How to use Lightroom Classic to quickly generate professional style in just 3 steps! Use PerfeFilm Tones as an example.

December 8, 2021

Professional preset workflow

There are many camera raw file editing software on the market that have good raw file decoding and preset editing systems. However, if you want to use raw files in a commercial workflow, you need a professional workflow that can be overlaid and recovered with clear steps. Lightroom Classic from Adobe is one of the best in camera raw file editing/processing software, and in addition to its rich tools, it offers a progressive/overlay workflow that allows photographers to quickly create their images in two or three steps compared to Capture One and DXO. In this article, let's use PerfeFilm Tones' progressive workflow to explain.

Step 1 : Primary Color Grading
Step 2 : Select color system --> Apply a profile
Step 3 : Select a Preset with a progressive workflow
PerfeFilm Tones Examples

PerfeFilm Tones System

PerfeFilm Tones is a system of presets from PerfeFilm.com that simulates the color of cameras. You can quickly create you style in three steps for fashion, soft portrait, landscape, negative, documentary... and so on. With different camera profiles, you can achieve a fast and flexible workflow.
The following examples are available in the free trial version of PerfeFilm Demo, try it for free now!

Step 1 : Primary Color Grading

Same as in video color grading, we can adjust several basic parameters at the beginning: exposure, color temperature, and image brightness range. In this step we make sure that the brightness and color temperature of the photo meet the basic requirements, and then proceed to the next steps for more details. Sometimes you may find that the exposure or white balance of the raw file is not as good as expected, so we will adjust the exposure and white balance first.

Raw file with insufficient exposure

Adjusting the exposure and color temperature to get reasonable range of brightness and color temperature.

Step 2 : Select color system --> Apply a profile

Q: Many users of Lightroom and Adobe Camera Raw are probably confused: What is the difference between Lightroom's profile and preset? Why do you have two different types of color preset?

A: Profile does not affect the user's Develop Panel settings, but rather uses a color mapping table to set the color space when the photo is loaded. A preset is to load the values in Develop Panel, also includes the profile and other settings.

Profile is to select the "color system", and Preset is to make custom editing after selecting the color system.

For example, when we use the "Portrait" mode of Canon cameras, it is similar to select the Portrait profile in Lightroom. When we edit the Develop Panel based on the profile, it is a preset.
Generally speaking, a profile file can only work with raw files, because it must use raw files for conversion.

Using the PerfeFilm profiles

If you have installed a free trial version of PerfeFilm Demo for your camera model, you should see a new preset group: PerfeFilm Demo. In the example, I want to make this photo more vibrant, but at the same time keep the color tone nature. In this case, we can use the PerfeFilm X-T4 Provia profile - which can be applied by clicking the "Cam Fujifilm X-T4 Provia DR100" presets

As you can see, the peach red and orange colors are more vibrant than the original Adobe Color, and the skin tone is more ruddy, which is in line with the detailing we will do in later steps.

Step 3 : Select a Preset with a progressive workflow

Each of the presets designed by PerfeFilm can be applied and restored at any time. So if we continue to see the PerfeFilm Demo preset flow, we can see the following items

1. ----------------- Tone / reset -----------------
2. ----------------- Saturation / reset ---------------
3. ----------------- Color Tone / reset -----------------
4. ----------------- Shadow / reset -----------------
5. ----------------- Effect / reset -----------------

Each item can be applied and cancelled independently. By following the sequence 1. Tone - 2. Saturation - 3. Color Tone, you can simplify the complex workflow to be done in a few steps. Just click on the title of ----- <type> / reset ------ to cancel this type of setting. There are overwhelming numbers of Lightroom presets on the market. With PerfeFilm Tones' workflow, you can simplify it to 3-5 steps! And it can be restored at any time.

Let's go down to the PerfeFilm Demo preset group, we can see 1. Tone items, the following include Fashion, Soft Portrait, Landscape, Film Tone, Polaroid, High Dynamic Range HDR, Documentary and other styles. If you want to cancel it, you can click Tone / reset to cancel the style.

PerfeFilm Tones style for a variety of scenes

Detail Adjustment

Next, you can continue to adjust the style items such as 2. Saturation, 3. Color Tone, 4. Shadow, 5. Effect, etc.

For example, if I want to make this photo industrial style, with high iso color film style, I can set:

1d. Film Tone

2c. Vi +0

3a. Warm ++ setting to bring out the black tones and warm colors.

PerfeFilm X-T4 Provia + Film Tone, Warm++

For a cross-processing film style with cooler tones, try 1e. Polaroid, 2d. Vi +30, 2e. Sat +60, 4b. Cyan ++, 5a. Vignette

PerfeFilm X-T4 Provia + Polaroid Tone, Cyan++ Vignette

That's it! Just follow the workflow steps to experience the flexibility and richness of retouching. With the help of PerfeFIlm Tones, you can freely simulate the colors of the cameras and films of various manufacturers!

PerfeFilm Tones Examples

There are some of the effects of applying PerfeFilm Tones, you can download PerfeFilm Demo for free to try it out. If you have any ideas, please feel free to share with me.

A7R4 Deep Profile + Fashion Tone