Controlling Colour in your Photography (Hue, Saturation and Luminance)

[@catchlite5196]

You had me at “I will never sell a preset on this channel. I would rather take the time to teach you how to create your own presets.” 😎

[@vaibhavjain4317]

So true

[@digcabrera2107]

legit that's what finally made me sub

[@haydenalvaro6276]

instablaster...

[@ramizkasim1]

"If you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough." This statement is so true for this video! 👍

[@apocalypse487]

For many things actually.

[@sunilchitolie6771]

Apocalypse487 for everything really haha.

[@BLEEJazz]

It applies to everyday life. I use this statement all the time at the work place =)

[@thoughtcriminal7198]

Maybe you just lack intellectual skills.

[@panagiotiskaranatsis3593]

Those generalized phrases are practically always wrong.

[@rogerwyatt3246]

Sean, when you turned your color correction settings off then back on I saw the deep level of design you bring to the details of your presentations. Only a superior teacher would come up with that rapid and incredibly effective technique to make your point. Then you explained the kind of impact you wanted the color design and lighting to convey to the viewer. I instantly saw it and felt it. While we viewers concentrate on the important lessons and techniques that you bring forth month after month it’s easy to lose sight of what a good teacher you are. Congratulations on another excellent presentation. As I have often commented Sean, be safe, be well, and continue to do good stuff. Given the world we’re currently living through that world needs you more than ever.

[@seantuck]

Thanks so much Roger. That’s very kind.

[@dennislodes7407]

@@seantuck What panel are you working in? My edits panel looks nothing like that. I really enjoy your posts, keep it up.

[@250157andyw]

Roger - well said. Thanks Sean, excellent.

[@backfilms1953]

agreed. sean presented this well and i cannot look away at other gear tech videos.. i had to finish this. only sean does this

[@thedachmo]

This is a game changer. The colour wheel was a stroke of genius to explain how it all works! Thank you Sean. I love your approach.

[@i18nGuy]

I have seen several color wheel/HSL presentations, but this is the most enlightening because you demonstrated the application with precision, rather than the generic washing of color that most others do. The point about split toning was the clincher. Thanks Sean. You are one of the most insightful photography presenters around.

[@sethobates]

This is why KZbin is such a blessing this day and age. Because of content creators like you mate. Thanks

[@orshanti]

totally true!

[@dawgyv72]

Not really relevant to the video, but I dont mind a million ad-reads and Im so thankful that you don't spam youtube-ads throughout your videos.

[@saravanaraja5283]

I've always felt Sean is one of the greatest and underrated modern day photographer. This video here proves why he is one of the best teacher too. Thank you Sean, your selflessness overwhelms amateurs and enthusiasts like me.

[@seantuck]

Thanks my friend. That’s very kind.

[@saravanaraja5283]

More power to you @@seantuck , Thanks again. Getting a reply from you made my day :)

[@seleemzid7881]

After 3 years of being Interested in photography and videography I never had such a valuable information of coloring until I watched this video thank you so much

[@tjkennedyphoto]

As a colourblind artist, this is THE SINGLE BIGGEST challenge in my photos and videos. In fact, the most recent short doc I shot was the first time I've ever used colour-grading for video. I appreciate efforts of people like you trying to simplify things for us! 🙏❤

[@ErrolHeywood]

As someone with deficient colour vision (Red/Green) I found this video to be particularly helpful and I have never seen it explained in such a way in any other video. Colour is definitely something I will experiment with more.

[@vaibhavjain4317]

This is so cinematic.

[@zahoryzont4716]

"Oh just a selfie I took" - yeah, I can't get a photo like that with hours of prep. I can see how far I've come in the last couple of years, but there is still such a long way ahead.

[@StevenLawson]

This was one of the most helpful tutorials I’ve seen, particularly the tip about whacking up the saturation to see more clearly the full range of colours in an image, then dialling it back to a more subtle level. Like you, I prefer a light touch to over-saturation, but this has inspired me to take more control of the colour palette in my shots, so thanks Sean.

[@Jo_Actual]

li agree. id rather learn how to do rather then buying from someone or just "copying" a pre-set. creating your own vibe and style i think is really important.

