Save a video frame as a Live Photo
The best moment of a video is often better than the photo you took separately. Develop Log saves any moment of a graded video as a Live Photo that moves when you press it and works like any other Live Photo in Photos.
What you get
- A still: the frame you chose, at the video's original resolution.
- A paired video: about 3 seconds centered on that frame (or as much as the clip allows), played when you press the photo.
- The same grade: the still and the video both carry your current look and adjustments.
- Capture metadata: capture time (advanced to that frame's moment), location and camera model, so Photos files it by when and where it was shot.
Steps
- Open the video in Develop Log and grade it.
- Scrub the timeline below the picture to the frame you want.
- Tap the Live Photo button to the right of the timeline. It is created and saved to Photos.
Live Photos are free, like video export.
HDR Live Photos
With the editor set to HDR, you get an HDR Live Photo:
- The still is an SDR base image plus a gain map. On HDR screens the system uses the gain map to brighten highlights; other screens show the base image.
- The paired video is HDR (HLG).
- The base image's midtones match the HDR version, so when the screen has little HDR headroom (low brightness, Low Power Mode) the still does not look darker than the video.
For comparison, Live Photos from the iPhone Camera pair the still with 8-bit SDR video, which is why native Live Photos dim their highlights when they start moving. Develop Log's paired video is HLG, so there is no such drop.
Good uses
- Pull photos out of travel clips or Pocket 3 vlog footage instead of shooting them separately.
- Graded Log footage becomes photos with exactly the same look as the video.
- Memories in Photos and shared moments that come alive when pressed.
Quick answers
Is the still sharp enough?
It is output at the video's resolution: about 8.3 megapixels from 4K. Great for phones and computers and for sharing; for large prints, a dedicated photo is better.
Can I save straight from Log footage?
Yes, and it is saved graded, not gray. With no look selected, Log footage is output as restored with Natural.
How is it different from exporting video?
A Live Photo is a photo plus about 3 seconds of video, stored among your photos. Video export is the full clip. Both use the same grade.