Capture One 16.9 Ships Stray Hair Removal and Overhauled Color Editor

Capture One 16.9 for desktop and 4.2 for mobile are available to existing users now, adding automated Stray Hair Removal, new skin and body retouching tools, and a redesigned Advanced Color Editor — with subscriptions starting at $18 per month paid annually and a 7-day free trial for new users.

The headline feature for working portrait shooters is Stray Hair Removal. Instead of cloning out strands one at a time, retouchers can automate the process, with a slider and a protection brush controlling how much hair gets removed and what stays untouched. The distinction matters commercially: not every stray hair is an error, and the tool lets a retoucher keep intentional texture while clearing the rest.

Why it took longer than planned

"Portrait and headshot photographers kept asking us to solve this inside Capture One, instead of having to jump to another tool," said Theis Karger Philipsen, Senior Principal Software Engineer. "Turned out to be a genuinely fun problem to tackle."

Philipsen said the team trained the model first on mannequins and wigs, then moved to real hair and photographs of actual people once performance held up. The launch was originally planned for spring but was pulled at the last moment for more refinement. "We spent the summer refining it, with professional headshot and portrait photographers alpha testing along the way," he said, adding that the wigs are still on his desk as the team waits for user feedback on this first version.

Desktop 16.9 also adds Skin Tone Retouching and Body Skin Retouching tools aimed at high-volume portrait and headshot workflows.

What does the color editor change on set?

The Advanced Color Editor gains a new Target picker and a redesigned color wheel that shift any color to any other in a few clicks. Capture One frames the use case around live production: a digitech can show a photographer, art director, or client how a prop, garment, or product reads in a different tone while the shoot is still running — creative decisions happen on set rather than in post.

The update also lets users type exact RGB and HSL target values for matching reference colors, plus a new Uniform control governing how consistent a color sits across a surface.

"For this release we have redesigned one of our most powerful tools, used by photographers who take color seriously," said Daniele Brazzolotto, Product Manager for the Advanced Color Editor updates. "We made the Advanced Color Editor more capable by adding a Target picker and a redesigned color wheel that let you move any color to any other in a few clicks."

Multi-User Sessions exit beta

Multi-User Sessions, desktop only, are now out of beta. Collaborators can export images directly and switch on Follow to track the latest image in a session. A new indicator section displays the sync status of session images — relevant for tethered teams that previously managed versioning manually.

On camera support, both desktop and mobile versions now view files from the Nikon Z5 IIC and the OM System PEN.

CEO Rafael Orta positioned the release in competitive terms against algorithm-driven editing platforms: "We are building toward a future where the photographer is the author, not an algorithm. Our tools fade into the background so photographers can lead."

What does this change for photographers' budgets? Nothing immediately — the release lands free for existing subscribers at current pricing, and the practical test will be how the first-version hair-removal model performs on real client files once working retouchers push feedback back to Philipsen's team.