HOW TO USE THE TONE CURVE IN LIGHTROOM (Tone Curve Explained!)
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 29 พ.ค. 2024
- Don't let the tone curve intimidate you! Learn how to use the Tone Curve In Lightroom and unlock a ton of powerful editing features in this comprehensive Lightroom Tutorial.
The tone curve looks scary - But once you learn to master this Lightroom develop tool you'll be miles ahead in your photo editing. Today we're going to look at what the tone curve is for, how to use the tone curve, and adding effects such as filmic fade and split toning.
The tone curve is an essential part of Lightroom - And with a few quick tricks you'll be ready to edit better photos and never get confused by the tone curve again.
There are actually a few reasons you'd use the tone curve instead of other settings:
REASON 1) it allows for SELECTIVE contrast. With the contrast slider you have one set way to add contrast - Its either on or off. With the tone curve, you can add contrast in a specific portion of your image without affecting other portions - add more contrast in JUST the highlights, or JUST the mid tones etc.
REASON 2) the tone curve RGB panel lets you control the levels of blacks and whites to reduce contrast. The contrast slider only allows you to ADD contrast.
REASON 3) the tone curve lets you set custom black points and white point, allowing you to add a filmic feel to your images and dial in the exact amount of fade you want.
REASON 4) the red, green and blue portions of the tone curve allow you to do all of this with SPECIFIC color channels - Which means you can tweak color balance in your image, add / remove tones in specific areas (darken greens in JUST the shadows for instance) - Whereas the hsl panel luminance only lets you darken / brighten the greens as a whole.
Overall the reason is for more control & targeted adjustments. There are a LOT of things you can do with the tone curve - Many of which can't be done anywhere else in Lightroom.
One last fun fact:
the truth is there are no primary colors of light! RGB are NOT the primary colors that make up visible Light. In fact, there is no intrinsic color in light at all (how crazy is that?!) - There are only colors in our perception of certain wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation. The reason we use 3 primary colors is because we have 3 different color receptors in the human eye. NOT because light is composed of 3 main colors. Red Green and Blue are simply the colors that our color receptors are most sensitive to, which is why we call them primary. But truly, there are no primary colors of light. Only primary colors we are most sensitive to.
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**Wondering why not just use the other tools in Lightroom instead of the tone curve?**
There are actually a few reasons you'd use the tone curve instead of other settings:
*REASON 1)* it allows for SELECTIVE contrast. With the contrast slider you have one set way to add contrast - Its either on or off. With the tone curve, you can add contrast in a specific portion of your image without affecting other portions - add more contrast in JUST the highlights, or JUST the midtones etc.
*REASON 2)* the tone curve RGB panel lets you control the levels of blacks and whites to reduce contrast. The contrast slider only allows you to ADD contrast.
*REASON 3)* the tone curve lets you set custom black points and white point, allowing you to add a filmic feel to your images and dial in the exact amount of fade you want.
*REASON 4)* the red, green and blue portions of the tone curve allow you to do all of this with SPECIFIC color channels - Which means you can tweak color balance in your image, add / remove tones in specific areas (darken greens in JUST the shadows for instance) - Whereas the hsl panel luminance only lets you darken / brighten the greens as a whole.
Overall the reason is for more control & targeted adjustments. There are a LOT of things you can do with the tone curve - Many of which can't be done anywhere else in Lightroom.
I don't even think I need any presets after what I've seen! But thank you once again!
Thanks for this video...it is very informative and helpful. I learned a lot.😊
this was the MOST informative and actually helpful video on tone curves I've ever seen. I feel like I finally truly understand it
That's awesome Taylor! Glad it made sense to you :) Thanks for the comment!
Agreed
I SWEAR. THE MOST INFORMATIVE.
Yeah, TOTALLY AGREE. I felt the same way.
I Agree, I have never used the tone curve. But now this opens up so many possibiltiies.
I have to agree with everyone here. I understood the tone curve for the most part, but your clarity and voice actually kept me watching the entire video. Very well done!
Wow, that's a huge compliment Mike, thanks so much!
