LightCraft
storytold · Images
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What is LightCraft?
A photographer can import a shoot, rate and group frames, then make reversible adjustments and export selected results from one local workspace. LightCraft stores editing steps separately from the original images and offers both global controls and targeted masks; its developing workflow is more mature for some camera formats than others.
LightCraft is an early-alpha photo library and non-destructive raw developer for desktop computers and the web. It organizes images and provides exposure, color, curve, crop, and masking controls without changing originals. Raw-format decoding and camera color calibration remain incomplete, so photographers should test their own files before relying on it for a full shoot.
Core capabilities
- Group images into albums, rate or flag frames, and find files in the local library.
- Adjust exposure, color, curves, crop, and local masks without overwriting originals.
- Export edited images in common formats, including JPEG, PNG, TIFF, and WebP.
Keep the library and edits together
Albums, ratings, flags, filtering, and comparison views help narrow a shoot before editing. Develop settings and history are kept as operations rather than destructive changes to image files, so a photographer can revisit an adjustment or produce a different export later.
- Library
- Albums
- Non-destructive
Make global and local adjustments
The developer combines exposure and tone controls with white balance, color mixing, grading, curves, crop, and effects. Brush and gradient masks, plus luminance and color ranges, target particular areas; subject and sky selection currently rely on classical heuristics rather than AI segmentation.
- Raw development
- Color
- Masks
Check camera compatibility before a full workflow
This is early-alpha software. The project's status notes say DNG and several older or uncompressed raw families work, but CR3 and some compressed Fujifilm or Olympus files are preview-only. Non-DNG camera color calibration is still being developed, and AI denoise, HDR editing, and video are not finished. Use representative files to assess color and export behavior.
- Early alpha
- Raw formats
- Limitations
Where it fits
Use cases
- 01
Review a local photo shoot
Import a folder, compare frames, assign ratings or flags, and keep the selected images in albums before starting detailed edits.
- 02
Develop a supported raw image
Open a DNG or another supported camera file, adjust light and color, use a brush or gradient mask for a local change, and compare the result with the original. Test color output on your camera format.
- 03
Deliver edited photos
Apply reusable settings across a small set of images, choose an output size and format, and export copies while retaining the source files and editable history.