Unlocking Lightroomâs Best Kept Editing Secret! (you may be surprised)
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In this weekâs episode, we discuss Lightroom's best kept secret for editing contrast in your landscape photos. One of the most difficult aspects of photo editing is knowing when you've added too much contrast, too little contrast, or just the right amount - it's something I've struggled with for years, but this new feature in Lightroom certainly makes things much easier. In this video, I'll review the new contrast tool in Lightroom along with the technique I use to apply this to my landscape photos. This workflow for adding contrast has certainly improved my photos and I hope it can do the same for yours as well. I hope you enjoy this week's video and as always thanks so much for watching! - Mark D.
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ðĨQUICK QUESTION: What tool do you use to add Contrast?
Generally a mix, depending on what works best for the photo. But I will admit, I don't spend enough time in the masking section.
My favorite method, years ago, was to use the middle slider in the histogram in PS and other apps that allowed it. Generally, I'd push it a little to the right, and that was enough. It also was a good way to reduce haze. I always felt it looked better than the contrast slider.
Since I'm still in the experimental stage with Lightroom and I've only been really trying to learn editing over the last year, I've used all the different ways you mentioned. More and more though I've been using the white and black sliders. They seem to give a different look (softer maybe?) that I like. Now you've given me one more thing to play with. The more I use Lightroom and watch your videos the more I find just how much more versatile and easy to use it is over what I processed with before. Thanks Mark.
Usually the tone curve, but sometimes the black and white sliders.
I guess I don't really think about contrast a ton. I do all my other edits, and then at the end, I bring down the contrast slider to about -20 to soften the image. I don't think about the blacks and whites in the context of contrast even though they affect it. In theory, just about every adjustment you make affects contrast. I like the curve tone picker idea. Another great update Mark!!
Environment in photo is so beautiful that no matter what settings you use the photo still look good
Thank you for the topic. You're a very good teacher.
Thanks so much!
Great Video. Thank you for providing some of the most current and advanced content for utilizing tools within Lightroom.
Love this tip Mark, thank you. Just tried it out on a B/W I'm working on and wow, what a difference. This makes it so easy and controllable, 100% now part of my work flow.
Glad it was helpful!
Your videos are always excellent, but this one is one of the best. Thank you.
Wow, thank you!
I have a post it by my workstation indicating contrast/detail based on size (Largest to smallest): Contrast, Dehaze, Clarity, Texture, Detail. Plus the Tone Curve.
Clarity is a contrast tool that deals with midtones. Texture is a sharpening tool in high frequency areas.
Very very informative about using a full mask S-curve to add contrast. Thank you, Mark.
You're a genius!! Thanks for this new technique in LR. I use the black and white point sliders and then use the Levels adjustment in Photoshop.
Mark, this is one great lesson! Thanks a heap for making this. You've kind of been on a roll lately, so more power to ya'!
Glad you liked it!
Such great tips! Love your channel Mark. Been binge watching all day why I edit photos.
Glad you like them!
On lr mobile, under the preset menu there is a preset called âstrong S curveâ which you can apply and also adjust its intensity like mark did in the video. I have been using this technique by myself for about 6 months now. Glad to see mark talking about it
Brilliant! Thanks! ð
Using a full-image mask in LR is like creating an adjustment layer in PS.
Ive been using curves for a while now. I have used the curve within a mask before which is great for targeting smaller areas. I never thought about using it as a full image mask. Fantastic idea!
Best part is you can change the opacity of that mask as well!
Cool tip for using the tone curve in masks!
Thanks Warren!
thank you for your explanation, ABO ð
Thank You ! Love your work.
Well, once again, blown away! Thank you very much!
Love hearing this - thank you!
Brilliant Mark. Thanks mate.
Brilliant way to use, thanks so much.
What a great tip, thanks Mark
Very helpful video. Thank you!
Super helpful!
Excelent as usual - thanks
This is a fantastic tip ! Thank you Mark
Great video. Thanks Mark.
Glad to do it David!
Very cool thanks.
Glad you think so!
Thanks! A wonderful tutorial that I'll use.
Thanks!!!
excellent as all ways, thanks a lot for your free help
Thanks - very interesting
What an amazing revelation of the hidden tone curve secrets. Thank you Mark. âĪ
As someone who came from photoshop back in my high school days to using Lightroom now I can conform that slider is a welcome addition. Thanks as always for sharing your insights and workflow tips!
Great information!
Hoi Mark, thanks for this new technique of using curves mask.
Thanks again Mark!
My pleasure!
That is a great technique!
There are very few photography tubers or creators am I enjoying more than you my friend. Your instruction on alternative use case options, has definitely help diversify my abilities editing in LrC. Right now, hasn't helped my work flow, since I am watching, pausing, rewind, replay... your videos in another monitor. Oh well, I am learning more skills, which is inspiring more creativity in my work. Thanks
Super happy to hear this - thank you!
I've learned a lot from you. Thank you.
