04/08/2026
Mastering the "Cyberpunk" Mood: It’s all about the Color Depth 🎨
Hey everyone! I wanted to share a quick breakdown of a recent edit I finished.
Sometimes, the "in-camera" shot is just the skeleton. The soul of the image comes alive during the retouching phase—especially when dealing with dual-tone lighting (magenta & cyan).
The Challenge:
The original RAW was quite underexposed (swipe to see the 'Before'). While it captured the mood, the skin tones were muddy, and the highlights lacked that "electric" punch needed for a high-end editorial look.
My Workflow for this piece:
Exposure Recovery & Dynamic Range: First step was bringing back the data in the shadows without washing out the blacks. I wanted to keep that deep, moody background while making the subject pop.
Color Grading (The Secret Sauce): I didn't just "bump the saturation." I used Selective Color and Gradient Maps to harmonize the pinks and blues. Notice how the cyan now wraps around the jawline to create better separation from the background.
Skin Retouching: I used Frequency Separation to clean up blemishes while keeping the natural skin texture intact. High-end retouching is about refining, not "plastic-fying."
Eyes & Highlights: A bit of Dodge & Burn on the irises and the glitter makeup to make them "shimmer" under the neon lights.
