Once we know the color space of our source(s) as well as that of our display, we can make an accurate mathematical translation from one to the other.Ī scene-referred workflow is one in which we manipulate our images prior to their transformation from camera color space to display color space. Collectively, this gamma/gamut pair defines a device’s color space.

We learned earlier in this series that any imaging system - whether a camera, a display, or our own eyes - interprets light and color in its own way, and that we can measure and express these unique characteristics in terms of their gamma (or tone curve) and gamut. To understand what we mean when we refer to scene-referred or display-referred workflows, let’s recap a few basics. If you’re unclear about what this means, or its implications for your images, read on! The Basics We’re going to begin this exploration by discussing one of the most critical (and most overlooked) choices in any grade: working with our images in a scene-referred versus display-referred context. Having done this, we’re now ready to build on this foundation and begin exploring the core philosophies, tools, and techniques of color grading. We spent the first half of our Color 101 series covering the basics of human vision, cameras, and displays, which together form the key factors in any motion-imaging workflow.

Davinci resolve color grading workflow