DaVinci Resolve editing video for stills ?

jtk · Dec 28, 2021

I'm impressed by the prints I've made from Android cellular files and Photoshop. MUCH better print quality than amateur labs produce from color neg 35mm.

Might DaVinci Resolve (app designed for Blackmagic video) effective for STILL images that I might extract from video using Android cellular (and presumably OIS) files.

blackmagicdesign.com/products/davinciresolve

Shooting phone video ...might DaVinci (related to Blackmagic) serve well (maybe as well as PS) to post-process video moments for printing still shots?

jtk · Dec 28, 2021

For context I've been shooting Samsung 20E, printing 8" squares, and am dreaming about the Pictar Pro that I've just ordered to accompany it...planning to shoot for a book.

jslabovitz · Dec 28, 2021

I just went through a month of experimenting with shooting video. My experiment involved shooting still/static shots, but with a perspective of time. I used a Blackmagic Pocket Cinema 4K and worked on learning Resolve. To skip to the punchline: I gave up on the whole endeavor, and happily returned to shooting stills and processing in Lightroom.

If you're anything like me, you'll find that it's shockingly complicated to work in Resolve, compared to Lightroom. I don't really blame the software engineers or the company -- rather, I think it's a reflection of the expectations, business models, and history of video (& film) editing. You'd be able to figure it out, given enough time and effort, but don't get misled into thinking that it's just like Lightroom or Photoshop, just with a timeline. The workflow is very different, including completely different UI (and color science) models for, say, color correction. And it's really not designed for stills at all, so I think you'd find yourself struggling against Resolve's system in general.

It might be the perfect thing for you, of course. It definitely wasn't for me.

Did you know that you can download Resolve for free and check it out? It even comes with a 1300-page manual... ;-)

Kino · Dec 28, 2021

Yeah, the color science and workflows are definitely not setup for printing still images.

Finding plugins that do what you want in PS/LR is probably a better solution...

jtk · Dec 28, 2021

Wow ...thanks...I need to carefully read what you've shared... sounds intuitively right...

My goal is to use cell for low personal profile...I guess I imagined that shooting by phone as video could work as well as dozens of stills rather than shooting and extracting stills and that color/density would be more consistent frame-to-frame. Then I'd print each by inkjet and bind like a book....

so another another question: could Resolve work with a bunch of stills instead of video? I am kind of charmed by the way this cell phone works compared to mirrorless digital still.

David A. Goldfarb · Dec 28, 2021

I'm learning to use DaVinci Resolve--big learning curve coming from Photoshop, but I'm taking it in small chunks, figuring out what I need as I need it.

It's not hard to extract stills from video in DaVinci Resolve. Color management includes various redundant options, so if you're comfortable with curves in Photoshop, say, you can work with curves on video in Resolve, though I think video editors are more accustomed to working with lift, gamma, and gain controls, vectorscopes, and such.

It does involve a very different idea of editing than what we're used to as still photographers. You've got more options than white balance and exposure. The ideal starting point is a very low contrast image that can be graded to have a natural look, and there can be a range of what counts as success.

jtk · Dec 28, 2021

Thanks for insights...for context I use PS comfortably and perhaps intuitively...but seat of pants...I've done wing & prayer...don't think I could explain...don't use lightroom, do use NIK with PS.

radiant · Dec 29, 2021

@jtk So you want to shoot video and extract frames from that? And that is better than mirrorless digital camera?

This sounds pretty counter-intuitive. I've never thought I could use still frames from video for photography. I mean yes you can use but doesn't those look like .. paused video?

What comes to quality of smartphone and mirrorless digital. I shot same scene (people inside at quite dim lightning) with both my phone (iPhone SE 2020) and Fuji XT-30 and when looking at smartphone screen the smartphone version looks better because of HDR and all other hocus pocus of the app. When I zoomed in the difference was obvious; the shot from the smartphone was full of this kind of artifact that looked like someone had used the "water color" effect on Photoshop. On small screens and small prints you probably cannot notice it.

But please share some results if you have, I'm totally open and interested on this topic.

