concept advanced-intuitive ◆ established
Lift, Gamma, Gain
he foundational trio of primary color correction controls, corresponding to an image's shadows (Lift), midtones (Gamma), and highlights (Gain). Understanding the interplay between these three operators is the basis of professional color grading. They allow for targeted adjustments to different parts of the tonal range, forming a more sophisticated approach than simple brightness/contrast sliders.
notes
The standard user interface for manipulating Lift, Gamma, and Gain values is a set of three color wheels, each controlling a tonal range. This UI has become the professional standard, mapping directly to hardware control surfaces and offering a more direct, tactile sense of control than alternative interfaces like a 'color board'.
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