Editing Raw
When an analog photographer develops film, they're making a series of deliberate choices: how long to leave the print in the developer, how much contrast to add, and whether to dodge or burn specific areas. The negative doesn't tell them what to do - they have to bring their own opinions to it.
Editing a RAW in the Photo Lab works the same way. Today we'll go deep on the two tabs where most of the creative work happens: Exposure and Film.
Exposure: getting the light right
The Exposure tab has one main dial and three toggles below it. The dial is straightforward - you drag left to darken and right to brighten. The histogram at the top updates in real time, which tells you far more than the preview alone. If the histogram is skewed towards the left edge, your highlights are clipping. If it's skewed towards the right edge, you're losing shadow detail.
The three icons below the dial are worth understanding:
Film: the character of the image
This is where Halide goes beyond what a standard photo editor offers. The Film tab gives you six individual sliders, each controlling a specific element of the film simulation. Below them are master toggles that let you switch entire components on and off.
Think of it like a film lab where you can choose not just the film stock, but exactly how it's processed.
A suggested workflow
Start in Quick Edit and pick your Look. Then move to Exposure. Set the overall brightness and decide whether tone fusion helps the image. Finally visit the Film tab and to create more character. Most of the time you'll leave the film simulation defaults in place and just adjust grain or vignetting to your taste. But when you want to go deep and really customize the image, every element is there waiting.
Lesson 6: White balance and when to use it, how to use the Balance tab's tint and temperature controls, and how to use the Preset button for common light sources.