I was never a layers guy. I wanted to be, but the software of the past just didn't resonate with me. Then, not too long ago, Capture One Pro introduced layers into their photo management and editing app. Everything changed for me (well, at least with layers anyway).

Working with layers from Capture One Pro 20 Essential Training by Derrick Story

The key for me was their making layers just another function of the toolset. If I want to work on a particular area, such as a sky or foreground, but I'm not sure how successful I will be, I create a layer. I start playing. If it works, it works. If it doesn't, no harm. I can always come back and fiddle with it later.

The layers are available in all of the Tools panels. I can start in Exposure for example. But if I go over to the Color panel, my layer is there as well. It's so easy, so logical.

If you're curious about how fun and easy layers can be, watch the movie at the top of this article. It's just a brief introduction to this feature, but it will give you a good idea to what I'm talking about.

Working with layers from Capture One Pro 20 Essential Training by Derrick Story

It's from my latest online class, Capture One Pro 20 Essential Training on LinkedIn Learning, or, if you're a lynda.com subscriber, you can watch it there as well.

If you don't have Capture One Pro yet, you can download the 30-day free trial (Mac/Win). No credit card is required, and it's a fully functioning version.

I can now happily say that I don't always use layers, but when I do, I prefer Capture One Pro. Take a look at that video and see why.

You can share your thoughts at the TDS Facebook page, where I'll post this story for discussion.

I have tested Capture One Pro 20 with RAW files from Fujifilm, Olympus, Nikon, Panasonic, and Pentax, and my feeling is that it's once of the best image processors that I've ever used. I know that you've likely heard this from others as well, but maybe you just haven't had time to try it for yourself.

Well, that time may be now. And if you agree, here's the game plan that I recommend.

• Download the 30-day free trial of Capture One Pro 20 (Mac/Win). No credit card is required, and it's a fully functioning version.
• Nose around a bit with the application, watch some of the free Phase One videos, get a feel for the environment.
• Create a folder of images that you can use for your test library. I recommend a combination of RAW files and Jpegs from a variety of scenes. Make this a completely different folder in your Pictures directory so that it doesn't get confused with the source material for other apps.
• Start from the beginning with my latest online training and follow along with your own images (or download the asset catalog that comes with the training). There are two options available: Capture One Pro 20 Essential Training on LinkedIn Learning, or, if you're a lynda.com subscriber, you can watch it there as well.

Both trainings are the same and begin with a What's New section, a discussion on the app's strengths and weaknesses, and a simplified typical workflow to help you get off to a fast start.

Once you start to feel a bit more comfortable with the software, I delve into basic color and exposure adjustments, optical fine tuning, layers and masks, more sophisticated color controls, managing your catalog, and efficiency tips.

You can get a feel for the tone of the training by watching this 1-minute introduction.

Manage and improve your photos with Capture One Pro 20 from Capture One Pro 20 Essential Training by Derrick Story

If you love getting the most out of your RAW files and appreciate a logical image management catalog system, then this might be the time to take a serious look at Capture One Pro 20, and see what you think. My guess is that you will find it time well spent.

You can share your thoughts at the TDS Facebook page, where I'll post this story for discussion.

I had my first opportunity last night to look at RAW files in Capture One Pro 20.0.3 from the Fujifilm X100V. Phase One had announced earlier this week that they were the first to provide RAW support for the two new Fujifilm cameras.

Walking to the Shark Tank - Fujifilm X100V, ISO 3200, f/2.0 - Photo by Derrick Story.

I packed the X100V to a San Jose Sharks match against the Toronto Maple Leaves (Sharks win: 5-2). The above image was captured while walking to the Shark Tank at ISO 3200, wide open, camera focused on Jersey 39. I processed the RAW file in Capture One Pro 20.0.3.

All of the Fujifilm simulations were available under Base Characteristics > Curve (as shown). The app recognized the lens and allowed all of the lens corrections including CA, Distortion, diffraction correction, light falloff, and sharpness. And the RAW files were very editable, including excellent highlight and shadow recovery.

