Color Grading: Add Emotion, Mood, and Impact with Color!

Overview

Google, IBM & Meta Certificates — All 10,000+ Courses at 40% Off

One annual plan covers every course and certificate on Coursera. 40% off for a limited time.

By the end of this course, you will be able to use color grading to shape mood, enhance emotion, and bring cinematic impact to your photos by working with highlights, midtones, and shadows. In Color Grading: Add Emotion, Mood, and Impact with Color!, Rob Davidson introduces you to the powerful Color Grading panel in Adobe Lightroom Classic and Adobe Camera Raw, helping you unlock a whole new level of creative control. What makes this course unique is its focus on cinematic storytelling through color—drawing inspiration from professional film colorists and translating those techniques into a practical, step-by-step workflow for photographers. You’ll move beyond basic edits and learn how to intentionally craft the look and feel of your images. This course is ideal for photographers, creatives, and visual storytellers who want to elevate their editing style and explore more artistic expression. To be successful, you should have a basic understanding of the Develop panel in Lightroom or Camera Raw. If you’re ready to see your photos in a completely new light, this course will open up exciting creative possibilities.

Syllabus

Foundations of Color Grading and Workflow Setup

This module introduces the essential foundations of color grading, helping you clearly distinguish it from color correction and understand its role in visual storytelling. You’ll explore the color grading panel in detail and learn how to set up an efficient workflow that supports consistent, professional results. By the end, you’ll be ready to confidently begin applying creative color treatments to your images.

Core Color Grading Techniques and Styles

In this module, you’ll move from theory into hands-on color grading techniques used by professionals. You’ll learn how to apply popular cinematic styles like orange and teal, adapt your edits across multiple images, and build a consistent visual mood. These practical skills will help you develop efficiency and creative control in your editing process.

Creative Looks and Final Workflow Tools

This final module focuses on creative exploration and workflow refinement. You’ll create a retro vintage look, expand your toolkit with Camera Raw, and bring everything together into a polished editing process. By the end, you’ll be able to confidently craft stylized color grades and finalize your images with a professional finish.