That's why I was genuinely thrilled when Adobe basically snuck a little treasure box into my hands a few weeks ago. Hidden away in Camera RAW, under profile selection, there's this new function called "Adaptive Color." Sounds like marketing nonsense, but it's actually pretty clever.
The thing basically does what I normally handle in five manual steps: it analyzes the image and automatically adjusts colors, contrast, and exposure. And here's the kicker — it works damn well. At least for anything that wasn't shot completely into the sun. Because then "Adaptive Color" desperately tries to salvage something from those blown-out highlights.
But for quick image checks in between shoots? Brilliant. Faster than firing up Capture One and definitely more relaxing than the endless slider wrestling. Sometimes it's the little things in life.
Speaking of Capture One: They haven't been sleeping either and recently dropped a new "Retouch" function right in my lap. Basically beauty retouching via slider — right in the RAW processor. Smooth skin, banish under-eye circles, add texture (so faces don't end up looking like a baby's bottom), and even contour facial features. All automatic, all batchable.
Great, I thought. Finally something practical for us photographers who don't want to spend hours tinkering in Photoshop. Until I realized: it only works on faces. As a fine art nude photographer, I need the entire body's skin edited, not just the face. A minor letdown.
Still, I'm grateful for these small steps forward. Even if they don't solve all my problems, they at least make part of my workflow more relaxed. And that's worth something, isn't it?