photo:lightroom_techniques
Table of Contents
Adobe Lightroom techniques
see also:
-
- shoot with lighter backgrounds
- in LR, reduce saturation and raise luminance of R/O/Y (skin tones) and do the opposite with the other colors
- portraits, sharpening masking set high (eg. 89) to avoid over-sharpening skin, wrinkles
optimising your export for Facebook
- FB will create multiple versions of your image, each with a different size
- width should be a multiple of 480 pixels (eg. 960 for a portrait or perhaps 1920 pixels for a landscape image) to allow FB to resize to 480 pixels with better image quality and minimise banding (if you still get banding, consider adding a small amount of noise)
- FB's algorithms tend to lose your high frequency data - that is the fine detail, so if you don't want your image looking too blurry, ensure you middle frequency data is optimised - that is - the image details you can see without pixel peeping
- if using layers in PS then duplicate your image then flatten the layers before resizing
- currently there does not appear to be any advantage of PNG over JPG as FB will convert to JPG if your PNG is larger than 1Mb
reducing high ISO noise
- see Youtube tutorial
editing landscapes and seascapes
- avoid edge halos by using dual gradient filters with luminosity masks rather than by just reducing highlights and increasing shadows which will cause edge halos - see https://fstoppers.com/education/dont-ever-do-editing-mistake-282438
panoramic stitches
- just select the images you wish to use then right click and select Panorama
- then you get a preview and can choose which option - spherical, cylindrical or perspective
skin tones and eyes
step 0: basic adjustments first:
- over-expose skin in camera without getting blown highlights - then reduce exposure in Lightroom to suit - this gives more tonality and smoother skin with less noise
- ensure white balance is accurate
- apply lens profile correction if available for that lens
- straighten and crop image
- set overall sharpness level to exclude skin:
- masking = 90-94 or so
step 1. use heal spot removal to fix blemishes
- feather = 0
- opacity = 100
step 2: smooth skin using an adjustment brush
- avoid eyes, eyebrows, nostrils and lips
- clarity = -45
- sharpness = +43
- noise = +40
- feather = 100
- flow = 100
- density = 100
- automask = ON (so you can see where you have painted by pressing O)
- for area at top of cheeks, smile creases, etc, try a brush:
- highlights = 67
- shadows = 62
- clarity = -38
- sharpness = -33
- flow = 45
- feather = 40
step 3: set noise levels to further improve skin and whites of eyes
- luminance = 31
- detail = 50
- contrast = 0
- color = 25
- detail = 50
- smoothness = 50
step 4: adjust skin color
correct fake tan, etc
- using the HSL method:
- zoom in on the subject's face
- go to HSL section, click on HSL
- for each of hue, saturation and luminance, sequentially adjust each by dragging the marker onto the skin and adjusting up or down as needed
- using the RGB curve method 1):
- go to the Tone Curve and click on the small curve icon and this will allow you then to select channel
- select channel red
- drag the marker to subject's skin and read off the value eg 74%
- repeat using the same bit of skin for each channel
- calculate an adjustment value = (red - blue)/2
- set the red channel on that skin to equal the green value + the adjustment value by holding down the shift key as you change it
- set the blue channel on that skin to equal the green value - the adjustment value by holding down the shift key as you change it
- fine tune green channel to taste
optionally convert to B&W
- overall image B&W settings:
- most images in B&W need areas of high contrast with areas of blacks and areas of whites
- try using:
- contrast = +30
- highlights = -15
- shadows = + 45
- blacks = -50
- clarity = +35
- then click on B&W tab and adjust the color sliders to suit the image
- drag control to skin and adjust to brighten skin as needed
- then review settings to adjust for skin:
- tone curve: for example, lights = +8, darks = -4
- basic: whites = +45, blacks = -18
- consider adding some split toning to gently colorize the image
- eg. copper hue:
- highlights:
- hue = 24
- saturation = 3
- balance = +40
- shadows:
- hue = 14
- saturation = 7
step 5: adjust eyes
- via using the radial filter: Orwig's Youtube tutorial
- pupil adjustment brush settings:
- exposure = -4
- contrast = -100
- highlights = -100
- shadows = -100
- clarity = 40
- saturation = -100
- iris adjustment brush settings:
- exposure = 0.35
- contrast = 0
- highlights = 0 to 10
- shadows = 0 to 17
- clarity = 10 - 40
- saturation = 40
- sharpness = 0 to 18
- automask = ON
- catchlights adjustment brush settings:
- exposure = 0.35
- contrast = 0
- highlights = 0
- shadows = 0
- clarity = -8
- saturation = 24
- automask = ON
- whites of eyes adjustment brush settings:
- exposure = 0.14
- contrast = 0
- highlights = 0
- shadows = 0
- clarity = 0
- saturation = -47
- automask = ON
step 6 adjust lips
- contrast = 0
- highlights = 70
- shadows = 0
- clarity = 35
- sharpness = 30
- automask = ON
- flow = 45
- feather = 40
A great tutorial for Lightroom 5 users:
Fixing skin tones in Lightroom using only 3 clicks:
photo/lightroom_techniques.txt · Last modified: 2019/12/25 16:54 by gary1