A 1000% true
seriously, made me want to keep watching thinking hey, this guy probably knows more than I do, just listen to how he describes it. well done
@@xxjabarri2xx Thanks so much - Great to hear it was helpful!
i so much agree with you
I went to professional photography school. I worked in this field for 10 years. I always avoided the curve, cause I didn't understand it and was able to go around without it. And in just 11 minutes, you just made it very clear and memorable. Your video should me mandatory in school.... (we had a 6 hours class on just that). I now understand how it works. Thanks a lot!
If you never touch all the knobs on the control panel you never figure out that one is for cooling, the other for the pumps and before you know it, you got Chernobyl but at least you know how to operate the next reactor.
Wow I only just saw this! So glad it made such a difference for you!
This is the most incredible tutorial ever.... literally. Explaining how it actually works and what it does, instead of just going in and moving the points. THANK YOU.
👍🤫💰
I have watched a fuckton of videos both from professional photography courses to the youtube videos available. no one was able to give me more clarity on what tone curve does and how to start using this. This video is THE ONE VIDEO which has made me understand the tone curve finally.
Great to hear Manav - Glad it was helpful!
BEST TONE CURVE TUTORIAL EVER !!!!
Thanks so much Jonathan! Glad to help
I agree. Best😍
im so tired of bad tutorials, as a photographer i see a LOT of them on yt. glad that i found you.
THanks Julia! THat means a lot
Thanks for subtitles!! Im always watching this videos at work without sound
That's awesome, glad to hear the subs are helpful!
I cant believe i finally found a channel where I can watch tutorials without getting bored. this is one of the most helpful and informative video i have ever watched! thank you so much. your explanations suit me very well. thank you so much.
Glad I could help! Thanks so much for the awesome comment :)
I've watched DOZENS of tone curve videos and this has been the most helpful and clear video. most people just say "make an s curve and you have aesthetics" but this video shows each and ever detail. Thanks SO much.
Haha thanks Raymond - Yes I remember trying to learn the tone curve and encountering the same kind of "S curve and you're good" advice ;) Glad this was helpful!
THE BEST explanation after tons of videos watched and articles read!
Congrats bro!
I have tried to learn about tone curves a bazillion times and THIS is the first time I understood them! THANK YOU!
AMAZING! Haha thanks Trish - Glad it helped!
I feel like, I gotta pay for watching this.
Awesome video man!
Baha thanks Bramy! My pleasure. If you feel like paying for more resources, you can always check out our templates, presets & training at shop.signatureedits.com ;)
I was literally just thinking that I am so new to Lightroom and I NEED to understand Tone Curve better and this popped up on my TH-cam sidebar. You are an amazing teacher! Thank you so much!
I never knew the tone curve could do all that! My mouth dropped when you edited that ocean photo and all you did was mess with the tone curve. Mind = blown.
"Well, that wasn't very good english but we're going to just roll on" .... basically me in every essay
Lol we have that in common!
Omg i can’t believe after I watched so many videos. It’s just now that I understand the use if tone curves 😱 you are so awesome!
Baha thanks so much Crushergo ;) Pinned your comment because its so awesome.
Same here!!! Thanks ♥️
You're welcome Mehr! Thanks for the comment :)
Same here! Finally I can understand it.
Same here! Thank you! ❤️
I've watched a number of these "tutorial" videos for using the tone curve in Lightroom. What none of them seems to do is explain why you would use the tone curve to adjust contrast for example rather than the contrast slider in the Basic panel. Or to remove a color cast why use a color channel in the tone curve when you can use the HSL sliders (or the temp/tint sliders). If you make another video like this, that sort of explanation would be useful. If the answer is that either approach will give you the same results, then the sliders seems to me to be a much more straight-forward method...?
Wow, you are SO RIGHT! I can't believe I didn't go into this! *There are actually a few reasons you'd use the tone curve instead of other settings:*
*REASON 1)* it allows for SELECTIVE contrast. With the contrast slider you have one set way to add contrast - Its either on or off. With the tone curve, you can add contrast in a specific portion of your image without affecting other portions - add more contrast in JUST the highlights, or JUST the midtones etc.
