Currently, Capture One is one of the most powerful photo editing software programs on the market. Launched in the early 1990s by Phase One, the software was initially only a RAW file conversion application for Phase One cameras. The tool has evolved with updates and new releases, becoming an image editing reference for any digital camera model.
Capture One makes it possible to edit large quantities of images quickly, and the professional rendering of photos continues to impress users. This level of quality was achieved thanks to the company’s vision, values and missions. Let’s discover, through an overview of Capture One, the role that this software assumes.
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Capture One to create true-to-life images
Phase One, the company that developed Capture One, has been an expert in imaging solutions since the early 1990s. It is driven by the passion of photography and the reproduction of reality. One of its main roles, and one with which the software continues to evolve, is to unleash the power of color. Indeed, Capture One is always looking for the perfect image, which involves the reproduction of colors. Thanks to its history, Capture One offers cutting-edge raw image conversion, and its advanced color editor feature pushes the boundaries of color control.
Among the features that make the software stand out from the crowd, we can mention:
- modification of the colors by hue according to whether they are in the highlights, midtones, shadows and the overall dominant color;
- a specific tool for adjusting flesh colors, which is ideal for fashion and portrait photos.
In summary, Capture One is second to none when it comes to color management.
Capture One, software that's accessible to everyone
While Capture One has been a great success with professional photographers, the software has been developed to make photo editing more accessible. It is true that it is equipped with advanced tools that may only seem useful for professional photographers. It may therefore seem complicated to handle in this sense.
Throughout the different versions that Capture One has offered since its creation, it has constantly improved the interface to make it more flexible, more modern and more customizable, with the aim of making it easier for anyone to get started. The tools can be moved or hidden according to the user’s needs. This feature reduces editing time and is more powerful than you can imagine. If the user offers different services (photos of events and studio photos for example), it is even possible to create separate workspaces.
Capture One therefore has an inclusive approach: individuals, professional photographers, companies, photo studios… everyone can find something to suit them.
Capture One to foster artists' collaboration
Capture One also seeks to facilitate collaboration, with the smoothest possible workflow. It was with the launch of Capture One Live that this came to fruition. Photographers can use it to send images taken during a photo shoot or during an event to collaborators who cannot be present. They can annotate, comment, mark, and rate photos for inclusion in the creative process.
This feature is accessible in the toolbar for the most recent versions, where it is then possible to generate a link to share a collection of images that can be viewed remotely on a web browser. The terms of the collaboration can also be customized, such as how long the images are available for. The company also offers Capture One Multi-user for teams of two or more people, which can be a way for companies to save money.
Capture One to improve the photographer workflow
One of Capture One’s goals is to save the user time and productivity.
Faster photo editing sessions
Capture One has developed tools to speed up the photo editing process. Its feature called Speed Edit allows you to make edits directly on the keyboard; that is to say, instead of fetching the editing tools from the toolbar, you can simply press a key on the keyboard to access an editing feature. Adjustments are fast and smooth and can be done on individual shots or multiple photos simultaneously. With Capture One, you can also create your own keyboard shortcuts.
Intelligent management tools
Saving time and enhancing productivity for photographers is not only about editing their photos, but also about organizing them. Capture One has intelligent management tools that help the user control their work. Here are a few of them.
- The Sessions folder structure that allows you to create smaller groups in large collections.
- The tool for moving folders in catalogs.
- The keyword library.
- A system of color labels to mark photos when sorting.
- Searching for photos by filter: color, lens type, etc.
- Importing catalogs directly from Lightroom, with the majority of metadata (exposure, highlights, shadows, white balance, rotation, etc.).
This list of features is not exhaustive; there are many others.
A multi-device workflow
Thanks to its multi-device workflow, Capture One is even better at doing its job. The different versions that it offers according to the uses allows users to work whenever they want, wherever they want. Among the various software offers, we find:
- Capture One Pro;
- Capture One iPad;
- Capture One Live;
- Capture One Express;
- Capture One Enterprise;
- Capture One Multi-user.
Capture One Pro is the perfect version for large screens and studio work. For regular business travelers, Capture One iPad can be used in parallel — as well as the Capture One Live feature we mentioned earlier. The Capture One ecosystem allows you to resume your work on any device: files can be transferred to the cloud in unlimited quantities.
Finally, Capture One’s main role is to make life easier for its customer by designing software just for them. To this end, it continues to be developed by listening to photographers from all sectors and around the world.
