NemoClaw Knowledge Wiki

New Camera Raw Variance filter

2 min read

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mEgFQC430k0 Here is a summary of the video from Glyn Dewis. From the Glyn Dewis YouTube channel, photographer and educator Glyn Dewis highlights a new, powerful “early access” feature in Adobe Camera Raw called Variance. This new slider is located within the Point Color section of the Color Mixer. Dewis explains that the Variance tool allows users to control the range of colors affected by a Point Color adjustment. After sampling a specific color in an image, the Variance slider can be used in two ways:

  • Negative Variance (-100): This makes all similar colors in the image become more uniform, matching the sampled color.
  • Positive Variance (+100): This exaggerates the differences between similar colors, increasing color contrast and variation.

He provides several practical demonstrations:

  1. Portrait Retouching: On portraits with blotchy or uneven skin tones (e.g., red cheeks), he samples a “good” skin tone. By moving the Variance slider to a negative value, he quickly and effectively makes the entire skin surface a uniform color, correcting the redness with just a few clicks.
  2. Creative Landscape Editing: On a landscape photo with green trees, he shows how sliding the Variance to a positive value enhances the different shades of green, making the foliage pop. Conversely, sliding it to a negative value unifies all the greens into a single tone, creating a more stylized or autumnal look.

Dewis concludes that of all the recent Adobe updates, the Variance tool is the most exciting for its power and versatility in both practical retouching and creative color grading. He also notes that features in early access in Camera Raw often make their way to Lightroom, which he is eagerly anticipating.

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