*REASON 2)* the tone curve RGB panel lets you control the levels of blacks and whites to reduce contrast. The contrast slider only allows you to ADD contrast.
*REASON 3)* the tone curve lets you set custom black points and white point, allowing you to add a filmic feel to your images and dial in the exact amount of fade you want.
*REASON 4)* the red, green and blue portions of the tone curve allow you to do all of this with SPECIFIC color channels - Which means you can tweak color balance in your image, add / remove tones in specific areas (darken greens in JUST the shadows for instance) - Whereas the hsl panel luminance only lets you darken / brighten the greens as a whole.
Overall the reason is for more control & targeted adjustments. There are a LOT of things you can do with the tone curve - Many of which can't be done anywhere else in Lightroom.
Hope this helps!
Ryan
@@SignatureEdits Thank you for your reply and excellent explanation! I'm definitely going to follow your advice and explore utilizing this powerful tool more often!
@@CostaMesaPhotography You're very welcome!
I was thinking exactly the same thing
@@MohammadAruf Glad I answered the question then :) Don't know how I missed it in the og video!
Very clear and informative. Super easy to understand for a beginner like me. I'll recommend this video to my fellow friends. Thank you.
Excellent tutorial. There are so many convoluted blog posts about tone curves, but this demonstrates tone curves so succinctly.
This is probably one of the best tutorial videos on Lightroom I've ever watched. This makes understanding tone curve so easy and simple. Thank you!
Thanks so much! Really glad to hear it was helpful and resonated with you!
Dude using that gradient image was GENIOUS! I know what the tone curves do, as a computer scientist they were never complicated for me to begin with. But it's how to use them that bugs me. I'm very comfortable with using the RGB curve but I never touch the individual ones because I have no idea how to use them without totally ruining the image. But the point finder tool in Lightroom is amazing, I didn't know of that. That's why unfortunately Lightroom is the best software out there, it's stuff like that, that competitors just don't have, unfortunately.
Wow thanks Wuschel, glad to hear it all made sense and you got something out of it! Totally agree - The color picker tool is SUPER handy!
I accually stop watching the video in the middle of it to write a comment! Your teaching skills are amazing! Thanx a lot for this video men!
So glad it helped Zeynep! Thanks for the comment :)
In all the Lightroom tutorials I've seen, I've never seen this explained. Thank you.
You're very welcome! Thanks so much for the comment
This was incredibly comprehensive and useful...I've never touched the tone curve before but I pretty much feel like an expert now. Thank you for this!
Best tone curve ever. Ure the master of tone curve in the whole of youtube. Deserves a million view
Baha love this comment - Thanks Andy!
Most comprehensive Tone Curve Video ever, Master Teacher, Thanks!
Maybe the best tutorial on tone curves on the tube. Loved it
You're awesome! Thanks so much
What a clear review. You really have a talent in reviews man cheers!
Thanks mate, really appreciate that! Glad it helped!
Wow this was beyond helpful!! Thank you for sharing!!!
Thanks so much Michelle! Great to hear :)
MIND. BLOWN. I think this is the first time I have ever understood the Tone Curve. Thank you SO much for making this!
Fantastic - Glad to hear it made sense and was helpful for you Sydney!
This was the best curves tutotial that I've ever seen
Thanks so much!
Finally a video that clearly explains the tone curves!!! I knew the basics but was afraid to play with the individual channels. Thank you
Thanks so much Alejo! Really glad it unpacked the individual channels for you :)
Thank you for making this so easy to understand! I've always skipped tone curve, but I definitely feel a little more confident about it now :)
Thanks Jessica, so glad to hear it! If you have any other ideas or videos you'd like to see please let me know
Best video ever for this topic. Just mind blowing for me. Why haven't I found this video earlier? Thank you so much!
wow thanks so much lenka!
Finally, someone made a perfect video on that darn curve... thanks brother..
