Lightroom version 12.0 brought a big update, but there's one thing I really wish Adobe had added: an Amount slider in the Colour Grading tab. Here I explain why, using colour grading to add the finishing touches to a photograph so you can see where that extra control would help. I also show a hack that gives you even more control over the colour grading, so you can fine-tune just how strong the effect is.
Well if you’re part of my Email Group and connected with me on social media (Intagram, Facebook etc) then you’ll likely be aware that we’ve recently relocated … as in the past couple of days.
We now live in an area that we’ve loved for many years on the Somerset / Devon / Dorset borders with places like Axminster, Lyme Regis and Bridport (West Bay) a short drive away. It’s an area we always wanted to be but Covid times were crazy times and there just wasn’t anything available at the time.
There’s a few other practical reasons for us moving looking ahead to the future and plans with family members staying with us, but on the first morning we woke up, my wife Anne said … “I feel really happy” … and that’s all I need to hear to know we made the right decision.
Anyway, with the move comes a new workspace which I’m now cracking on with …
This morning I’ve installed the Acoustic Panels on the walls and then later in the week will be installing the suspended Acoustic Panel above my desk (once it arrives). It always amazes me how effective these panels are transforming a room with echo and tinny audio into a fantastic recording space.
Better Audio = Better Video for sure 🔊
The panels I got from a company called Gik Acoustics ( LINK ) … I’m not affiliated with them whatsoever … they’re products just do as they’re intended and are really well made!
Once the broadband is connected I’ll get back to uploading content on my YouTube Channel; it’ll be 2 weeks since I was able to post and it’s driving me crazy 😜 but with the latest BIG updates in Lightroom and Photoshop for starters there’s loads to share.
Right, best I head back home and get the pain brushes out.
Catch you again soon,
Glyn
Following the success of the recent Lightroom Virtual Summit 2022 and the wonderful feedback I received for my Colour Grading: The Essential Finishing Touch class, I’ll be presenting a LIVE Webinar on behalf of BenQ on Tuesday 25th October …
Approximately 45 minutes long, starting at 6pm BST, I’ll be going through how I use the Color Grading Panel in Lightroom to finish my images and giving them mood and atmosphere.
An often overlooked and avoided tab in Lightroom, Color Grading is incredibly powerful and best of all, easy to use once you know not just HOW to apply it but (more importantly) WHY you apply it.
I’ll go through the theory along with examples and then go step by step through how you would use the Color Grading Panel for best results by diving into the controls and showing useful keyboard shortcuts that offer much more control.
The webinar is FREE to join and you can do so by registering at the link below; oh and there will of course be time set aside for questions.
Hope to ‘see’ you there :)
Here I used artificial intelligence not just to repair a 70 year old family photograph but also to build out parts of it. I show the whole process, using DALL-E, Photoshop and Topaz Gigapixel AI together, and how incredibly easy it was to get a result like this. It's a really good example of what's possible when you combine these tools on an old family picture that means a lot.
The dog in this portrait belongs to my friend Trigga, and I took it after I'd finished taking his portrait. Here I go through all of the editing and retouching I did from start to finish, first in Lightroom and then in Photoshop, so you can see every step that went into making the final picture. Nothing is skipped, so you can follow along with how the portrait went from the original file to the finished result.
The Law Staes that when flying a UAS (Drone) we MUST maintain direct visual line of sight at all times.
So ... I added these VERY BRIGHT LEDs from Strobon to help 💡
*This is where I bought them from (Non-Affiliate Link) … LINK
VERY excited that Westcott have recently upgraded their popular X-Drop Background system to the new, X-Drop Pro …
I’ve been using the original X-Drop for years.
If you’ve seen portraits I’ve taken over the past 3 years and any of my World War 2 Veterans Portraits from my 3945 Project then you’ll definitely have seen it …
But, more recently I’m now using the new X-Drop Pro which is a whole new design; bigger, sturdier and easier to set up, pack away and with the now foldable backgrounds, way more convenient and portable …
The X-Drop Pro has a completely new design to the main collapsible support and the arms / legs with a thicker structure which still maintains its light weight …
The clips to extend and close down the legs / arms are bigger too which altogether makes this a much more, grounded, sturdy system when installed …
The X-Drop Pro also has larger backgrounds measuring 8’ x 8’ and 8’ x ‘12 but the X-Drop Pro can still be fitted with the 5’ x 7’ and 5’ x 12’ backgrounds, be they on a roll or foldable material. based.
On the topic of material backgrounds, Westcott now have their printed backgrounds, which ordinarily came on canvas or vinyl, available now on foldable, machine washable and dryer resistant.
This to me, dare I say, is a Game Changer because although the previous X-Drop Background System was portable, this new one is even more so despite being bigger when installed, because of the foldable material backgrounds.
My signature ‘Glyn Dewis Vintage Grey’ which has proven incredibly popular is available on foldable material and in all is`es: 5’ 7’ , 5’ x 12’ , 8’ x 8’ and 8’ x 12’
If you’ve used or seen the X-Drop system in the past, you will see a BIG difference with the now Pro version.
Way to go Westcott!
*Note:
For folks in the UK (and Europe) , Carmarthen Cameras are an Official Westcott Distributor based in Wales. Speak to Krish and tell him I said hi 😃
Jump cuts: do you love them or hate them? They can work really well when they're used creatively, but there are times when they seem unavoidable and you'd rather they weren't there. Or are they unavoidable? In just 60 seconds I show how to fix them in Premiere Pro CC, so you can smooth out those cuts when they're not part of the look you're going for.
Had to share this and to ask your thoughts...
So my most recent video which is only 9 minutes long is all about Color and which Color Space (sRGB , Adobe RGB , ProPhoto RGB ) to use for Photography ... Editing , Printing , Sharing , Posting on the Web ... Comments have been fantastic BUT one posted yesterday stopped me in my tracks; this is it...
Photoshop is for people who are engineering images.
Lightroom is for photographers who take the picture correctly the first time.
I disagree.
Lightroom is getting better and better. It's exciting to see the enhancements BUT there are things we can do in Lightroom now that only a short while agree would only have been possible in Photoshop; in fact, Lightroom's full name is ... Adobe Photoshop Lightroom.
We would always see and hear the “I like to get it right in camera” comments (well...don't we all?!?) but this made me think ... will we now start to see the 'I only edit in Lightroom' comments as being the modern day Put Down attempt ?
Images are edited.
They ALWAYS have been.
Even choosing a paper is (in my opinion) editing, because paper influences the look / feel of the final image.
Just a thought 🤔
Anyway, if you haven’t see my Color Space video, here it is …
Colour is a huge topic, and colour spaces are one of the parts of it that cause the most confusion. Here I keep it simple and explain sRGB, Adobe RGB and ProPhoto RGB: what to use, why you'd use it and when. I cover which to choose for editing, for printing, and for the web and sharing, so you get the very best and most consistent results from your photographs wherever they end up.
© Glyn Dewis 2026
