Using Photoshop to Achieve Cinematic Color Grading

Gaining an Understanding of Color Grading in Film

The technique of changing the colors and tones of a picture in order to produce a certain mood or narrative effect is known as cinematic color grading. Cinematic grading places more emphasis on mood, emotion, and visual style than it does on accuracy and balance, in contrast to straightforward color correction, which is primarily concerned with those latter two elements. This feature in Photoshop has the ability to turn average photographs into pictures that are visually appealing and reminiscent of scenes from movies.

Begin with a Picture of Excellent Quality

The most effective results from cinematic grading are obtained on photographs that have a high degree of detail, a decent amount of contrast, and a good level of exposure. When it comes to editing photographs, RAW files provide the greatest amount of freedom in terms of making adjustments to color, shadows, highlights, and tones without compromising the quality of the photograph. As a result, RAW files should be your first choice for editing photos, if they are available.

Establish a method of operating that will not cause any damage

When using Photoshop, in order to preserve the original picture, it is essential to consistently use methods that do not cause damage. The following are some of the most important practices:

Transforming the backdrop layer into a Smart Object is a useful technique.
Employing adjustment layers to implement changes in color and tone.
Using masks in order to regulate the locations where effects are visible.
This method makes certain that it is possible for you to modify or reverse any modifications at any point in the process.

Make Adjustments to the Exposure and Contrast

Before you can add color effects, you must first make sure that the basic exposure and contrast are both correct:

Use Levels or Curves adjustment layers to fine-tune the brightness and tonal range of your image.
Make subtle adjustments to the contrast while still maintaining the subtleties of the shadows and highlights.
If you are trying to get a traditional cinematic contrast, you may want to think about using a little S-curve in Curves. This will make shadows more pronounced while still maintaining the brightness of highlights.

Use Color Balance to Create Atmosphere

The Color Balance tool enables very accurate modification of shadows, midtones, and highlights.

Teal and Orange: The use of teal in shadows and orange in highlights to provide visual warmth and contrast is a common movie aesthetic.
When it comes to cool vs warm tones, cool tones (blues and greens) are often associated with feelings of melancholy or stress, whilst warm tones (oranges and yellows) are more likely to be associated with feelings of warmth or nostalgia.
Ensure that you make adjustments to the sliders incrementally in order to prevent outcomes that are either artificial or oversaturated.

Make Use of Gradient Maps

It is possible to produce stylistic, cinematic effects with the help of Gradient Maps:

Include a Gradient Map Adjustment Layer in the project.
Select colors that are consistent with the cinematic palette you want to create. For example, you may use a blue to orange scheme or a purple to teal scheme.
In order to get a more natural-looking mix, set the layer blending mode to either Overlay or Soft Light, and then lower the opacity.
When it comes to establishing a consistent color palette for a scene, Gradient Maps are an especially powerful tool.

Split Toning with Selective Color

Split toning is a technique that separates color modifications in shadows and highlights:

You may make adjustments to hue in various tonal ranges by using either Selective Color or Color Lookup Tables (LUTs).
For example, you may improve the cinematic depth of your work by using cyan to deepen the shadows and warm amber to elevate the highlights.
When it comes to split toning, subtlety is of the utmost importance. If you overdo it, your photographs will appear like they are fake.

Use LUTs to Improve the Atmosphere

Photoshop is compatible with LUTs, which are color grading profiles that have been pre-defined:

Apply a cinematic LUT to an adjustment layer.
To make the effect more precise, adjust the opacity.
In order to imitate the look of certain genres of cinema, such as noir, science fiction, or historical pieces, you may experiment with a variety of various LUTs.

Incorporate Effects That Are Similar to Those in Films

To more closely resemble the appearance of a film:

Vignetting: Darkening the margins of the photograph with a minor vignette in order to focus attention on the center of the image
Grain: For the sake of texture and authenticity, apply a modest bit of film grain.
Lens Effects: The appearance of little chromatic aberration or lens flare may be used to simulate the look of camera optics, which makes the image more realistic.

Color Adjustment Using HSL for Further Refinement

The Hue/Saturation/Luminance (HSL) tool enables users to exercise fine-grained control over particular colors:

If you have any colors that are distracting and that conflict with your palette, you should desaturate them.
Enhance the saturation of the most important colors in order to accentuate the mood.
Adjusting the brightness will cause some parts to stand out while others fade into the background.

To Hone and Finalize

Prior to shipping overseas:

Concentrate on the primary topics while judiciously applying smart sharpening.
Examine the picture at one hundred percent zoom to see if there is any clipping in the highlights or shadows.
Make sure that there is an overall balance between contrast, color grading, and exposure.

Export for a Variety of Different Media

Depending on the monitor, the appearance of cinematic grading might vary:

For social media, the recommended export settings are sRGB with compressed quality in order to ensure that the process is fast.
For printing, utilize Adobe RGB or ProPhoto RGB in order to get the greatest possible color range.
For video reference, make sure that the grading style is consistent with the look-up tables (LUTs) that are being utilized in motion projects.

Suggestions for Grading Colors in a Cinematic Fashion

Draw inspiration from the observation of films and photographs that have a cinematic appearance.
It is best to avoid oversaturation since subtlety is often more professional in appearance.
Instead of making drastic modifications to a single layer, it is better to use a combination of many adjustment layers.
Varying the tones of shadow and highlight allows you to experiment with various moods.

The process of color grading in Photoshop for cinematic purposes is a combination of artistic expression and technical know-how. You have the ability to convert commonplace photographs into eye-catching, evocative pictures by making little but important adjustments to the exposure, contrast, and color tones. The creation of professional, cinematic outcomes requires the implementation of non-destructive procedures, the making of minor tweaks, and the consideration of mood. With effort, it is possible for your photographs to elicit the same emotional response in viewers as sequences from your favorite movies.

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