LAB colour mode

[Jackie Matthews]

Is there anything wrong with using LAB colour mode?  I've read some articles and watched some videos on using it but wondered what your thoughts were 

[Damien Symonds]

It's used exclusively by people who don't know how to edit.  You are not one of those people.

[Damien Symonds]

The first google hit:

See what I mean? Who would ever take an unadjusted raw file into Photoshop to begin editing?  Only an idiot.

[Damien Symonds]

Any mode conversion change can't preserve layers.  So you can't incorporate LAB editing into your existing workflow, it would need to be an entirely new workflow.

[Jackie Matthews]

I did my raw processing first.  Still a no?

[Jackie Matthews]

1 minute ago, Damien Symonds said:

Any mode conversion change can't preserve layers.  So you can't incorporate LAB editing into your existing workflow, it would need to be an entirely new workflow.

not even if it's converted to a smart object before converting back to sRGB?

 

[Damien Symonds]

Just tell me what you're trying to achieve, and we'll achieve it in RGB.

2 minutes ago, Jackie Matthews said:

not even if it's converted to a smart object before converting back to sRGB?

Of course not.

[Damien Symonds]

Let's say you'd done your stupid work in stupid LAB mode, then had it in your RGB PSD as a smart object.  You did some more work here and there with some Levels layers, or skin layers, or whatever.

Then you decided you wanted to tweak the stupid LAB work a bit more.  You edit the smart object layer ... where?  In a separate window, of course.  And in that separate window, you are no longer viewing the whole edit, because you no longer have your other (levels, skin, etc) layers.  You're back to an old edit.

So you tweak your stupid LAB work.  You return the updated smart object to the RGB PSD, where you find that your other layers no longer look the same!  A levels layer that was safe is now clipping.  A skin layer that was beautifully peachy is now orange.

You do not need that shit in your life.

[Damien Symonds]

Don't forget you already have some degree of control over the "L" by using Luminosity mode for your normal adjustments.

[Jackie Matthews]

got it.  I was just wondering.  As I said I've been watching some youtube videos and thought I'd explore this colour mode and see what your thoughts were.  I can see that you don't like it - a bit like lightroom .  It was confusing to follow but thank you anyway