[@marks_mindset_minutes]

This is the greatest explanation/visualization of what you're adjusting with HSL. Thank you! 🙏🏻

[@endrigoV]

That contrast and blown up saturation to see dominant and clues for on point color grading tips made my day, thank you sir.

[@zerog891]

I still can’t believe you have 425k subscribers. You should have so many more because you make quality content, allowing people to learn new things.

[@GrimPixels]

Hey Sean, I have watched probably a hundred videos on color wheel, but as usual, yours have no competition!! You are an inspiration. I am a learning and development professional myself, but watching the way you deliver even complicated topics so simply and effectively, I get to learn new ways to teach from your videos. And I am beginning to understand photpgraphy a whole lot better. Thanks man!! 🙏🙏

[@devangvagh9939]

This video can even teach how to teach. Such a bonus piece, Sean! 🙌 Btw after all these years spent learning photography never did I ever find a video that could make me understand HSL as properly as yours did. Thanks, man! ❤

[@eugenea583]

Omg, finally a video that explained the colors and hue in particular in such a clear way. Thank you sooo much!

[@Muchtoobizy]

I've spent a year working with Photoshop but this video proved there is still so much to learn. Thanks for a superb, fluent tutorial.

[@migaeldannhauser]

'..it's much better to find complementary colors in your composition, than trying to drag them that way in post.." A good piece of advice that.

[@billwdwc]

Sean: Excellent tutorial . Finally someone explaining what colours do when you move a slider . Rather than just watching some KZbinr just moving them by "feel" excellent JOB!

[@ConradSly]

Totally agree on split toning! Camera Raw in photoshop gives you similar functionality to Color Mixer in Lightroom.

[@adams.555]

While watching this great tutorial I came to a sad conclusion that most of YT creators are quite stingy with sharing knowledge of this caliber. Your channel is simply a treasure!

[@plannerjohn]

The lightbulb really clicked with this video. Thank you for the best illustration of this concept I’ve yet to see on youtube., I feel like I can finally see the color paths in front of me.

[@postanimus8989]

I like the way you talk, how you emphase syllabes and words. Its something special in it.

[@tomg6286]

Finally a video that explains HSL in an understandable & useable way. Thanks

[@MaiElizabeth]

Couldn’t agree more. The knowledge and experience to colorgrade photo or video is much more important than having lots of collection of LUTs or presets from other 'experts'. With immense basic knowledge and EXPERIENCE, anyone can use ANY APPS to do the job according to their photos.

[@DavidVelezPhotography]

Thank you, Sean, for taking the time to teach our community. I, for one, was taken back by today's lesson. It was never explained to me as clear and concise as you did. I've always found myself sliding the scales left and right, never achieving the look I've seen on Instagram. Can't wait to try!

[@RichardSeal]

I think I just learned more from this 25min video about color editing in photos than anything else has ever taught me. Thank you!

[@garryplatt5205]

I have found presets valuable in learning how to use Lightroom. Essentially I will apply different presets and when I encounter something which I like I will review the settings in the Lightroom panels to see exactly what the preset is doing. In this way I am developing my understanding of the various elements, how they interact and the effects they create by reverse engineering the look. This has then helped me in developing my own approach.

[@seantuck]

Sounds sensible. Now it’s time to create your own because it sounds like you know more than enough to get started.

[@ignaciosernandez7439]

What a time we are living where this kind of content is free 🙈 Thank you!!!

[@gundamaction1201]

Sean thanks for making this video. As a person who never studied art or photography, I never knew how hue works in editing my photos. You explain it really well to send me on my way to explore, learn, and practice on color schemes! Thank you for putting in all the work to show us.

[@adammacsween3230]

Great tutorial Sean, as someone who’s really trying to workout how to use lightroom properly I found this incredibly helpfull. It is refreshing to find a creator who isn’t all about reviewing gear. Thanks again. Take care and stay safe.

[@cryomancer20]

of all videos, this was the only one that legitimately showed how the hues work, i got exactly what i needed. thank you so much!

[@kimhotham6751]

Interesting comment about Harari. I am currently reading Nexus. For anyone involved in a serious way about verbal or written communication, it is a must. Now, back to the vid.

[@PhilKnall]

Amazing video. I'm completely floored that I never figured out that the hue slider just drags you along the color wheel in turn...

[@terrygunderson5681]

Thank you for all you do Sean, I find myself looking forward to these living room chats with you.

