Color Grading & Color Correction Tutorials for Photoshop & Lightroom
Learn color correction and color grading in Photoshop and Lightroom: white balance, Curves, Camera Raw, gradient maps, LUTs, black and white, and changing or matching the color of anything, plus the cinematic and film looks that give photos a signature. More than 230 free and PRO video tutorials from Aaron Nace.
What You’ll Learn
Color is two jobs that get confused with each other. Color correction makes an image accurate; color grading makes it feel like something. These tutorials teach both, in that order, because a grade built on a badly corrected file never quite works.
- Correction first. White balance, exposure, Levels versus Curves, and matching color between two images so they look like they were shot together.
- The grading tools. Curves, Selective Color, Gradient Maps, Color Lookup and LUTs, Camera Raw’s Color Grading panel, and the Point Color tool for surgical hue changes.
- Signature looks. Cinematic teal and orange, vintage film, muted matte, bold and vibrant, duotone, and black and white conversions that hold their tone.
- Local color. Masking color to skin, sky, or a single object, dodge and burn with color, and adding gradients to any object.
- Finishing. Film borders, grain, glow, Clarity and Dehaze, and how to keep a grade consistent across a whole shoot.
Where to Start
The Coloring Learning Path puts these tutorials in order, from correction through your first full grade. For Lightroom and Camera Raw specifically, the PRO course Advanced Color Grading in Lightroom & Adobe Camera RAW is the deep dive. If you want a look in one click while you learn, the LUTs and Lightroom presets are built from these techniques.
Free and PRO Tutorials
Free tutorials are complete lessons, not previews. PRO tutorials go deeper and longer, and they include the sample images, RAW files, actions, and presets used in the lesson so you can follow along on the exact same file. A PHLEARN PRO membership unlocks every PRO tutorial on the site, including all of the ones in this category.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between color correction and color grading?
Correction fixes what the camera got wrong: white balance, exposure, and color casts, so the image is neutral and accurate. Grading is the creative step that gives the image a mood or style. Do correction first, every time.
Should I color grade in Lightroom or Photoshop?
Lightroom and Camera Raw are excellent for global grades and for applying one look across a shoot. Photoshop adds layer-based control, gradient maps, and precise masking for grades that treat skin, background, and highlights differently. Most of these tutorials show which to use and when.
How do I get the cinematic look?
Separate the warm tones of skin from cooler shadows and backgrounds, lift the blacks slightly, keep the highlights soft, and add a subtle glow. Several tutorials here build that look step by step in both Photoshop and Lightroom.
Where to Go Next
Color grading sits on top of a corrected image, so if your files are not there yet, start with Photo Editing. It pairs with Retouching for portraits, Photo Effects for building a consistent look, and Photo Effects for glows, light, and atmosphere.
Learn Color in Order
The Coloring Learning Path goes from correction through your first complete grade.
On This Page
PHLEARN PRO
Every PRO tutorial in this category, with sample and RAW files, plus the full PRO library.
Use the Vectorscope tool in Camera Raw to read skin tone objectively, mask the skin and correct Temperature, Tint, and Saturation against its reference line.
Photoshop | Retouching | Medium | 30 mins | 1 video
3 Sample Images | 3 Sample PSDs | 1 PDF Guide
Color grade in Photoshop with the Camera Raw color wheels: set it up non-destructively, dial in shadows, midtones and highlights, then blend the grade back.
Photoshop | Color & Tone | Medium | 15 mins | 1 video
1 Sample Image | 1 Sample PSD | 1 PDF Guide
Add color gradients to any object in Photoshop: change the color with Hue/Saturation, protect skin tones with a second mask, and keep it adjustable after.
Photoshop | Color & Tone | Medium | 15 mins | 1 video
1 Sample Image | 1 Sample PSD | 1 PDF Guide
Use the Point Color tool in Adobe Camera Raw to target one exact color: set it up non-destructively, shift hue and saturation, then tighten the selection.
Photoshop | Color & Tone | Easy | 15 mins | 1 video
1 Sample Image | 1 Sample PSD | 1 PDF Guide
Photoshop 2026 adds Color & Vibrance, Clarity & Dehaze and Grain as adjustment layers. See what each replaces and when to use it instead of Camera Raw.
Photoshop | Tools & Techniques | Easy | 30 mins | 1 video
6 Sample Images | 5 Sample PSDs | 1 PDF Guide
Master advanced masking and coloring across all Lightroom apps! This course covers mask logic, light balancing, and professional color grading, with Photoshop techniques included for those who need ultimate creative control.
Lightroom | Selections & Masking | Medium | 3.75 hours
9 Sample Images
Adobe’s AI landscape tool now detects snow. Generate separate snow, sky and vegetation masks, then edit each one without touching the rest of the scene.
Photoshop, Lightroom | Selections & Masking | Easy | 15 mins | 1 video
1 Sample Image (RAW File) | 1 PDF Guide
Build an aura effect in Photoshop from three layers of light: blur the background, add the gradient, bring in the glow, then tie it together with color.
Photoshop | Photo Effects | Medium | 15 mins | 1 video
8 Sample Images | 1 Sample PSD | 1 PDF Guide
Fix dull skies in Photoshop by spending the time on the match, not the selection: position the new sky, match the light, then blend the horizon line.
Photoshop | Compositing | Medium | 15 mins | 1 video
2 Sample Images | 1 Sample PSD | 1 PDF Guide
Correct color and exposure in Photoshop inside the Camera Raw filter, region by region, so every adjustment stays editable and nothing is baked in.
