local clarity increases in the this stage. Any additional tonal corrections and adjustments are then made in Photoshop, where adjustment layers and masks make this process easier/faster/more intuitive.

Capture One Pro vs. Silver Efex Pro vs. Photoshop

Its is no secret that I really don't like plug-ins. Most of the adjustments a plugin like Silver Efex or Topaz Labs black and white can do can be done with photoshop with an adjustment layer or two.

I also don't like the idea of 'film emulation' profiles. Film's grain structure is byproduct of film technology and chemical reactions, no matter how good the algorithms are, they can't recreate the structure of film grain—all it does is introduce digital noise.

Capture One Panorama Photoshop

However, after multiple tests of this image using different conversion techniques, modifying the default settings within Silver Efex Pro seems to have a slight advantage over some of the techniques I've used in the past.

Capture One And Photoshop Studio

I will go into detailed workflows of some those black and white conversions with Capture 1, Silver Efex, and Photoshop in a future post. Until then, here are some screenshots comparing those different techniques.

I have included some 100% screen shots showing the difference in tonal separation and sharpness. Some of the deficiencies of the other conversions can be overcome with additional contrast control in Photoshop, but I still feel is it better to get it as good as possible before extensive dodging and burning/contrast control later on.

The Verdict

Capture One Vs Photoshop

Well the verdict is still out. Some of the benefits of Silver Efex are the ability to define the emulation of the films spectral sensitivity in conjunction with color filtration, as well as changing the contrast curve of the 'film'. Most of the built in settings clip the shadows so I would not recommend using blind presets. The other contributing factor that might give Silver Efex the 'edge' is the ability to increase the structure settings, which seem to give a different result than an additional sharpening layer and settings when employing a photoshop B&W conversion layer.