Improved shadows/highlights function in AP

[NormanPCN]

The Shadows/Highlight control in apps like Adobe camera raw, Lightroom, On1 Photo 10 and raw and Capture one are all very similar and very easy to use and very powerful. The control does not reduce contrast as it does in Affinity Photo (AP). It seems the adjustment in AP is similar to a curves like adjustment. They are probably adaptive algorithms to image detail.

 

Attached is a brutal test photo for shadow raising. To keep things short I only list Adobe Photoshop examples as comparison. On1 and Capture One are similar to PS/ACR.

 

Camera raw

 

AP with tone curve

 

AP without tone curve

 

One can see the AP examples reduce contrast. Things that reduce contrast are generally undesirable in photo editing. The suggestion here is to improve these functions to be more like other apps. Easy to use. Preserve contrast. Preserve color.

 

Okay AP has an adaptive S/H function. The Live layer shadows and highlight function. This is clearly modeled after the classic Photoshop shadows/highlight image adjustment. However AP does not have all the controls that the PS adjustment has and IMO those controls are necessary to get a good result.

 

Photoshop

 

AP

 

The AP photo has washed out colors which the color adjust control in PS does fix. I can mimic the AP result in PS by turning the color adjust to 0 and I also have to move the midtone contrast down a touch. My suggestion/request here is to add those controls to your Live filter S/H feature. They clearly help the PS function and would probably help yours as well. I have also tried the Live S/H function on HDR images and again get color washout.

 

Thanks for listening.