Welcome to the critical stage where photography transforms into finished art—post-production. In this chapter, I’ll guide you through how I personally approach editing, blending tools like Capture One, Lightroom, Evoto AI, and Photoshop to craft images with bold contrast, rich color, and refined polish. This is not a deep dive into software mechanics but rather an insight into how I creatively enhance my images and why I choose specific tools for different tasks.
Choosing Between Capture One and Lightroom
Before we get into the specifics of editing, it’s important to understand why I transitioned from Lightroom to Capture One as my primary editing tool. Capture One simply preserves shadow detail and black tones in a way that Lightroom couldn’t match—an essential factor in creating the bold, contrast-rich portraits that define my style. However, Lightroom still plays a role in my workflow, especially when my retoucher prepares client albums using Lightroom Classic and Adobe Cloud.
To better explain how each program fits into a studio photographer’s workflow, I’ve shared my experience comparing these tools. Keep in mind this was recorded in 2020, and while the software has evolved, the core differences I discuss are still relevant.
Let’s explore how these two programs serve different needs in my workflow.
Lightroom Tutorials for Color and Black & White Editing
Before we dive into presets or more advanced editing, it’s essential to first understand how I used to process my images in Lightroom. These two exclusive tutorials from 2021 demonstrate my full Lightroom workflow for both color and black & white editing.
Important Note
These videos reflect my workflow as it was in 2021. While the Lightroom editing portion remains relevant, my approach to Photoshop has significantly evolved since then. I recommend disregarding the Photoshop steps in these older tutorials in favor of my updated process which you can see in the video below where I am holding the stop sign in the thumbnail.
Let’s begin with how I handled color editing in Lightroom.
Now, here’s how I approached black and white editing at that time.
Enhancing Images with Lightroom Presets
Now that you’ve seen how I edit in Lightroom, let me introduce my custom Lightroom presets. These presets are designed to replicate the filmic, high-contrast look I achieve in Capture One, making it easier to produce consistent, polished images with minimal adjustments.
My Color Film Emulation Pack and Black & White Film Emulation Pack provide a variety of tones and moods to elevate your work. These presets are perfect for achieving a timeless, professional feel without over-editing.
Here’s how I use these presets to enhance my images.
Advanced Retouching with Capture One, Evoto AI and Photoshop
As my workflow evolved, I refined how I handle post-production by integrating Capture One, Evoto AI, and Photoshop to maximize both efficiency and quality. Each of these tools serves a distinct purpose in my process, allowing me to maintain creative control while speeding up routine tasks.
I begin by using Capture One for initial color grading and image preparation. Capture One excels at preserving shadow detail and refined blacks, giving me a strong foundation for editing. Its precision in handling contrast and color allows me to establish the overall mood and tone of the image before moving into more detailed edits.
Once the base edit is complete, I bring the image into Evoto AI for high-speed, professional retouching. Evoto AI streamlines tasks like skin smoothing, blemish removal, and facial contouring—tasks that would otherwise take much longer with manual techniques. This ensures consistent, natural results across multiple images in a fraction of the time.
For more advanced edits and creative compositing, I finish the process in Photoshop. Here, I use tools like Generative Fill, Content-Aware Fill, and Neural Filters to refine backgrounds, perform complex retouching, and seamlessly blend subjects into their environments.
In the following video, I explain how I use Capture One to prepare my images and then how I integrate Evoto AI and Photoshop to streamline my workflow and produce polished, professional images.
Creative Compositing with AI-Generated Backgrounds
One of the most exciting developments in my workflow has been incorporating AI-generated backgrounds into my composite work. Tools like Adobe Firefly and MidJourney allow me to design dynamic, cinematic environments that elevate my portraits beyond standard studio setups.
This creative process begins with color grading in Capture One to establish the mood and tone of the image. From there, I move into Evoto AI for efficient and consistent skin retouching, ensuring the subject is polished and ready for compositing. The final step takes place in Photoshop, where I blend the subject seamlessly into AI-generated backgrounds using advanced techniques like Generative Fill and precise masking.
This workflow has been especially effective in my work with professional athletes, where bold, action-driven imagery is essential for capturing energy and personality.
Starting at 06:02 in this 2023 video, I begin the post-production phase by preparing images in Capture One before moving into the full compositing process. Let me take you through how I create these dynamic composites—from concept to completion.
Refining the Composite Workflow
Over time, I’ve refined my compositing process to make it more efficient and impactful. In high-pressure shoots—like photographing athletes for trading cards—I’ve developed lighting setups and editing techniques that allow me to produce polished composites quickly and consistently.
Starting at 27:42 in this 2024 video, I share how my workflow has evolved to create even more dynamic and refined images, focusing on how I manage complex lighting setups and streamline post-production for professional results.
Let me show you how these adjustments have improved the quality and efficiency of my work.
Member Exclusive: Full Composite Workflow
For a deeper dive into my compositing process, I created a two-part series in 2025 where I guide you through every step of building a composite image. From generating the AI background to lighting the subject and finalizing the image in post-production, this series covers it all.
Let’s begin with how I light and photograph a subject to match an AI-generated scene.
Next, I’ll take you through the retouching and compositing steps to create the final image.
Final Thoughts on Post-Production
Post-production is where your creative vision is fully realized. For me, it’s not about fixing images but enhancing them to tell a stronger, more compelling story. My workflow brings together the precision of Capture One, the versatility of Lightroom, the speed of Evoto AI, and the creative freedom of Photoshop to produce bold, polished images that align with my artistic style.
For my personal work, I often prefer to use a combination of Evoto AI and Photoshop. This approach gives me greater control over the editing process, allowing me to fine-tune every detail exactly how I envision it. However, I’ve recently started to let go of some of that control. If I anticipate that an image will take me more than 15 minutes post Capture One to fully retouch, I now delegate that work to a professional retoucher. This shift allows me to focus more on the creative and strategic aspects of my work without getting bogged down in time-consuming edits.
By understanding how each of these tools fits into your own process, you can develop a workflow that complements your creative vision. Whether you’re refining color and contrast, crafting impactful black and white portraits, or building dynamic composites, every step you take should push your work further and elevate your craft.
Let’s continue this journey and keep growing creatively.
