Cyanleaning

Cyanleaning is a color grading approach in photography and cinema that foregrounds cyan hues to produce a cool, clinical look. It involves shifting color balance toward cyan in midtones and shadows, while maintaining skin tones to remain natural. It is distinct from other color grading styles by its deliberate cyan bias rather than teal or blue extremes.

Origin and etymology: The term cyanleaning is a neologism that emerged in online photography and filmmaking communities in the 2010s and 2020s. While not tied to a single inventor, it is described as a deliberate shift toward cyan to convey mood or atmosphere, often associated with cyberpunk, futuristic, or clinical aesthetics.

Techniques: Common methods include adjusting white balance toward cyan, increasing cyan in shadows and midtones, applying cyan-tinted LUTs, and selectively desaturating red and magenta channels. Some practitioners employ split toning with cyan highlights and cooler shadows. Achieving natural skin tones requires careful masking and, where possible, subtlety in application.

Applications and style: Cyanleaning appears in music videos, sci-fi films, and digital art projects. It can evoke cool, high-tech moods or sterile environments and is often paired with minimalist lighting. It is typically contrasted with warmer palettes or other cool schemes; excessive use can produce an unnatural or clinical look.

Reception and variations: The approach is mixed in reception: supporters view cyanleaning as a deliberate, expressive tool; critics warn that strong cyan casts can reduce color fidelity and viewer comfort. Variants range from subtle bias to pronounced color shifts, with some creators pairing cyan leanings with other color theories.