Kino · Dec 29, 2021

There is a TON of free training at: https://www.blackmagicdesign.com/products/davinciresolve/training

Blackmagic will even test and certify you for free if you pass their online exam for each module.

I took and passed all of these training programs back when Version 16 was current and let me tell you, it was no cakewalk and took about 300 hours to get certified (in total).

You could utilize the workflows to create an image sequence and export them as TIFF files, but then again, it's a huge effort to learn this workflow when I think you can identify plugins and other programs that will work with Photoshop that don't require learning a whole new way of working.

Also, please be aware of the outrageous hardware investment you must make to color correct/edit uncompressed 4K color images. With the current shortage of computer chips, the total dearth of top end video cards and inflation, you can be looking at a $5 to $10K USD investment to work with any degree of spontaneity. Yes, you can use proxies and compressed formats for moving images, but you start compressing images that are destined for still exhibition and you'll see the artifacts that Vedostuu mentions.

I will say this however; your color correction game will immensely improve if you study their methods for color correction using curves and for matching colors during digital compositing of dissimilar moving image shots (as in VFX). The principals can be easily exported to PS, as the PRINCIPALS are totally transportable and it certainly gives you a new perspective on how to manipulate digital images.

It is, as mentioned before, a very deep dive, but one that is very beneficial...

Alan Edward Klein · Dec 29, 2021

jtk said:
Wow ...thanks...I need to carefully read what you've shared... sounds intuitively right...

My goal is to use cell for low personal profile...I guess I imagined that shooting by phone as video could work as well as dozens of stills rather than shooting and extracting stills and that color/density would be more consistent frame-to-frame. Then I'd print each by inkjet and bind like a book....

so another another question: could Resolve work with a bunch of stills instead of video? I am kind of charmed by the way this cell phone works compared to mirrorless digital still.

Remember when shooting video, there's not only the frame rate of let's say 24 fps, 30fps, 60fps, etc. But each frame has a shutter speed. It's recommended that you manually set your shutter sped to double the frame rate. So if you're shooting at 30fps, you set the shutter at 1/60th. Each frame then will be shot at 1/60th of a second which may be fast enough to catch the action. There are reasons for doubling the speed that I forget right now.

On the other hand, in a cell phone, I don't believe you can set the shutter speed. Its video program adjusts it automatically so many frames could be at a much slower shutter speed. That would make them appear smeared and objects moving if you try to create a still from them.

Which reminds me. When I was 13, I got an 8mm movie camera that you had to wind up to work. No batteries. But there was this single shot switch on it that let me take hundreds of single pictures as I walked around. Of course, they were;t very good. But it was fun showing them on the screen one at a time using my projector as long as I didn't leave each one on too long. The heat from the projector bulb would burn through the film making a mess.

jtk · Dec 29, 2021

I like cell.. that's because cell is comparable to barnack (my favorite was 2f).

I like inkjet from cell cropped to 8x8 from 8x10 tho in darkroom I printed full frame . Plan is to shoot for/make a few books. Am not trying to prove any points about cell, simply think it's an ideal tool and format.

My girlfriends daughter has several video essays on PBS uses cell increasingly for that instead of her broadcast quality Sony boat anchors. Me, I'm into prints.

I have mirrorless digital cameras but they're distractions.

jtk · Dec 29, 2021

Kino said:
There is a TON of free training at: https://www.blackmagicdesign.com/products/davinciresolve/training

Blackmagic will even test and certify you for free if you pass their online exam for each module.

I took and passed all of these training programs back when Version 16 was current and let me tell you, it was no cakewalk and took about 300 hours to get certified (in total).

You could utilize the workflows to create an image sequence and export them as TIFF files, but then again, it's a huge effort to learn this workflow when I think you can identify plugins and other programs that will work with Photoshop that don't require learning a whole new way of working.

