MASTER the Tone Curve in DxO PhotoLab 8

[@rsearun2620]

Curves were once a game of darts for me. This one is a bookmark. Thanks, Chris.

[@chriswright.photography]

Thanks! Glad this is useful.

[@chriswright.photography]

I'm focusing here on the new characteristics of the Tone Curve in PhotoLab 8 - there is another video in the Mastering DxO PhotoLab Collection dealing in detail with the RGB curve as found in PhotoLab 7. Noticed a much better example of the tone picker being useful in my PhotoLab 8 Review!

[@dominiclester3232]

Excellent thanks!

[@chriswright.photography]

Thank you, glad it was useful!

[@ipb1966]

This is really helpful - thank you. What I don’t understand though is when you were increasing and decreasing contrast on the colour wheel, why did it affect the colour patches at all? I thought changing contrast was about enhancing edges where colours butt up to each other? I can maybe understand that it would affect CYM, but not RGB?

[@chriswright.photography]

The implementation of RGB curves affects both saturation and luminance in all products that I'm aware of. DxO sidestep this by offering the Luma Curve which affects only Luminance with a perceptual change in saturation rather than an actual change.

[@ipb1966]

@ Thanks - but it was the contrast slider I was referring to - not curves. If something is say solid red, how can contrast in that red change - what’s it contrasting with? Ultimately it’s a technicality- just curious.

[@IanWheldale]

Thank you. I will endeavor to make more use of the tone curve. Not sure if I'm going to last out until Black Friday before upgrading 😆

[@chriswright.photography]

Thank you! It’s worth getting to know, you can get more control over smaller ranges of tone than is possible with the sliders. Black Friday - hang on in there!

[@kemerthomson]

I think you answered my question at the very end: why use the tone curve when there are so many other tools available that give you more precise control? I do see value with the new Luma curve, but in general, I avoid all global edits. I look forward to similar discussions with these other approaches.

[@chriswright.photography]

Yes, I generally share your feeling about global edits. Depends on the RAW to some degree, but where I have a precise view of what the image will look like, local edits get me there.