[@enigmaticembers]

This made the concept of creating a color palate within an already established shot accessible for me. This was so, so helpful ♡ Thank you so much!!

[@IIMIKEYMOII]

I sincerely thank you for this video. The idea of compressing the colour spectrum towards one direction never really occurred to me. For example, I always looked at each colour in the colour mixer as that specific colour and nothing more. So if I were to slide, say, Greens to the left, I would think I am "making it less green". I can now see that in this example that I'm pushing it towards Oranges. It's so obvious, but it never occurred to me.

[@perrinhugo8234]

If you want to do a general followup, HSL/HSV are rather fundamental color spaces that have been used quite extensively in Computer Graphics and Computer Vision, and that's itself a powerful concept. The reason behind them is that they allow to have Hue and saturation define the "color" and is decoupled from its brightness/luminance, which gives a rather interesting space where you can play on a kind of exposure freely without distorting any colours. In computer vision that has been leveraged because you can extract comprehension from the colour of the image and abstraction the illumination of a scene. It's also a sort of direct extension to the black and white world where grayscale image can be seen as being derived from something close to the luminance part of the HSL decomposition. Anyhow, it provides insights on how light behaves and is captured and represented which can be revealing for some people like me who come from the computer graphics side of the world :)

[@pbziegler]

One of the best introductionz to working with color and limiting the color palette to produce mood. Great job

[@ConsoleAuthority]

My god , how lucky I am to listen to this guy . Usually this type of insights is behind a paid walled garden.

[@jackielarena-lacayo9884]

Sean, thank you so much for this video. I literally had that "aha" moment as you explained how the color wheel works. I don't know how many videos I have watched about the HSL/Color Wheel and it never filtered properly for me. This was a "game changer" for me,.

[@o2orider]

This is the clearest explanation of the color theory I've ever seen and the one that actually made me understand it. Thank you so much, Sean. Love your content!

[@sudiptochakraborty1306]

Sean being sean...Crisp, honest and helpful 👍👍👍

[@kidicaruz]

Love your channel. Really helpful and down to earth. I like that you don't try to sell anything and also don't talk constantly about gear (like many other channels) and instead talk about photography itself. Keep up the great work!

[@moulaymaaroufi]

Thank you Sean The channel deserves Millions. I'll look forward to that day. Protect your HIGHLIGHTS!

[@kevinl1492]

This is so timely. I just switched from Adobe to Dxo Photolab and the Film Pack that you can get with it. I am having a great time playing with 50+ film presets but I need to learn how to use the color wheel tool. This video was great because it explains not only the concepts but also what talented stylists are achieving with their ability to control color and why they are doing it. Now I can go back and learn the mechanics of how to do color adjustments with a 100% better understanding of where I can go with it. This was a huge public service to the photography community.

[@robert_skonblad]

Wow, I never understood how hue works before, this was an excellent explanation. The color wheel made it so easy to understand. Many thanks!

[@AmitGupta-jg5zd]

Sean, just made it simple. I never understood colors and color grading, but now I do. ❤️ Thank you, boss. You're the best.

[@denizdowntown6385]

Thanks Sean... very informative and awesome delivery as always. Was like watching a modern day Bob Ross when you were working on the edit of the blue sky / structure! :)

[@jesse113553]

Much like creating a good composition, where we remove distracting elements, we can also remove distracting colours to improve our photographs. Today I learnt 🙂 Thanks Sean! I always assumed the hue slider only affects the colour I selected but the slider actually affects the analogous colours surrounding the selected colours as well. Learnt something new today. I screenshotted the colour wheel you had on screen and also had a play around in LR.

[@farhanasif8295]

I was always a visual person and always loved art and photography, but lately I've been busy with other things and was losing touch with the visual aspect of my being. Watching your videos really inspires me and makes me want to get into photography again. I am taking random photographs every now and then but I hardly do anything with them. I did play with the HSL sliders before but I felt like changing too much would be "cheating" (I know it's not the right word). I think now I will give myself the freedom to do whatever I want and see what I come up with. Thank you for all you do Sean. Absolutely love your content. Stay safe. PS: I love those philosophical videos of yours too. Do share with us more about what you're thinking lately. I started to miss those videos already.