Another excellent video! I have to admit, I am intimidated by the tone curve but this makes it seem much easier to navigate. Thank you!
Great to hear this!
Super useful video - as always Mark! Thank you so much for posting
Thanks so much - really appreciate it!
Great lesson Mark, thanks for sharing this knowledge. I have been uncomfortable with using the tone curve however these new features, along with your recommendations, make it more useful to me.
Great video Mark - thanks for sharing. I've always avoided using the tone curve but I'll be using it in future.
That's a nice discovery for editing with contrast in LR, Mark. The masking functions now are so excellent that I now find myself doing more editing in LR or ACR instead of layering everything out in Photoshop. I think the PS equivalent might be using regular Curves (you can use the hand icon to see where all the values are just as you demonstrated with masking) and duplicating the Curves layer after editing and then adjusting the Opacity. But it's an additional step and there isn't an option to reduce the effect in the same manner as in LR. So here's another reason to use LR for quick results.
For someone who struggles with LR editing this is pure gold.
Awesome to hear!
Thanks for this! I've been using tonal curves but never as an additional layer! This is a helpful tool for sure
Yet another excellent tip Mark. Your work is appreciated.
Many thanks!
Another excellent video Mark. This workflow for adding contrast at the raw editing stage is very helpful. Thank you.
Glad it was helpful!
Amazing thanks
Most welcome ð
Great Video. Only issue was something I learned from an Elia Locardi video (FStoppers) in which he explained when using Camera RAW or Lightroom. He stated that using masks in either of these programs does not use true RAW processing and therefore you will have less capability of pushing the data when using a mask vs using the overall exposure, contrast, highlights, shadows, whites and black sliders.
Wow, excellent tip. I definitely need to work on this.
Glad it was helpful!
thanks and well done on this great video about editing
Glad you enjoyed it
Thank you!
You're welcome!
Awesome. I appreciate yet another informative video!
Glad you enjoyed it!
This was a great help to me. Thank you so very much for putting this up and sharing your experience in such a clear way.
Glad it was helpful!
On Point! Your tutorials are my learning GO-TO, Mark. The most valuable subscription I have. Many thanks - with love from Atlanta.
Great info Mark, thanks for sharing. Really enjoy watching your editing style ðð
Thank ya friend - I appreciate that!
Nicely done - I'd also point out that (a) you don't have to select all, you could use that linear curve on some other mask (e.g., subject, or sky). And (b) once you select all, you still have the option to brush away parts of your image that you don't want to change the contrast in.
I love this new addition - for the all the points your raise + the ability to be selective in where the contrast goes. Thanks for sharing!
Another excellent video. Always sharing something that's valuable. The Tone curve is definitely powerful. I have been using the Color Grading Tool to create contrast. I increase the luminance on the mid-tones and highlights and lower the shadows. Again, you move each slider to your taste. Have a great week.
Thanks so much!
Very good video. Using the tone curve is much easier now and makes much more sense. Thank you.
Glad it was helpful!
Clarity works for me
FWIW, I've found a much easier way to quickly add global masksâĶ simply add a new luminance range mask and click on the center of the luminance range. Bam. You have 100% mask coverage. I'm now using this technique to add contrast, color grading, film-emulation fades, and other global adjustments that I like to isolate and have more fine-grained control over. Kudos for this tip.
Another excellent technique, Mark. Thank you! With all your tips, Iâm beginning to feel like a âpro.â
Thanks so much!
Thank you
Welcome!
Thanks for the video. Many people praise Capture One over LR for it's layers while majority of that if not all can be now done in LR. Perhaps it's not as straightforward as in C1 but essentially it's exactly the same feature.
I often use the colour sliders, that way it does not alter the blacks and whites.
Thanks. Itâs useful to know all the different ways to deal with contrast, including the newer mask selections & opacity sliders & youâre a master at explaining them. But itâs like supermarkets in which there are too many choices that leads to decision paralysis. All the tools will get you to virtually the same result but I suppose you need to find the 1 that youâre most comfortable with. Furthermore, I find that printing vs digital display reveals a much more subtler effect of these fine-tuning tools. But now that I just retired from my day job Iâll have more time to experiment ð
Thanks so much Ben - great to hear you enjoyed the video! And yes, tons of options to choose from.
Nice to see a video like this popping up while I'm editing my photos. Timing couldn't have been better!
Glad I could help!
BTW it's 'each to their own' haha. Great tutorials as usual Mark! You are the boss!
Hey, this is great, I have to try it. I have to admit, I don't use tone curve much but I think it's powerfull...
Yes this is very smart! I use a linear gradient and drag it outside the image, then it also covers the entire image and I think that is faster
I too have struggled with finding a decent +/- contrast balance so the technique you have demonstrated is, I have to say, incredibly good. The only thing is ... I use ACR and not LR and while the functionality of ACR and LR are more of less the same, the UI in ACR is a little different especially in the Refine Contrast slider?
