Creating Custom Profiles for use in LR and PS Classic CC

[SC Oly User]

Can someone either explain how or direct me to a tutorial about how to create custom profiles that will show in the LR Basic panel?

Thanks.

Steve

[Bill Sprague]

I stumbled onto this in two places.  Victoria Brampton and Matt Kloskowski are well know trainers in the online Lightroom world.  Both provided a link to an Adobe document that, although complex, explains how to do it.   In fact, Victoria, along with the link provided a half dozen names of people that are already selling profiles, including Matt.  I assume that each had advanced copies of the document.  

I suspect that more will come from Adobe to simplify the creation of Profiles.  For now, this appears to be it. 

Fair warning....  This link does not go to a website where you can read about it.  Instead, clicking it will immediately launch the download of a zip file to your computer.  Inside the zip file will be 5 files, two of which are examples.

http://www.adobe.com/go/profile-sdk

Good luck and please post back with what you think!  If you find a YouTube or other tutorial, please share!

Bill

[robgendreau]

I haven't seen a video, but if you follow the tutorial in the PDF it's quite easy to do.

The trick is that you've gotta hit the little triangle in ACR when opening a RAW in Photoshop. I mean geez, they coulda made that a little easier. Especially since in Ps you can create a layer with a LUT and then save it as a .cube file, which is then just imported into the profile when you make it. Seems Ps should just have a "Export...as Lr profile" option right there. But in any case, it's actually easier to follow than to describe.

And note once you get around to the step in making a profile and you see the option to bring in the .cube file, that you can use any of 'em. There are lots out there you can download.

Another way to create profiles is directly using Adobe's free DNG Profile Editor, available for download somewhere. Here's a video on how that works: Photoshop Playbook: How to Use the DNG Profile Editor to Adjust Color and Light - YouTube

The process there is basically picking an image color, then swapping it. It allows you to pick any individual color from the DNG you use to create it. And has a section specifically for the Colorchecker. You save a a dcp, and it puts it in that folder. On restart Lr will convert that to the new format for profiles.

[Bill Sprague]

Is it Rob?

Thank you very much for the reply.  I'm pleased that it works with relative ease.

My photography is more of a one image at a time procedure.  I don't do high volume wedding shoots where a consistent "theme" needs to be applied.  Consequently, even presets get little use.  I'm not sure how I'm going to find a use for profiles!

For now, profiles are on my back burner while I try to learn Premiere Pro and (maybe) After Effects and Audition.  The "little triangle in ACR" is nothing compared to the abundance of little things to poke in Premiere Pro!

Bill

[robgendreau]

Bill:

True. But you will run across LUTs in video. Think of a movie as a bunch of scenes in different conditions, and the job of the color guy is to make a consistent look. LUTs (in profiles) allow a base, like negative or cine film, upon which to then base individual corrections and tweaks. And there are things you can do in LUTs and profiles you just can't in Lr. Search around and see how folks create old technicolor for example. Indeed, you may end up finding it's easier to do color in video and then transfer that knowledge to stills than vice versa. Enjoy!

[Bill Sprague]

Rob,

It is not easier to lean video color!

You may notice that there is an "ACP" tag under my name.  That's a weird story.

Several years ago my very young granddaughters wanted to "learn video".  Desperate to learn enough to be their teacher, I bought Premiere Elements and started asking questions in that forum.  Gradually I started answering questions.  One day last summer, I got an email offering the "ACP", title, free software, no pay and a secret "insiders" window to some of Adobe's development. 

How does this relate?  Premiere Elements is incredibly capable at making wonderful videos from consumer cameras.  It does not do LUTs.  Color grading is not really there.   That's strange territory for me.  But, with my newly free software access, I get to devote chunks of my retirement to figuring that stuff out.  It's a new world!

The notion of a consistent look in a three minute personal travelogue is not the same as a feature film.  I still plan on figuring out what LUTs and profiles really might do. 

Bill

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