Just a note on film simulations: C1P allows you to apply any of them, including Velvia, Provia, Acros, etc. in post production. So as long as you captured the image in RAW, all of your Fujifilm options are always available. The particular simulations that show up in C1P are based on the camera you used.

If you're a Fujifilm photographer, and especially if you have one of their new cameras, Capture One Pro 20 RAW processing is definitely worth a look.

There are product links in this article that contain affiliate tags. In some cases, depending on the product, The Digital Story may receive compensation if you purchase a product via one of those links. There is no additional cost to you.

You can share your thoughts at the TDS Facebook page, where I'll post this story for discussion.

There are those times when you want to share a collection of images without tapping a 3rd party web service. One excellent option is Capture One's electronic contact sheet.

Once you create an electronic contact sheet, you can put it on a flash drive, embed it on a web page, and even make a hard copy print. In this short video, you can see how to make one for yourself.

Build an electronic contact sheet from Capture One Pro 12 Essential Training by Derrick Story

Electronic contact sheets are one of those tricks that you can keep in your back pocket for those times when you want to deliver a gallery on a flash drive or some other non-web-service approach. Plus, they are quite attractive.

Master Capture One Pro 12 in Just 2 Hours

You can learn all the ins and outs of this amazing software in the comfort of your home, or even on your smartphone by watching my fast-paced training: Capture One Pro 12 Essential Training on LinkedIn Learning. If you're a lynda.com fan, it's available there as well. You will learn everything from image organization, to expert editing, to output and more. It will feel good to finally take control of your photo library with Capture One Pro 12.

For those of you who like to shoot RAW+Jpegs, The Global Filters tool in Capture One Pro can be quite handy. It's available near the top of the View menu.

It allows you to quickly control what you see in the thumbnail browser. You can hide Jpegs, RAWs, processed Tiffs, PNGs, or movie files with a simple command. I like it to hide the RAWs when I only want to see and work with the Jpegs, or vice-versa.

In this short video, I walk you through the steps for using Global Filters Capture One Pro. This is from my essential training on LinkedIn Learning and lynda.com.

Use global filters to see only certain file types from Capture One Pro 12 Essential Training by Derrick Story

There's also a cautionary note: Global Filters are sticky, so if you find files missing, that's probably the reason why!

This is just one of the many techniques that I cover in this course. Other topics include (peppered with inside tips):

• Tapping all the new features in Capture One Pro 12
• Auto adjustments and basic image editing
• Advanced editing techniques (and goodbye to Photoshop)
• Organizing your catalog
• Using star ratings and color labels to cull images
• Building an electronic contact sheet
• Creating a slideshow to review and present images
• Strategies for protecting master images

For those of you new to this application, I have a Quick Start chapter that gets you up and running in less than 20 minutes. Yes, that's the entire workflow, start to finish, in less than half an hour.

You can learn all the ins and outs of this amazing software in the comfort of your home, or even on your smartphone by watching this fast-paced training: Capture One Pro 12 Essential Training on LinkedIn Learning. If you're a lynda.com fan, it's available there as well. You will learn everything from image organization, to expert editing, to output and more. It will feel good to finally take control of your photo library with Capture One Pro 12.

You can share your thoughts at the TDS Facebook page, where I'll post this story for discussion.

You can squeeze every drop of quality from your optics in Capture One Pro 12 by tapping the Lens Correction panel before editing your shot. Here you can enable profiles for your optics, adjust distortion, reduce light falloff, and even correct for diffraction. Combine this capability with a good RAW file, and you can enjoy amazing image quality as a result.

In this 4-minute video, I walk you through the steps for maximizing optical performance in Capture One Pro 12. This is from my essential training on LinkedIn Learning and lynda.com.

Improve optical performance with Lens Correction from Capture One Pro 12 Essential Training by Derrick Story

I don't apply Diffraction Correction to every image, only those where I think it's appropriate or can improve an important photograph. It does use extra processing power, so I save it for those pictures that really count.