With Signature Edits I'm definitely going to leave this earth with a Masters in Lightroom Edits
Hahahaha love it. Thanks Rodwin
You're such a great teacher. That was so clear and easy to understand. Much appreciated!
Thanks so much Carolina, that's great to hear it made sense! Appreciate your comment :)
the simplest way of learning tone curve ive ever watch in yt!!! kudos
Excellent explanation of the Tone Curve and how it can be used to make photos pop!
Glad it helped Bill!
Wow thank you so much for this explanation. First time I've understood the tone curve from a tutorial!
Amazing, so glad to hear it Lena!
Agree with everyone, this is by far the best tutorial ive watched on how to use the tone curve. THANK YOU!!!!
Wow thanks so much Camie! Really appreciate that!
I love your tutorials! This was the first one I watched, and I learned about tone curve so easily! you're clear and explain so well! Thank you so much!!!!
This series of videoes are so good. He explains every bit of information in a very understandable way. 10/10 would recommend watching this video!!
Wow, thanks Magnus! You rock
Thank you for this simple, and informative video. I am not a photographer, but rather, a florist... Just trying to make my images that much better 👌🏻 and I FINALLY understand how to use this feature thanks to you.
Oh that's awesome Arbella! Thanks so much - Glad it was helpful :)
THIS BLEW MY MIND! now i actually understand tone curve! THANK YOU!
HURRAY!
first time i wished that the video was longer. this was so informative . thank you
Am gonna unlearn a lot from the past 5 years. What an incredible tutorial man. Hands down. ❤💞
As someone who uses the tone curve regularly you’ve added a whole new level of understanding for me. Great video! 👍🏻
Awesome, thanks Lloyd! Glad it gave some fresh perspective
You're a lifesaver man. Thanks for sharing the knowledge. You got a new subscriber.
Thanks Wufie! Glad it helped :)
I had no idea! a lot of possibilities hiding in a single feature! Great video!
RIGHT?!~ Haha thanks Rafa - Good luck!
Fantastic way to explain something that most people are clueless about. Great work!
Thanks so much! Appreciate the encouragement!
Omg that explanation is everything, thanks bro!
Love it, thanks so much Godfrey! Hope it helps your edits
This is THE best video i've ssen on tone curve adjustments... you' detailed it from the basic physics behind and showed some really good examples... thank you :)
Glad it was helpful! Thanks so much :)
Thank you so much! Amazing video, really helped me put to figure out the S curves.
I have watched so many tone curve videos and still found it to be aloof and intimidating, but your video is incredible at laying things out clearly! I’m excited to edit now 😁
Now that is a tone curve MASTER CLASS hahah, I watched all the way trough even tho I know how to use this tool. Can´t wait to watch more of your videos
Wow thanks so much!
I'm going to have to watch this a few dozen times to truly understand how I should best use the tone curve haha.. great video!
Haha thanks Audrey - Glad it connected with you!
I've watched hundreds of Lightroom tutorials. They were nothing like this one. Now I finally understand the tone curve 😭 Thank you!!!
baha tears of joy i hope ;) glad it helped!
Perfect no nonsense explanation! Clear audio, perfect pace and layman's language, all check. Great vid!
The Skin tone Trick is amazing
Thanks Paul!
This is amazing thank you so much as a beginner this is probably the best video I’ve seen on tone curve
Great to hear Franklyn! Thanks so much - Glad it was helpful for ya :)
Wow. I've never seen a better explanation of the Tone Curve before. EXCELLENT job!!!
Amazing, thanks so much Monica!
This was great! It takes serious talent to present a complex subject in a simplistic manner! Thanks for sharing!!
I’ve played with the tone curve but never really understood it until now. Thanks for such an informative video!!
That's awesome it made sense for you Ivan! Thanks for your comment :)
Wow. awesome and easy to understand tutorial....thanks!
Amazing - Thanks so much for commenting!
Thank YOU! Very informative and straight to the point!
short, crystal clear and go straight to the point ... superb tutorial!
Thank you man! Finally I understood everything!!
