A Tutorial on How to Create A Cinematic Look For Beginners

The cinematic look is a visual style often used in film and video that is characterized by rich, saturated colors, deep shadows, and high contrast. This look can be achieved in photo editing by using a combination of color grading, tonal adjustments, and other techniques. Here’s a step-by-step tutorial on how to create a cinematic look in your photos using photo editing software:

Step 1:

Open your photo in your photo editing software. In this tutorial, we will be using Adobe Photoshop, but the steps should be similar in other software as well.

Step 2:

Duplicate the background layer by going to Layer > Duplicate Layer, or by pressing Ctrl + J on your keyboard. This will create a copy of the original image that we can work on without altering the original.

Step 3:

Go to Layer > New Adjustment Layer > Curves. This will bring up the Curves dialogue box.

Step 4:

In the Curves dialogue box, adjust the curve to increase the contrast of the image. To do this, click on the middle of the diagonal line to create a new control point, and drag it upward to lighten the midtones and downward to darken the highlights. You can also create additional control points to adjust the shadows and highlights separately.

Step 5:

Go to Layer > New Adjustment Layer > Color Balance. This will bring up the Color Balance dialogue box.

Step 6:

In the Color Balance dialogue box, adjust the color balance of the image to create a cinematic look. You can do this by shifting the colors towards the warmer or cooler end of the spectrum, or by increasing or decreasing the saturation of certain colors. Experiment with different settings to find the look that works best for your image.

Step 7:

If desired, add a vignette to the image to draw attention to the center and create a more cinematic composition. To do this, go to Layer > New Adjustment Layer > Gradient Map. In the Gradient Map dialogue box, choose a black-to-transparent gradient, and adjust the opacity and size of the gradient to taste.

Step 8:

If necessary, fine-tune the overall tonality and color of the image by adjusting the levels and curves, or by using the selective color or hue/saturation tools.

Step 9:

When you are happy with the result, save the image by going to File > Save As, and choose a file format and location to save the image.

And that’s it! With just a few simple steps, you can create a cinematic look in your photos using photo editing software. Remember to experiment with different settings and techniques to find the perfect look for your image. Happy editing!