This is just one of the many techniques that I cover in this course. Other topics include (peppered with inside tips):

• Tapping all the new features in Capture One Pro 12
• Auto adjustments and basic image editing
• Advanced editing techniques (and goodbye to Photoshop)
• Organizing your catalog
• Using star ratings and color labels to cull images
• Building an electronic contact sheet
• Creating a slideshow to review and present images
• Strategies for protecting master images

For those of you new to this application, I have a Quick Start chapter that gets you up and running in less than 20 minutes. Yes, that's the entire workflow, start to finish, in less than half an hour.

You can learn all the ins and outs of this amazing software in the comfort of your home, or even on your smartphone by watching this fast-paced training: Capture One Pro 12 Essential Training on LinkedIn Learning. If you're a lynda.com fan, it's available there as well. You will learn everything from image organization, to expert editing, to output and more. It will feel good to finally take control of your photo library with Capture One Pro 12.

You can share your thoughts at the TDS Facebook page, where I'll post this story for discussion.

If you want to stretch beyond the limitations of the vignette tool in Capture One Pro 12, I recommend getting familiar with the new radial mask option. It's far more flexible and powerful, yet you can learn how to use it in just 3 minutes. Here's a video to show you how.

Radial gradient masks from Capture One Pro 12 Essential Training by Derrick Story

The way that I approached editing the portrait in this video was by creating two radial masks on two different layers. The first one was designed to lighten the tones on the subject's face. The second mask, on another layer, darkened the tones for the background. By having two masks on different layers, I had complete control over the relationship between the compositional elements. And because it's so easy to do, I could build this effect in just minutes.

You can use the masks for more than just tones as well. I can adjust colors, clarity, and other aspects of the photo. Again, this is so much more powerful than a basic vignette tool.

This is just one of the many techniques that I cover in this course. Other topics include (peppered with inside tips):

• Tapping all the new features in Capture One Pro 12
• Auto adjustments and basic image editing
• Advanced editing techniques (and goodbye to Photoshop)
• Organizing your catalog
• Using star ratings and color labels to cull images
• Building an electronic contact sheet
• Creating a slideshow to review and present images
• Strategies for protecting master images

For those of you new to this application, I have a Quick Start chapter that gets you up and running in less than 20 minutes. Yes, that's the entire workflow, start to finish, in less than half an hour.

You can learn all the ins and outs of this amazing software in the comfort of your home, or even on your smartphone by watching this fast-paced training: Capture One Pro 12 Essential Training on LinkedIn Learning. If you're a lynda.com fan, it's available there as well. You will learn everything from image organization, to expert editing, to output and more. It will feel good to finally take control of your photo library with Capture One Pro 12.

You can share your thoughts at the TDS Facebook page, where I'll post this story for discussion.

The latest version of Capture One Pro 12 is my favorite to date. Among the many new features, I love the way it handles luminosity masking. I can finally get my head around this useful image adjustment. And there's so much more in this update. And I cover all the cool stuff.

In this course, I cover the following topics, peppered with inside tips and techniques:

• Tapping all the new features in this version
• Auto adjustments and basic image editing
• Advanced editing techniques (and goodbye to Photoshop)
• Organizing your catalog
• Using star ratings and color labels to cull images
• Building an electronic contact sheet
• Creating a slideshow to review and present images
• Strategies for protecting master images

For those of you new to this application, I have a Quick Start chapter that gets you up and running in less than 20 minutes. Yes, that's the entire workflow, start to finish, in less than half an hour.

You can learn all the ins and outs of this amazing software in the comfort of your home, or even on your smartphone by watching this fast-paced training: Capture One Pro 12 Essential Training on LinkedIn Learning. If you're a lynda.com fan, it's available there as well. You will learn everything from image organization, to expert editing, to output and more. It will feel good to finally take control of your photo library with Capture One Pro 12.

You can share your thoughts at the TDS Facebook page, where I'll post this story for discussion.

The software we have on the backend can help free us from cumbersome equipment at capture. One example is my "weekend kit" that I carry with me when out and about with family and friends.

