An Edgy, Cinematic Look With ON1 Photo RAW

Are you exploring ON1 Photo RAW, and looking to get the most out of all its presets and capabilities? Here, learn how to conjure a desaturated, post-modern look using the software. 

As you may have read on fstoppers.com before, ON1 Photo RAW is a powerful competitor to the Adobe Suite of photo editing software, combining many features of both Lightroom and Photoshop in a raw editor, including the ability to edit non-destructively, use a myriad of presets, catalog images, and shoot tethered. 

In this video, Jim Nix show us his workflow as he runs an image of a train in London's Paddington Station through ON1 Photo RAW. Using tools like lens-specific built-in lens correction, basic adjustment sliders, Jim builds a foundation for a futuristic, industrial image. Accessing a library of filters to choose from, Jim introduces a split tone that looks somewhat edgy. Jim also ups the ante by enhancing a pop of color that adds interest. Finally, Jim uses ON1's masking capabilities to add a subtle sunlight effect to the areas that he wanted to brighten a bit, as if they were naturally being lighted by the skylights of the station. The overall effect comes across as sort of industrial-chic and cinematic. 

Are you an ON1 Photo RAW user? Tell us your favorite features in the comments section below. 

Jenny Edwards's picture

Jenny Edwards is a portrait photographer based in Amarillo, TX. She specializes in family and generational portraiture, as well as fashion-inspired portraits for high school seniors.

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7 Comments

My favorite feature is the A.I. quick mask tool. It's pretty powerful. On1 is an interesting program.

"Edgy, cinematic look..." = de-saturated, modern, post-modern, futuristic, industrial, and industrial-chic. Got it.

All well and good for the limited number of Windows computer configurations on which ON1 is stable. For the rest of us, we do a lot of work and then lose it when ON1 crashes on save or export. I really want to love the product, but the quality is abysmal.

Mine has a bug and is not compatible with Lightroom at the moment. I contacted support and they confirmed it was a bug in the latest update. No solution offered - just a sorry, and yeah, it does not work. Hugely disappointed with what otherwise is a wonderful piece of software. (I liked the "big softy" vignette...)

I watched this video, not interested in the Software but the end image was good.

Is it just me, or is this actually not desaturated, but in fact more saturated?

"more saturated" isn't very high in SEO results.