Uploaded January 2021 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
Hello! In the last video about developing RAW photos in 3D LUT Creator, we discussed out LibRaw development settings. In this video we will take a look at the tools that 3D LUT Creator has for working with RAW files.
This is how the RAW image appears right after opening in 3D LUT Creator. At this stage, we can call it a technical development.
You can see color matrix settings at Channels tab. They are loaded from LibRaw according to your camera model. Let me remind you once again if you need to load a color matrix to 3D LUT Creator, you need to select a color space with the RAW mark in the development parameters of LibRaw and check “Load color matrix from RAW” checkbox. This is how the photo looks like if the color matrix is turned off. These basic color settings are fine if your shot is taken with natural light. You'll need to use color target to get the color matrix if you use light sources with a ragged spectrum. I will definitely come back to this in the next videos. Also, you can create color matrix using "Create color matrix ..." command. 3D LUT Creator already contains data of color primaries, but as you can see, all this data is presented only for video cameras. The color matrix for photo cameras is loaded from LibRaw.
Let's move on to restoring contrast using the inverse logarithmic curve. It is automatically selected for RAW data in the Input Log drop-down list. It is called LogC. The shape of this curve can be viewed on the LUT curve analyzer. I will open a new version of editing, select LogC and open a window with analyzers. I will select the curves analyzer and select “Curves – Lock to neutral”. Now you can see the shape of the curve that converts LogC to sRGB. There are many other curves here but they are intended for decoding video data. You can apply them to RAW files only at your own risk as an experiment.
White balance is retrieved from the camera, but it can be adjusted by clicking with the white balance eyedropper on a gray object, or using the sliders. Hold down Shift to fine tune the slider values.
How can contrast be adjusted here? I will turn on clippings for the convenience. This also can be done by pressing J key. Note that the clipping zones will be highlighted with the colors of the channels that are being clipped. It is very informative. I have a small patch on the clouds. Notice how the histogram of the photo will change if I turn off the LOG curve. This way details in shadows and highlights are preserved. Keep in mind that you can loose details in the photo not only by changing exposure and contrast, but also by working with saturation.
There is one more important note that you should pay attention to. Saturation slider, like Color Grids and Special Curves, is based on the selected color model. Let's see what happens if I increase the saturation and choose different color models.
Dynamic range allows details to appear in shadows and highlights, but the picture becomes flatter. If you move the slider to the right, the picture will become more contrasting, but at the same time areas in the highlights and shadows are knocked out. As you already know, it is not possible to do tone mapping with the LUT. But nevertheless, most details in the photo can be saved.
Color Recover slider allows you to restore color from overexposed areas. It happens that some channel clips and because of this the highlights are painted in an extraneous shade. Color Recover allows these colors to be put back in place.
If Whites slider doesn't help, you can decrease the exposure. 3D LUT Creator doesn’t have tone mapping tools, but because of that, when controlling and adjusting the contrast with its tools, I do not overcook the photo, the tonal transitions remain smooth.
At the end let's take a look at the block diagram of a photo processing workflow to consolidate how RAW processing goes inside 3D LUT Creator. The inverse logarithmic curve is applied first, then white balance, channel mixer and other instruments. That is why it is important to choose LogC curve so that both the white balance and color matrix are applied correctly. However, if you do not need to get the exact color, you can choose another curve to experiment.
See you in the new video!
################################################
Platform supported: Windows and Mac
Download 3D LUT Creator Demo and try: 3dlutcreator.com
FOLLOW US:
► facebook.com/3dlutcreator
► https://www.facebook.com/groups/3dlut...
► vk.com/3dlutcreator
► instagram.com/3dlutcreator
DOWNLOAD 3DLUT mobile app HERE:
► App Store: goo.gl/vneRGx
► Google Play: goo.gl/CqN55x
Music: audionautix.com
Hello! In the last video about developing RAW photos in 3D LUT Creator, we discussed out LibRaw development settings. In this video we will take a look at the tools that 3D LUT Creator has for working with RAW files.
This is how the RAW image appears right after opening in 3D LUT Creator. At this stage, we can call it a technical development.
You can see color matrix settings at Channels tab. They are loaded from LibRaw according to your camera model. Let me remind you once again if you need to load a color matrix to 3D LUT Creator, you need to select a color space with the RAW mark in the development parameters of LibRaw and check “Load color matrix from RAW” checkbox. This is how the photo looks like if the color matrix is turned off. These basic color settings are fine if your shot is taken with natural light. You'll need to use color target to get the color matrix if you use light sources with a ragged spectrum. I will definitely come back to this in the next videos. Also, you can create color matrix using "Create color matrix ..." command. 3D LUT Creator already contains data of color primaries, but as you can see, all this data is presented only for video cameras. The color matrix for photo cameras is loaded from LibRaw.
Let's move on to restoring contrast using the inverse logarithmic curve. It is automatically selected for RAW data in the Input Log drop-down list. It is called LogC. The shape of this curve can be viewed on the LUT curve analyzer. I will open a new version of editing, select LogC and open a window with analyzers. I will select the curves analyzer and select “Curves – Lock to neutral”. Now you can see the shape of the curve that converts LogC to sRGB. There are many other curves here but they are intended for decoding video data. You can apply them to RAW files only at your own risk as an experiment.
White balance is retrieved from the camera, but it can be adjusted by clicking with the white balance eyedropper on a gray object, or using the sliders. Hold down Shift to fine tune the slider values.
How can contrast be adjusted here? I will turn on clippings for the convenience. This also can be done by pressing J key. Note that the clipping zones will be highlighted with the colors of the channels that are being clipped. It is very informative. I have a small patch on the clouds. Notice how the histogram of the photo will change if I turn off the LOG curve. This way details in shadows and highlights are preserved. Keep in mind that you can loose details in the photo not only by changing exposure and contrast, but also by working with saturation.
There is one more important note that you should pay attention to. Saturation slider, like Color Grids and Special Curves, is based on the selected color model. Let's see what happens if I increase the saturation and choose different color models.
Dynamic range allows details to appear in shadows and highlights, but the picture becomes flatter. If you move the slider to the right, the picture will become more contrasting, but at the same time areas in the highlights and shadows are knocked out. As you already know, it is not possible to do tone mapping with the LUT. But nevertheless, most details in the photo can be saved.
Color Recover slider allows you to restore color from overexposed areas. It happens that some channel clips and because of this the highlights are painted in an extraneous shade. Color Recover allows these colors to be put back in place.
If Whites slider doesn't help, you can decrease the exposure. 3D LUT Creator doesn’t have tone mapping tools, but because of that, when controlling and adjusting the contrast with its tools, I do not overcook the photo, the tonal transitions remain smooth.
At the end let's take a look at the block diagram of a photo processing workflow to consolidate how RAW processing goes inside 3D LUT Creator. The inverse logarithmic curve is applied first, then white balance, channel mixer and other instruments. That is why it is important to choose LogC curve so that both the white balance and color matrix are applied correctly. However, if you do not need to get the exact color, you can choose another curve to experiment.
See you in the new video!
################################################
Platform supported: Windows and Mac
Download 3D LUT Creator Demo and try: 3dlutcreator.com
FOLLOW US:
► facebook.com/3dlutcreator
► https://www.facebook.com/groups/3dlut...
► vk.com/3dlutcreator
► instagram.com/3dlutcreator
DOWNLOAD 3DLUT mobile app HERE:
► App Store: goo.gl/vneRGx
► Google Play: goo.gl/CqN55x
Music: audionautix.com
