Radiant Photo has released V1.3 with new tools that will bring your editing game to the next level, no matter what your level of experience is. A key addition in Radiant Photo’s latest update are the new subject-aware Portrait tools, which feature 10-level skin tone detection.
In this Radiant Photo update review, I’ll take a look at this set of tools, as well as some of the other additions. Color Style (or Selective Color) is a new tool that gives the ability to shift and adjust color tones precisely. This can be used with Radiant Photo’s existing Color Grade tools and LOOKs to create the perfect image.
Radiant Photo has a massive focus on being driven by photographers, for photographers, and this update is no different: The tools have been developed in conjunction with professional photographers and beta testers. We first saw these tools a few months ago and now they are available to all users.
Specifically, the Skin Tone tools were worked on in conjunction with Matthew Jordan Smith, whose career has included photographing Oprah Winfrey, Angelina Jolie, Angela Basett, Sofia Vergara, Samuel L. Jackson, Britney Spears and Zendaya. The above before/after comparison features one of Matthew Jordan Smith’s photographs.
Radiant Photo update review: New Portrait tools
The new Portrait tools in Radiant Photo’s latest update are worth exploring. Skin detection at a precise level aims to ensure that edits are applied with an emphasis on natural beauty. The tool includes Skin Tone Detection (which on testing this does a good job of matching to skin tone of the subject, so that other edits are applied consistent to skin tone), Skin Tone Balance, Skin & Depth Bias, Infrared Removal and Color Cast Removal.
Let’s take a look at some test images of mine run through these tools.
I didn’t make any adjustments to the edits that Radiant Photo automatically applied for the above. You can see how the color tone is balanced across the image, and the subject’s skin tone balanced for a natural look.
Again I made no adjustments to this image after Radiant Photo smart edits. (As a refresher: Radiant Photo applies a Smart Preset to the image on opening, based on its content, and sets various Detailed Edit tools accordingly. You can then fine-tune these to taste.) Again, here, skin tone has been detected automatically and the image developed. The tool emphasizes maintaining the tonal balance.
Fine-tuning edits in Radiant Photo
This next one came through the automatically applied Smart Filters and Skin Tone Detection too low key for my tastes. Left image is straight out of camera in both cases.
However, once I worked through the Detailed Edit panel, within a few clicks I got things working how I wanted. In the Tone panel I increased Exposure (making sure to have Face Aware turned On), Super Contrast, and Depth, while decreasing Light Diffusion.
Then, under Color, I increased Color Contrast, Vibrancy and turned on Tint Correction. This last is automatically applied once turned on. It automatically detects the tint tone.
Color Cast Removal for correcting skin tones
The Color Cast Removal tool is also new to the Portrait tools. This tool is specific to skin tone. Color Cast Removal works effectively to strip away color cast from lighting sources and reflections. This is separate from other color corrections available in the Detailed Edit panel, such as Tint Correction. By contrast, Tint Correction applies to the whole image. Color Cast targets the skin areas of the subject.
Turning on Color Cast Removal corrects this, to even skin tone and make for a more pleasing portrait.
This is an effective solution for difficult lighting conditions when you don’t have control over the environment. Paired with Radiant Photo’s existing Face tools we now have a powerful suite for portrait photographers.
Exploring Color Style tools
We had a preview of what these tools could do a few months ago and now this is available to all users. Turning on the Selective Color Tool (find it in Color Grade > Detailed tab > Selective Color) lets you control the Hue, Saturation and Luminance of each color in your image. In comparison to those used to a Lightroom workflow, this is like the HSL panel in Lightroom Classic.
The Eyedropper works a little differently to the Lightroom Classic equivalent you might be used to. At the top of the Selective Color panel you will see six colors by default: Red, yellow, green, cyan, blue and magenta. You can select each of these and edit below with the Hue, Saturation and Luminance sliders. You’ll also see the Range and Feather sliders for each color. These allow you to set how specific the color tone affected by your changes is.
The Eyedropper works by replacing one of these default colors. Click the Eyedropper and select a tone in the image. One of your six color “slots” is now dedicated to editing that color. In this way you get fine-grained control over the color grading of your image. Above I have shifted the green tones of the image to give a more autumnal style to the image.
Separately, you can use LOOKs and Finishing Tools over these edits, to perfect the image.
Radiant Photo new Split Color Warmth tool
Split Color Warmth is another new addition to the Color Grade tools. You find it in the same place as Selective Color. This tool lets you separately control the Color Warmth. With one slider you can warm all the cool colors, and visa versa.
This allows you to fine tune the balance in your image between color tones to emphasise subjects, change the mood, and more.
Radiant Photo adds powerful tools to your editing suite with the latest update
In this Radiant Photo update review it’s clear that these tools add power to your editing capabilities when working with portraits and beyond. The new Portrait tools give you a starting base that emphasizes natural beauty and then tweaking the settings to taste you can quickly get to a balanced, well-developed image that suits your editing style.
As with all Radiant Photo tools, you can save your preferred settings as your own Presets to speed up your editing even further. For photographers across the board, the new Portrait and Color Style tools in Radiant Photo are worth checking out.