[@SimplyElena]

This was the best explanation of color I’ve seen. Thank you! I did not know how the hue worked with the color wheel.

[@lanadubova2051]

This is the best tutorial on color theory I have come across so far, you made Lr and Ps color wheel simple and easy to use. Thank you

[@cameronwheatley7065]

So good to see content like this from someone who really knows what they're talking about but doesn't have a massive ego or is trying too hard to be funny ... just sharing knowledge. Thank you!

[@nathalielugano9049]

I was struggling with colour editing until I saw this video. Thank you so much Sean for enlightening me and for sharing your knowledge in such a clear and thorough way 🙏🙏🙏

[@shirishpandey3503]

Sean , this was a masterclass! I have been searching around to firmly understand how colours as in HSL work , and though there are some excellent creatives like you , but truly this explanation was so exceptionally lucid. The finer points like showing the grading in the video and then illustrating the split toning concept are the mark of an excellent Teacher. You were correct to say that the software that one uses is not going to affect the application, I use Luminar and I can clearly correlate your points despite the entire Tutorial being in PS . Thank You for such a detailed yet comprehensible Master Class.

[@PedroDVC]

You keep on delivering precious gems... I learn a lot from you, not only about photography but also about myself and how not to lose my identity as a photographer. Thanks, man!

[@zvonimirtosic6171]

I know it is called 'cinematic', but the colour cohesion was firstly an invention by painters. Painters would limit their palette to visually unify the picture, and to create a certain mood. We use 'overlays' today, because we take picture from nature to work on them, but they used 'undertones' to create cohesive pictures from scratch, and along the way applied different 'glazing' techniques.

[@JoshuaDoodnauth]

What an excellent video Sean! This is a great explanation of how to control HSL in photography. I love the demonstration using the colour wheel to visualize how HSL can be used to control colour and to create an analogous colour scheme. It makes so much sense now!

[@filmdigitalvideos]

Finally I understand what hue does, thanks Sean !!!

[@woztoons6632]

Thank you for being such a good teacher. Providing the knowledge required to create one's own vision.

[@chimsbeatzzedstar]

These past months I've been struggling with teal and orange color but with this video I fully understand it now. Thanks mate

[@lilianfabiano3079]

OMG the use of the color wheel with the hsl was EVERYTHING!!! Exactly what I needed, THANK YOU!!!

[@vernonalvares8440]

Sean... this is absolutely the best ever vid on "Colour modification" !!. Its taken months of research.. & presto... we have it all sorted here ... & niw .. my best ever moment.. 1am in Mumbai.. pinching myself.. its not a dream.. thks sooo much... cheers, Vernon Alvares, Mumbai

[@robertabuhagiar]

Thank you Sean! It's the first time I actually understood how it should work. You are a great teacher!

[@scientia_potentia_est]

Immediate sub! This is the kind of top notch quality photography teaching that's sorely needed in KZbin. Breaking down the artistic creation process and infusing it with just the right amount of science & technology, providing powerful tools that unleash the maximal creative power of an artist. Your photography tutorials are by far the best I've seen in KZbin.

[@CrazieAsianBoi]

This has got to be my favourite photography channel. Great video Sean!

[@gavinperry]

How did I miss this video! This was the best explanation of how to use HSL I have watched. Being colour blind in the reds and greens I am finding hard to style my images. Thank You :)

[@mukeshframes]

Can not thank you enough Sean. This was something I needed. Have heard many teaching about colour harmony but you made it so simple to understand and apply it practically.

[@shxbhangi]

It is absolutely the best video available online for color grading and correction. I have been trying to learn this for about a year now and in just half an hour I understood everything. Thanks a lot Sean.

[@bennobok8908]

This is one of the best photography tutorials I've watched. Thank you.

[@makers_lab]

Walking through your thought process was very inciteful.

[@Indrakusuma_a]

I've never really understand what 'hue' is and how it works. Thanks for this clear explanation. I'm gonna give more tries for HSL as I mostly shy away from it, afraid of messing up my colours.

[@CAYENNEOREZ]

This is one of the most useful and one of my favorite videos you've ever done. Just outstanding.

[@Aeroslash72]

Masterpiece!! Never seen a clearer explanation of HSL... 👌

[@beatleswerecrap]

This is so great! Really appreciate your tutorials that are driven by developing an understanding of making your own edits rather than achieving a specific look out of the box.

