‘Smearing Shadows’ For More Pleasing High-Contrast Looks

Using Luma keys and Lift/Gamma corrections to soften high-contrast looks

We’ve all got our favorite techniques for fine-tuning the dark areas of our image, but oftentimes I find there’s a certain filmic shape I struggle to get in my shadows. Today are exploring a technique for sculpting rich and soft shadows.

Using film print looks as inspiration

One of the signature traits of a film print is the combination of strong contrast through the midtones with a “roll” in the highlights and shadows, creating a bold yet detail-rich image. This aesthetic can be achieved in many ways, but today we’re going to explore a highly effective technique I borrowed from Company 3 Senior Colorist Tom Poole. For lack of a better term, we’ll call it “shadow smearing” – a name I promise will make more sense after today’s Insight!

Key takeaways from this Insight

By the end of this Insight, you should understand how to:

• Create a soft shadow qualifier and “smear” the high and low values closer together
• Visualize a qualified lift/gain adjustment as a curve

Related Mixing Light Insights

• Better Keying Using DaVinci Resolve’s 3D Keyer – Are you pulling a key for color grading, and Resolve’s HSL keyer isn’t doing it? This dive into the 3D Keyer may get better results faster.
• Build Your Own Qualifier In HSL Color Space Using Curves – Learn an alternate method for creating masks limiting adjustments to particular luminance regions, using Curves and Splitter/Combiner nodes.

Questions or Comments? Leave a comment!

Is this Insight useful to you? Let us know! Mixing Light is all about community discussions, and we’re curious if you found this helpful, if you have something to add, or if you need more questions answered?

– Cullen