For the last year or so I have been using Dehaze as my aux contrast tool. Thanks for pointing out this mask/curve method. Now I have a new toy. I will endeavor not to break it on the first day.
64, 128, 192, 255âĶ..the keys to tone curves!! Once you understand, a whole new world opens up.
Using a linear camera profile, I really like to use gradient mask tone curves in Lightroom to adjust gamma, endpoints, mid-tones, and global contrast. My images have never looked so good, and I rarely need to blend exposures
Hi Mark! Nice t-shirt!!! :)
That is neat to know, they are adding so much utility to LrC. I find myself using Lr because it has the versions feature so I can edit the same photo a few different ways and save them all, and I love that functionality. I wish LrC had it honestly.
Totally agree!
Trial and error till I like it, great video
Thanks James!
Thank you for another great video, Mark, with so many ways to add and control the level of contrast. Do you ever apply this technique with the radial filter to draw the viewer's eye to the main area of interest?
Quick tip: Instead of using a brush to create a solid mask, just use the linear gradient and drag outside of the photo in the gray area.
Yes, you can shrink the image and use a radial gradient as well.
You just have to be careful to ensure youâre getting 100% mask opacity across the entire image and no portion of the actual gradient touches your image - been burned by this in the past
Even better, I use luminance masks with the full range selected.
Thank you, Mark. Even though I do not use any Adobe products in my editing, I discovered I can duplicate your preferred technique in the software I do use. I never thought of applying tone curve adjustments through a mask. And in my software, there is indeed a slider that permits the amount of the adjustment to be tweaked for greater or lesser effect.
Perhaps most surprising is, the software I use was introduced thirty years ago in 1993. That's thirteen years before even the original iteration of Lightroom was released in 2006 and just three years after the first version of PhotoShop. I guess the guy who wrote my software was pretty good. And, yes, it was not developed by a team of programmers at a company, but by a single individual working alone to develop a way to edit the digitized scans of his film archives. In those very early days of digital editing, PhotoShop was compatible only with the MacIntosh operating system and this guy wanted editing software that would work on a PC.
Thanks for the video! I always enjoy the editing videos you make when it comes to these techniques and thinking outside the box with masks. If only lightroom can implement a focus stacking and/or exposure blending feature then I wouldn't really need to use PS anymore
Glad you like them!
Great video! If I can ever afford a computer that can run LRC, I will come back to it for reference. Until then I will plug along with Lightroom.
Curves masks can be pretty powerful. I did it with a milky way shot recently and I was blown away at the end result.
This is an interesting trick with the total mask and the slider. I wonder how it compares to having a preset (without a mask) and using the preset amount slider?
Mark, another great video on how to use many tools to impact an image and what gives most control. I may have missed it but when in your workflow do you use this âcontrast mask?â Thank you.
Great idea. I would, however, use the linear gradient rather than the brush which risks having more or less intensity in areas where brush strokes overlap.
So, effectively, you are showing a way to use opacity in LR. Well done. I guess this is limited to whatever adjustments are available in the mask tool.
Wouldn't it be easier just to take the image into PS and have all the power of opacity available to every adjustment layer
IN reality, many of the tools mentioned (sliders, i should say) are really just playing with contrast in general, and we could probably even say things like Texture and Clarity, and the W/B sliders are more localized contrast sliders I guess (some programs actually have Local Contrast for large, small, and medium detail levels too and Texture and Clarity along with Dehaze is just Adobe's adaption of those but they all I feel do a similar thing in each mfr's program you just have to figure out which one impacts what). Sharpening, too, is a form of contrast, but it only works on the edges mostly to make them stand out more and appear well, sharper, by increasing the contrast of edges.
Thank you very much for teaching me this new tip. I'm definitely going to give it a try and see how it works on my photos. Quick side question though, what games are you playing on your GameBoy? =-) It's great seeing one!
Great tip. Question. Did you start your photo using the Balancing Out the Exposure method you talked about in the July tutorial?
I love this technique. Thanks for sharing. Question about how to get the color picker for the curve adjustment to display on the image. To get it to show on the image, is that something I need to adjust in LR preferences?
Thank you for the excellent TH-cam videos. Question: In case you have a picture, and you're at home working on it, and you can't decide in which way to work with it. Mystically, romantically or like the motive of a postcard? What are you doing then? Going all the ways to different results? Thank you.
I use curves and dehase a little bit
Hmmm....now lightroom has 'layers'. Well done Sir. Well done.
Great instructional video. Can't wait to try it out. Is it just me or did anyone else see the land mass as a T-Rex?
Awesome video Mark, thanks. Do you have any idea why photos from Lightroom donât open in the latest version of photoshop? Regards.
Hmmm I havenât had any issue with that
That opening photo with the beach looks like a roaring mountain lion!
Lightroomâs Best Kept Editing Secret! Is it a trick or a secret or both? Either way, it is no longer a secret, but is a good technique to play with saturation and contrast.