After a couple of weeks of white portraiture and ginger updates I wanted to explore something a bit different. OK Quick show of paws: who actually knows what a LUT is? And did you know they can enhance your cat photography? Allow me to introduce you to the intriguing world of LUTs.
What is an LUT?
The letters are an acronym that stand for ‘Look Up Table’. As you can see from the Aftershoot definition here, this might seem a bit of a mission to get your head around but stick with me…
LUT stands for Look-Up Table, a mathematical formula that transforms colors in your images. It takes an original color value, looks it up in a table, and returns a new value. A LUT operates in a three-dimensional space, assigning specific values for red, green, and blue channels to each pixel.
Aftershoot
At its most basic it is a really strong preset that mathematically maps every colour in your cat photo and gives it a precise new value. Yes, it’s similar to presets but more powerful!
A LUT changes the contrast, brightness and the colours in your photo and you can see some of the examples you can get here in this cat capture of Delilah (adopted by a lucky family from Neko Ngeru Cat Cafe!)
What Does an LUT Do?
There are three different kinds of Look Up Table.
Two are for professional people who work wonders in the movie industry where it is sometimes known as ‘colour grading’; these are ‘Conversion’ and ‘Collaboration’ apps. The third LUT is the one you and I will love to use. It’s called the ‘Creative‘ LUT.
Why Would I Use an LUT?
If you are exploring your cat photography beyond snapshots knowing how to use this tool can make a difference. Your images can look more polished or feel more ‘finished’, and so you feel more confident. They allow a modest amateur like you (and me) to create a set or series without being an ‘expert’ with a level of colour consistency they might lack otherwise.
Experts use the because they are quick and consistent (and the user is in control without using a lot of AI). If you value your cat photos you will find that LUTs help you retain your integrity and honesty as a photographer, once you step beyond beginner basics.
YES, YOU CAN EXPLORE. JUST TAKE YOUR TIME.
LUT Compatibility
LUT’s are fun and exciting but take a moment to check if your software is compatible. There are four formats currently is use. File formats seems scary but most don’t apply to you and me. It’s just useful to know them OK?
- .Cube
- .3DL
- .CLF (Common LUT Format)
- .CMS and .CTF (highly specialised)
LUT Top Beginner Tips
For those of us learning the tricks of the trade:-
On a computer or tablet or smartphone you will need compatible software.
Either video editor like DaVinci Resolve/Premiere Pro, or image editors like (paid) Photoshop and Photoshop Elements or Affinity Photo (Mac/PC). Affinity can be accessed through a free Canva account.
- If you have an earlier version of Affinity Photo that you purchased, LUTs work on that. (Because that’s what I have!)
The effects you can create just by clicking an LUT make your eyes pop but remember to use this as your starting point.
Ask yourself what is the intention behind your photograph? Soft and dreamy, dramatic, or punchy? Then adjust the LUT to fit your vision. You control it, it does not control you or your vision.
Don’t overdo it. Like our previous advice with Dodge and Burn, a light touch to start with allows you to build your idea and change your mind too. Check these two images ouy to see what I mean.
On Your Smartphone?
You can use the free Adobe Lightroom App. Companies like Luxe Lens have specific LUTs you can buy that work with the app, and they are popular with Instagram users who want to add an extra touch to their images, I am eyeing them up for cat photo potential! If your smartphone uses LUT’s in an pp let me know so I can update this post!
I am currently trialing the Adobe free Lightroom app and will report on it.
It is expensive for the paid ‘premium’ app but for those on a budget I want to see if the free version is worth your time. The free app comes with 30 presets (a step down from LUT’s but still fun) but I will let you know soon as I can.
I hope, even if you are not able to try LUTs, that you now know a little bit more about what they are and how they can be used to change the images you see.
- Finally! Here is an image that is not a cat to show you how much difference a LUT can make. A touch more warmth to a fascinating image. I hope you now know more about them and how an editor can subtly adjust an image to add warmth, or coolness.
I have purchased them from The Luxe Lens. The site is easy to navigate and you can see clearly what you are buying.
The free version can be found here. You can use many of the functions without purchasing a subscription. This is the US site, you may be directed to a local site from adobe’s front page.
Cat Photographer, Instructor and Writer
Professional Member of the Cat Writers Association,
Winner of the Kuykendall Image Award
Published at the Guardian newspaper
Wow, this is great – and not just for cats, but for dogs, horses, people, all types of subjects! Although I’ve been a photojournalist my whole career, LUT was a new acronym for me! See, always something new to learn, even for an golden-aged shutterbug like me!! I do adjust coloring and moods and tones, but LUT term escaped me! Always great tips for both the seasoned and novice photographers!
Pawscript: I love the sepia of Taz! And I don’t think you overdid the adjustment in the other pic – I like how the golden colors have more depth. And your window photo is super fascinating!
What an interesting post as all I do is take photos and leave them like that, am afraid to touch them up LOL but am going to look more into this to see if I can do it.
What a great tutorial! I had no idea what LUT is or anything about it. So clever! I’m sharing with all my pet parents. Thanks, Marjorie!
Seems a bit complicated for me, but the results look really rich! I have a Canva Pro account so I can probably use this type of feature – I’ll have to explore how to go about it. Thanks for sharing!
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Interesting!
Very interesting, but way over my head. 🙂
While this is currently beyond me, someday, who knows?
One step at a time! You can do this! Read stuff, try stuff…
WOW, that was very interesting and I learned a lot today, thanks!
Brian’s Home ~ Forever
You re so clevurr with yore cammyra an optsionss Miss Marjorie. All THE catss look wunderfull speshell Taz 😉
***purrss*** BellaDharma an ((hugss)) BellaSita Mum
Bless you BellaDharma you are very kind.
Great info. Mom has Photoshop Elements so she should try this.
I think I might have been using LUTs without even knowing that’s what I was doing!
So interesting a subject. But good to know that this is accessible to all and learnable for those that want to experiment and progress to higher levels.
ERin
Whoa, those last two overlaid images!! My poor Mono-Plagued (EBV)head spins…
Interesting though. I think Gimp has a simplified version of that kind of thing. Somehow I am not a big fan of it! Having said that, I like what you’ve done with it!
Sometimes when I ‘change’ a picture too much from the original, I make it into a PNG with an alpha channel, and then layer it over the original…and then adjust the opacity until I get what I like.
You could be right!