Also, please be aware of the outrageous hardware investment you must make to color correct/edit uncompressed 4K color images. With the current shortage of computer chips, the total dearth of top end video cards and inflation, you can be looking at a $5 to $10K USD investment to work with any degree of spontaneity. Yes, you can use proxies and compressed formats for moving images, but you start compressing images that are destined for still exhibition and you'll see the artifacts that Vedostuu mentions.

I will say this however; your color correction game will immensely improve if you study their methods for color correction using curves and for matching colors during digital compositing of dissimilar moving image shots (as in VFX). The principals can be easily exported to PS, as the PRINCIPALS are totally transportable and it certainly gives you a new perspective on how to manipulate digital images.

It is, as mentioned before, a very deep dive, but one that is very beneficial...

Thanks for your many experienced insights. I hope/expect you're right about PRINCIPALS. Will mention that I'm not looking for photo/video perfection . If push comes to shove I can RE-visualize in B&W.

Kodachrome began as microfilm. VueScan /nikon scanned kodachrome can make great B&W.

jtk · Dec 29, 2021

vedostuu said:
@jtk So you want to shoot video and extract frames from that? And that is better than mirrorless digital camera?

This sounds pretty counter-intuitive. I've never thought I could use still frames from video for photography. I mean yes you can use but doesn't those look like .. paused video?

What comes to quality of smartphone and mirrorless digital. I shot same scene (people inside at quite dim lightning) with both my phone (iPhone SE 2020) and Fuji XT-30 and when looking at smartphone screen the smartphone version looks better because of HDR and all other hocus pocus of the app. When I zoomed in the difference was obvious; the shot from the smartphone was full of this kind of artifact that looked like someone had used the "water color" effect on Photoshop. On small screens and small prints you probably cannot notice it.

But please share some results if you have, I'm totally open and interested on this topic.

I'm planning/imagining books....not digital perfection. I don't use PS "effects" but to each his own. Never have bothered with iPhones or iOs.
.

jtk · Dec 29, 2021

jslabovitz said:
I just went through a month of experimenting with shooting video. My experiment involved shooting still/static shots, but with a perspective of time. I used a Blackmagic Pocket Cinema 4K and worked on learning Resolve. To skip to the punchline: I gave up on the whole endeavor, and happily returned to shooting stills and processing in Lightroom.

If you're anything like me, you'll find that it's shockingly complicated to work in Resolve, compared to Lightroom. I don't really blame the software engineers or the company -- rather, I think it's a reflection of the expectations, business models, and history of video (& film) editing. You'd be able to figure it out, given enough time and effort, but don't get misled into thinking that it's just like Lightroom or Photoshop, just with a timeline. The workflow is very different, including completely different UI (and color science) models for, say, color correction. And it's really not designed for stills at all, so I think you'd find yourself struggling against Resolve's system in general.

It might be the perfect thing for you, of course. It definitely wasn't for me.

Did you know that you can download Resolve for free and check it out? It even comes with a 1300-page manual... ;-)

I've installed it but am hung up somehow on the manual. I've always hated manuals. ;-)

David A. Goldfarb · Dec 29, 2021

If you prefer video tutorials, I gather there are many for Resolve.

Kino · Dec 29, 2021

The Resolve manual is wonderfully complete and pretty much comprehensive... and you'll jump off a bridge before you finish the 3625 pages of intricate detail.

This is one of those "don't go there unless you have a specific issue/question type manuals. Reading it in a linear fashion is against the Geneva Convention, I am sure.

Do yourself a favor and go to YouTube and look for "Beginning DaVinci Resolve" or "New to Resolve" videos.

Pay particular attention to adjusting the settings/preferences before you try to do anything meaningful. A mis-configured computer will drive you batty and run very poorly.

This is actually a very good place to start AFTER you get a basic overview on Youtube:

The Beginner’s Guide to DaVinci Resolve 17
https://www.blackmagicdesign.com/products/davinciresolve/training
(middle of the page)

Download the PDF book and the example files and walk through the tutorials.

jtk · Dec 29, 2021

Kino thanks. Not sure my aversion to manuals is a curse or a blessing.

sasah zib · Dec 30, 2021

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DaVinci Resolve editing video for stills ?

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