In one pocket, I have an iPhone X for all the usual reasons. And in the other, I often carry the Fujifilm XF10. Even though it fits in my front jeans pocket, it sports a lovely Fujinon aspherical lens and an APS-C image sensor. Plus it communicates with the iPhone to record location data as I shoot. (I love geotags!)

Most of the grab shots are in Jpeg mode, but if I come across a scene that would benefit from RAW, I can capture a .RAF file with the simple press of a button the the back of the camera. By doing so, I have all of my options available to me later in post production.

"In Between Storms" - Fujifilm XF10 - Photo by Derrick Story

Once I return home, I have a specific workflow that helps me maximize the content that I've captured in the field. I process the RAW files in Capture One Pro 12. This latest version does a great job with Fujifilm RAW files, pulling out all of the color and detail. Plus, while I'm there, I can fine tune the image a bit with the new Luminosity mask or a graduated screen.

"Gazebo on a Rainy Day" - Fujifilm XF10 - Photo by Derrick Story

There are lots of things that I could do at this point. And to be honest, this is where most photographers will diverge from my workflow. But I'm going to tell you anyway.

I then export a maximum resolution Tiff file, import it into Photos for macOS Mojave, and use the Luminar 3 Editing Extension to finish the shot.

One of the reasons why I move my best shots to Photos after processing in Capture One Pro 12 is because of iCloud. The image is automatically backed up and propagated to all of my devices. I can use it right away for Flickr, Instagram, Facebook, etc. Plus, I have the good feeling of knowing that my favorite work is archived without any further effort on my behalf.

The other reason is because the Luminar 3 editing extension is just so darn good. The finishing touches I apply with that app really make a difference, and the changes are automatically saved to the images in iCloud.

Side Note: Luminar 3 is on sale for 29 percent off through Feb. 18, 2019. That's only $49 for this impressive app.

I only use this Capture One Pro 12 > Photos > Luminar 3 workflow for my favorite shots. The rest of the images are backed up traditionally via hard drive in Capture One. But those favs... they are culled out and are now in my pocket, and available to share at anytime, anywhere.

Luminar Essential Training

You learn all the ins and outs of Luminar via my Essential Training on lynda.com and on LinkedIn Learning. It's fun, and I promise, you will improve your shots.

Learn Capture One Pro

You can get familiar with this imaging software by checking out Capture One Pro 11 Essential Training on LinkedIn Learning. You can also tune in on lynda.com if you prefer your training there. My updated Capture One Pro 12 Essential Training should be out next month. Stay tuned.

You can share your thoughts at the TDS Facebook page, where I'll post this story for discussion.

It's no secret. The vignette tool in Capture One Pro left plenty to be desired. But with the release of version 12, we now have the Radial Gradient Mask. And suddenly, we have much better control for creating a vignette effect.

Standard vignette in Capture One Pro. For portraits like this, the shading covers part of the face, and there's no way to position the effect. Photos by Derrick Story.

The steps to create a radial mask are as follows:

• Create new Empty Layer in the Layers panel.
• Choose Draw Radial Gradient Mask from the brush tools in the Layers panel.
• Adjust the size and shape of the mask by dragging on its handles.
• Use the tools in the Exposure panel to adjust the tones of the mask.

It's that simple! Here's a radial mask in progress.

You can toggle the red mask indicator on and off by pressing the M key.

And here's the finished (and improved) vignette using the radial gradient mask.

More natural vignette effect using the radial gradient mask instead of the vignette tool.

At first you may think that's it's more complicated to create a mask than just using the vignette slider. But to tell you the truth, once you've done it a couple times, it's just as easy... and so much better.

Learn Capture One Pro

You can get familiar with this imaging software by checking out Capture One Pro 11 Essential Training on LinkedIn Learning. You can also tune in on lynda.com if you prefer your training there. My updated Capture One Pro 12 Essential Training should be out next month. Stay tuned.

You can share your thoughts at the TDS Facebook page, where I'll post this story for discussion.