Photoshop | Color & Tone | Medium | 15 mins | 1 video
1 Sample Image | 1 Sample PSD | 1 Before/After Pair | 1 PDF Guide
A good black and white image comes from the colours you started with. Use the B&W Mixer in Camera Raw to separate tones instead of just desaturating.
Photoshop | Color & Tone | Medium | 15 mins | 1 video
1 Sample Image | 1 Sample PSD | 1 PDF Guide
Master cinematic and film effects in Photoshop, Lightroom, and Adobe Camera Raw! Learn to add authentic grain, light leaks, and borders for stunning, artistic digital photos. Follow along easily with over 40 images, 27 textures, and 2 Lightroom presets included in the download.
Photoshop, Lightroom | Photo Effects | Advanced | 4.25 hours
42 Sample Images | 16 Sample PSDs | 27 Textures | 2 Lightroom Presets
Match color in Photoshop with Levels instead of the automatic tools. Read the source numbers per channel, then move the target to meet them.
Photoshop | Color & Tone | Advanced | 30 mins | 1 video
2 Sample Images | 1 Sample PSD
Color grading is what happens after the file is technically correct. Cool the shadows, warm the highlights, then fade the whole grade back until it belongs.
Photoshop | Color & Tone | Medium | 15 mins | 1 video
2 Sample Images | 2 Sample PSDs
Color correction is the unglamorous step everything else depends on. Set the white balance in Camera Raw, carry a gray reference, and judge it properly.
Photoshop | Color & Tone | Medium | 15 mins | 1 video
1 Sample Image | 1 Sample PSD
Adobe Camera Raw is a complete raw processor inside Photoshop. Convert to a smart object first and every mask, slider and grade stays editable forever.
Photoshop | Tools & Techniques | Medium | 15 mins | 1 video
1 Sample Image | 1 Sample PSD
Change the color of anything in Photoshop with two decisions: tell Photoshop where to work, then dial in the new hue. Both stay editable afterwards.
Photoshop | Color & Tone | Medium | 15 mins | 1 video
1 Sample Image | 1 Sample PSD
Levels vs curves comes down to one real difference: how many points you can place. Everything Levels does, Curves does, and the eyedroppers matter more.
Photoshop | Tools & Techniques | Medium | 30 mins | 1 video
1 Sample Image | 1 Sample PSD
Adjustment layers are how you edit light and color in Photoshop without editing the photograph. Three ways to make one, and the handful actually worth using.
Photoshop | Tools & Techniques | Medium | 30 mins | 1 video
1 Sample Image | 1 Sample PSD
LUTs in Photoshop are easier to build than to find. Grade an image with adjustment layers, export the result as a LUT, then load it onto anything.
Photoshop | Color & Tone | Medium | 15 mins | 1 video
2 Sample Images | 2 Sample PSDs | 1 Photoshop LUT | 1 PDF Guide
Vibrance protects the colors that are already strong; saturation pushes everything equally. Learn which to reach for, and why skin tones decide it.
Photoshop | Color & Tone | Easy | 15 mins | 1 video
1 Sample Image | 1 Sample PSD | 1 PDF Guide
Color grading presets in Adobe Camera Raw give you a finished look in one click. Convert to a smart object first and the strength stays adjustable forever.
Photoshop | Color & Tone | Easy | 15 mins | 1 video
1 Sample Image | 1 PDF Guide
Change any color into a gradient in Photoshop and a flat object suddenly has light falling across it. Select, draw the gradient, then set the blend mode.
Photoshop | Color & Tone | Medium | 15 mins | 1 video
1 Sample Image | 1 PSD File | 1 PDF Guide
Black clothing defeats the usual recoloring tools because there is no hue in black to shift. Lay the color in instead, then bring the texture back through it.
Photoshop | Color & Tone | Medium | 15 mins | 1 video
1 Sample Image | 1 PSD File | 1 PDF Guide
Color coordinate elements in Photoshop by sampling one and pushing the other to meet it. Pick Hue or Color for the blend mode and it stays editable.
Photoshop | Color & Tone | Medium | 15 mins | 1 video
1 Sample Image | 1 PSD File | 1 PDF Guide
Change the color of foliage with the Camera Raw filter and dull trees come back to life. Target the green range only, so nothing else in the frame shifts.
Photoshop | Color & Tone | Medium | 15 mins | 1 video
1 Sample Image | 1 PDF Guide
Master advanced landscape editing in Photoshop and Adobe Camera RAW. Learn Aaron’s must-do adjustments, advanced Sky Replacement, color grading, and more! This tutorial includes RAW files so you can follow along.
Photoshop | Photo Editing | Advanced | 3.75 hours
6 Sample Images (RAW Files) | 6 Sample Images (JPEG Files) | 5 Sample PSDs
Master advanced color grading in Lightroom and Camera Raw. Perfect hues, create unique styles, and craft reusable presets with included RAW files. Explore different looks using snapshots!.
Lightroom, Photoshop | Color & Tone | Advanced | 2.5 hours
8 RAW Sample Images | 1 Sample PSD
Hue/Saturation in Photoshop has an on-image control now. Click the color you want to change and the range picks itself, then adjust several ranges at once.
Photoshop | Color & Tone | Easy | 15 mins | 1 video
1 Sample Image | 1 Sample PSD | 1 PDF Guide
Black and white is not Saturation dragged to zero. Convert properly and the black and white mix lets you decide how bright each original color becomes.
Lightroom | Color & Tone | Medium | 15 mins | 1 video
1 Sample RAW File
Editing wedding photos has a specific job: warm, a little dreamlike, and the couple unmistakably the subject. Separate them from the background first.
Lightroom | Photo Editing | Medium | 15 mins | 1 video
1 Sample Image