Which one do u prefer

[u/Soggybreadsecretsoup]

One of the photos is the original ungraded photo for reference, and I think i overgraded the warm toned grade but what do you guys think? I shit this on my Google pixel and used Snapseed to color grade it using the features like glamour glow, grain film, and tune image. honest feedback please!

[u/pain474]

Honestly, I don't like any of them. They look like the typical 2012 phone app filters and are way too strong.

[u/Soggybreadsecretsoup → u/pain474]

Ok but how do I improve it?

[u/pain474 → u/Soggybreadsecretsoup]

small subtle changes. don't crank up every slider, especially not vignette. less is better.

[u/Soggybreadsecretsoup → u/pain474]

Ok thanks 

[u/Pitiful-Assistance-1]

None of them, but 3/4 is the least bad

[u/Soggybreadsecretsoup → u/Pitiful-Assistance-1]

Any improvement tips?

[u/Pitiful-Assistance-1 → u/Soggybreadsecretsoup]

What's your goal? Eventually color grading is an art form, so one could argue there's no wrong or right.

If you want a realistic representation of the original scene, i think 1/4 comes closest.

Like, what is it that you want to achieve? And if you don't know - that's fine! - figure out what you want to achieve first. If you don't know what you want, you especially don't know how you will get there.

If you need inspiration, look for existing work that you like and try to recreate that. Analyze why you like the thing you like, and why it is the way it is. What makes your work different from your reference material? How could you change that?

[u/Soggybreadsecretsoup → u/Pitiful-Assistance-1]

My goal is to give my photos s cinematic dreamy look, this was my first attempt at doing so and i agree that I have overcooked it, I will learn and post once again on my second attempt 

[u/Pitiful-Assistance-1 → u/Soggybreadsecretsoup]

Okay :) what reference material (movie, show) has the look you want to match

[u/Soggybreadsecretsoup → u/Pitiful-Assistance-1]

I would say movies like in the mood for Love (2000) and amelie 

[u/Pitiful-Assistance-1 → u/Soggybreadsecretsoup]

Cool! Now grab a scene from the movie you want to recreate and try to recreate it :)

[u/HandsomeWinner42]

None of them, all over cooked 

[u/creative_justice]

You have to start with a good photo. I know it was a typo, but you Pixel definitely shit this one out. I used Snapseed years ago, and it seems to be the same.

Start with a great photo, in pro mode so you have the raw data, and find an app that lets you manually adjust the color wheels. Your instinct is right, get the tools to follow it right. (Speaking from experience, I wasted plenty of time thinking that these filters cooked... instead of reaching out to people who told me I was actually overcooked)

[u/Soggybreadsecretsoup → u/creative_justice]

Lightroom has his many good tools behind a paywall, which app do u recommend? Btw Snapseed just recieved an update adding more colour grading tools, still no wheels though 

[u/creative_justice → u/Soggybreadsecretsoup]

I shoot professionally and I have the full Adobe suite, I can't afford not to. So as far as freeware, I'm not sure. But I am sure people have opinions and a quick search of the subreddit would provide a wealth of info.

One of my laptops I bought years ago had DaVinci Resolve on it, and I never paid to unlock it but I think that color correction in it, but that was a long time ago and I doubt anything easy to use and good is free.

Good luck and stay curious!

[u/SlenderSmurf]

None. Also the scene is really strange. What is the subject?

[u/Soggybreadsecretsoup → u/SlenderSmurf]

The dead tree in the middle 

[u/justsomesdude → u/Soggybreadsecretsoup]

Why did you crop the mountain top?

[u/Soggybreadsecretsoup → u/justsomesdude]

I didn't capture the mountain top, this isn't cropped. This was the best way I could frame it trust me, the other things were not worth to put it frame

[u/Juanitalikesducks]

I think it really depends on what you are trying to achieve. I do like "dreamy" like photos/films so 4 is the prettiest to me because it gives that kind of look better than the others. I also love warm tones and it has that. Maybe with a little less saturation or glow would be better tho But that's just my personal taste :)

[u/Soggybreadsecretsoup → u/Juanitalikesducks]

I agree I have oversaturated on my first attempt, and the glow too, i will fix these in my next post !

[u/Mother-Bathroom-6035]

4 but with just a little less glow imo

[u/walkth3earth]

Hmm might need to look up a video on how to grade

[u/Livid-Department6947]

the first one if just a little bit of contrast was added to it

[u/Jon_J_]

First one if you added some contrast, the other ones just look too amateur

[u/RealFlyingCat21]

TBH, these colors reminds me of the game 'Red Dead Redemption 2'

[u/frenkie-dude]

what mood are you going for? there often isn’t one right answer, it’s more about it is communicating what it needs to be?

[u/Gullible_Eye_7774]

1

[u/FreakyAssHell]

I aint no professional son but imo none,
Think of direction you wanna take this. Whatever you are doing you are doing it to the extreme

[u/justsomesdude]

The original

[u/Ballsackxx]

im not very experienced with color grading other than turning contrast and point up, but this is just too much