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photo:lightroom_techniques

Adobe Lightroom techniques

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

editing landscapes and seascapes

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

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