[@ashams30j]

Sean, you just taught a lot more about the complimentary colors and how to use them in the most simplest way possible. I have been watching lots of videos on how to do this but none of them was this easy. Thanks a lot... and also i agree with your perspective on presets as well not that i'm against it; just because i don't see fun in editing photos from scratch.

[@KenmarkZan]

hands down the easiest to understand tutorial how to use HSL. you are always amazing Sean!!!

[@lukasz_1131]

This is most comprehensive explanation of understanding colour grading I've seen so far. Really good job, and please more vids like that!

[@TimWells745]

and yet it is also a very easy to understand explanation with real examples not just theory.... that is what makes it so much more impactful I think.

[@dylanfgarrison]

I did not learn this much in a semester of color theory in art school... granted it was 2002 and we did not touch a computer in that class but still. Just spectacular how understandable you were able to make this concept. Bravo!

[@alayejon]

Thanks for sharing. This has opened up my mind to a whole new Vista for coloring my images

[@GoranSlika]

Hey man, I just wanted to say that this video stuck with me since it came out, a noticeable leap as far as creating a new mental skill after 3 years of learning photography (and experiencing the diminishing returns on the uptick of the Dunning-Kruger curve). I understood colour-grading, knew how to split-tone for cinematic looks, used HSL in Lightroom, and I had learned basic colour theory and the existence of musical chord-like relationships, but this video sort of put it all together in a way that made the intention, the vision behind all these factors click together. It's funny, I remember this same feeling when starting out, well after learning the basics of exposure, how one day the push/pull equilibrium between aperture, iso, and shutter speed suddenly made sense on a muscle memory level rather than what I thought was my full understanding and applied use of their 'facts'. I wondered again, how did I *not* already get it like this?

[@KennayE97]

Really really enjoyed this tutorial! You broke it down so simply and really love that you encourage all of us to learn to do these things without presets. How you convey your message and the steps involves makes it so easy for us to watch and really understand. Keep it up 👌

[@jackh1749]

Thanks!

[@alonsogarrote8898]

I've seen many videos about color, this is the first one that explains this topic so clearly, excellent!.

[@enidrajm]

I’m only half way through your video and had to stop to comment: Brilliant! I’ve been studying color for a little while now and your explanation was the mortar I needed for all the blocks I’ve gathered. Thank you for your considered approach to the topic. It’s a total gift. Three-quarters through now and I’m totally adopting your description of “cleaning up the color space.” 🤓

[@nairbyad7188]

@3:00, no our eyes do not process all colors linearly; what we call "bright green" is perceived much brighter than other colors. like our hearing response peaking at the frequency of a crying baby.

[@grabshotphoto7396]

Holy cow that was good. Of course now I have to turn my creativity up a notch or two to take advantage of it.

[@vaibhavchavan4670]

Wow ! It's sooooo simple ....... I just need few months or years to master it 😂 Beautifully explained ..I don't think I need to watch any other video on colour grading ever again .... Thanks a bunch 🙏

[@markmccartan]

Really like this video. I haven’t seen an explanation of editing color like this one and I appreciate it - same goes for your skin tone and dodge/burn videos, info in there I haven’t seen anywhere else and presented in a very understandable way. No presets, no “hacks.” The rest of your videos are great too but these have been the ones I’ve found most helpful, thanks!

[@derekb3653]

While watching this, I re-edited a photo that I liked to remove a colour cast I couldn't quite deal with without messing everything else. An excellent tutorial and mindset (which might be more important...). Thanks.

[@joniasikainen9925]

One of the best tutorials for creating own look

[@lorainegauteul325]

Sean, thank you from the bottom of my heart for this video which explains in a simple way a concept that I needed to be able to progress. I'm trying to make my photography a bit cinematic and do it intuitively, but now I'm going to be able to do this a lot more consciously. You unlocked a new step on my photography path, I am very grateful to you.

[@SupreetMobile]

Thank you Sean! You explained the color wheel in such a clear and concise manner. Great examples as well!

[@johnwest6141]

I am a beginner and have learned a huge amount from watching your inspirational videos and this one is up there with your best. I need to give some thought to using a reduced colour palette in my photographs. Very many thanks.