Glad to hear it Jacopo! My pleasure
The most informative video on Lr's Tone curve, PERIOD! I can't thank you enough, I've understood more in 11.5 minutes than all the tutorials I've read/watched!
Amazing! Really glad to hear it!
Your videos are incredibly helpful. I've learned so much from just a few videos already. Thank you very very much for your tutorials. You explain everything so clearly. You are an invaluable resource and I can't thank you enough for the time you invest in making these videos.
Thanks for the video, all clear, had the same question than CostaMesa. Great videos, waiting for more.
Glad to hear it, thanks!
Great video on tone curve, thank you.
Thanks Ramana, you're very welcome!
Bro! I have no words...best tone curves video I've found, that's my new favorite channel!
fantastic tutorial. you have a real talent for making things simple and breaking them down. very much appreciated!
Awesome video! Very helpful.
Thanks Nikhiieswar! Glad to hear it :)
that last edit got my head like "wooooaah"
I'm definitely gonna try it
Bahaha that's great Vitor - Good luck!
Seriously SO HELPFUL!!! So informative and clear and easy to understand and ALL THE THINGS. Can’t thank you enough 🙏
Was just thinking today that I haven't encountered any curve guides where an actual gray chart was used to demonstrate what each channel did and five hours later I found this video. Fantastic and concise explanation!
Thanks for this video. Reeeeeally helpful.
My pleasure Rômulo Soares! Glad to hear it was helpful :)
It's very helpful video! thanks for adding subtitle
Thanks so much Prchtpn! You're very welcome :)
This was awesome! So incredibly helpful. Thank you!!
Very helpful, and explained easily! Thank you so much!
Thanks! 💚
YOU'RE WELCOME!
THIS IS AMAZING.
THANKS CONNOR!
Muito bom, ajudou bastante
parabéns pelo vídeo
Most helpful explanation of the tone curve I've ever seen!! Thank you!
...and I've been using lightroom for 3-4 years now
The RYB colours are actually CMY: Cian Magenta Yellow. Printers use these as the primary colours and the combination of the three pigments in a white surface gives black, the absence white. Two of them at a time gives us Secondary Pigment colours which not by accident happen to be: RGB. When working with light, the absence of light means black, the Pimary are RGB combination of two at a time are CMY and all the Primary Light colours give us white.
Great breakdown Alan! Wish I'd had this explained to me before this video :)
I came here to say this.
This is so freaking helpful!
Thanks so much Destiny! If you have any other ideas or videos you'd like to see please let me know
@@SignatureEdits I have trouble getting light just right on people faces sometimes. How can I edit to get the best lighting on my model's face?
@@destinyroach8280 Great question! This vid might help you - Using a decontrast adjustment brush is my fav way to even out lighting fast and in a subtle way. See how it works for you :) th-cam.com/video/ZYwoLemwhBc/w-d-xo.html
Dude... the tone curve confused me SO MUCH until I watched this video. I am worshipping you right now. THANK YOU!
Glad it helped you!
Ok so thats how one should make tutorials for beginners assuming that a beginner is just learning from scratch. I watched so many videos for tone curve and none of those were this much helpful. Subscribed
Just Wow!
Thanks so much Kevin! Glad it was helpful
The sky demonstration is what knocked me outa my chair. Thank you for this, the time curve has been a mystery to me for a while now lol.
That's awesome, thanks Eitan!
this guy speaks science. other videos are just copy paste of what other photographers are doing. kudos this is awesome
Thanks Amarullah! Appreciate your comment :)
I never understood the tone curve before this video. Thank you! I'm gonna save this video and watch it 1 million times.
Hahaha thanks Paulo! I'd love a million views :)
I always come back to this video because I kept forgetting how to use it ^^"
Hahaha that's awesome Yatsua! Thanks for commenting :)
The last edit..
I was really like 😶
Haha thanks mate!
Just what I was looking for. Great work. Many thanks 🙏
OMG!!! That's the BEST VIDEO I WATCHED about curves!!! Thank you for your work and explanation!!! Definitely will subscribe !!!