Color grade a photo

A first project. Drop in a photo, warm it up, add contrast, export.

Color grade a photo

A five-minute tour of how Magerie works, using something everyone has: a photo that needs a little life.

You will drop a photo on the board, run it through two effects, and export the result. Nothing gets baked until the last step, so you can keep adjusting the whole time.

1. Drop in your photo#

Drag an image file from your desktop straight onto the board. It lands as an Image node, your starting canvas.

2. Add contrast with Curves#

Open the Omni menu (Cmd/Ctrl + P), search Curves, and add it. Drag from the photo's output port to the Curves input to connect them.

On the Curves control, drag the line into a gentle S: lift the top, drop the bottom. Darks deepen, lights brighten. The preview updates as you drag.

3. Warm it up with Color Balance#

Add a Color Balance node and wire Curves into it. Push the shadows slightly cool and the highlights slightly warm for a natural, cinematic look.

Your chain now reads photo, contrast, color:

Image  ->  Curves  ->  Color Balance

4. Tune it, live#

This is the part that makes Magerie different. Go back to the Curves node and drag its line again. The Color Balance result downstream updates instantly. Nothing is locked. Reorder, re-tune, or delete a node any time.

5. Export#

Add an Export node on the end and wire Color Balance into it. Pick PNG or JPEG and save.

Take it further#

  • Grade just one area. Paint a black-and-white mask on a second Image node, then route it through a Mask node so your grade only lands where the mask is white.
  • Target one color. Add an HSL Adjust node to shift just the reds or just the greens.
  • Go stylized. Drop a Gradient Map at the end for a duotone poster look.
  • Touch up by hand. The photo is a real canvas. Press B and paint corrections straight onto it.

Where to next#