In the last couple of years, Adobe has implemented a more powerful (and in my opinion better) way to develop images by expanding how we use profiles. Profiles are an overall ‘look’ applied to your image that leaves all of the develop and editing controls zeroed and unchanged. You use a profile as a starting point, and then you can adjust your toning, color, and whatnot to suit each photograph. Profiles are my favorite developing tool, but most photographers aren’t using them to their potential… in fact most aren’t even aware of the fact that they exist or how easy they are to use!

We have the ability to stretch out the possible dynamic range and toning, map custom colors and LUTS to the image before we even tweak a develop slider. Let’s break down how this helps you and why I’ve created a range of profiles to help you process your images.