Developing Images in Lightroom

essential skills for achieving maximum quality

Mark Galer
Cameras do not see what we see
and cannot record what we feel.

Cameras are merely mechanical

recording devices with no soul.

Mark Galer
Developing images in Lightroom allows us
to express our vision and tell our story.
In Death Valley my camera recorded this image...
...but this what I experienced
The combination of using a telephoto
lens, high levels of UV
and atmospheric dust has led to a
low contrast Raw file.

Our brains, however, make the

necessary adjustments and do not
see the scene in this way, just as we
do not have to adjust our visions
white balance setting when we move
from Tungsten to Daylight
Setting White and Black points and adding Saturation resolves the difference
Raw files contain a wealth of information (although hidden from view)...
...that can be released with a little skill
 ...restoring scenes to how we remember and felt about them -
rather than how the camera recorded them should be our primary goal.
Extreme subject contrast and the limited dynamic range of our sensors...
...can be resolved in Lighroom without the need to bracket exposures.
Adjusting Highlights, Shadows and Contrast can usually resolve the problem.
 Some Photoshop Experts
recommend a top down
approach to editing our images
in Lightroom, i.e. Start with
White Balance and Exposure
and then proceed down the list
of adjustment sliders.
Lightroom, however, is a non-linear and non-destructive
editing space where the sequence
of editing is of no importance.

If you are unsure where to start, begin with fixing the

aspects of the image that annoy you the most and finish
with those that annoy you the least.

Mark Galer
This image is neither over or underexposed, so how do we determine correct exposure or
white balance when we cannot see the detail?
Restoring highlight and shadow detail first, will then allow us to make appropriate choices
about Exposure and White balance.
When reviewing your images after a shoot, dont reject images too soon,
certainly not until you have explored the tonal possibilities.
...and remember to add Contrast and/or Clarity when recovering highlights & shadows
 In the old days (before Raw file editors and 14 Bit camera
CMOS sensors) we had to be careful not to over-adjust
our digital files, for fear of damaging or lowering the quality.

Now we can afford to be BOLD in our editing

and still retain tonal quality.

Mark Galer
 NOTE > Tone Curves are
now old-school linear editing
tools that have been
replaced by the vastly
superior non-linear Tone
sliders in the Basic panel. X
 Never be afraid of making significant adjustments using the basic sliders.
Unlike Curves the Basic sliders can be used with very aggressive adjustments.
In this image five sliders are set to 100% to extract maximum detail and texture
At first glance the histogram of this image appears to require little adjustment
...but it can be fun to explore alternative realities
Sometimes reality needs to be altered...
...to attract peoples attention.
...or render someone who is looking a little ordinary... extraordinary
...again, you could ask the question, what is there to fix?
...perhaps the sense of drama you experienced while standing in front of the scene!
...or maybe this is how you experienced this location... it is, after all, very subjective.
 Top 10 Tips
Essential Skills: Image Capture
1. Try to keep the ISO low or at its optimum setting whenever possible
2. Purchase a camera with excellent high ISO performance
2. 14 Bit Full Frame Sensor at 6,400 ISO
2. Sony full-frame sensor at 12,800 ISO
3. Try to avoid underexposure as this compromises shadow quality
...most camera files I see, however, appear to be underexposed by a stop or more
3. Avoid creating dark images in camera to create a dramatic effect
...as the best quality is achieved if they are created in post-production
4. Raise the exposure in camera (expose to the right)...
...and then lower it in post-production (better shadow quality)
5. Zoom in close (Sony SAL70400 GII @ 250mm)
6. Shoot wide and learn to use the negative space (Nikkor 24mm)
6. Shoot very wide and low to gain a sense of place (Sony SEL1018 @ 10mm)
7. Learn to move in close and find sharp focus when working with wide apertures
8. Choose your backgrounds carefully...
...or render them out of focus using a wide aperture
Note > Shooting at f/2.8 or wider at close range is difficult to achieve sharp focus
9. Always carry a camera and be mindful of your surroundings
10. Be mindful of light and shade (we sometimes forget and only see the subject)
 Top 10 Tips
Essential Skills: Post-Production

Mark Galer
1. Set both White and Black points for 99% of your images
1. Black clipping should occur if there is an absence of a surface (studio backdrop)
1. White clipping is OK if it is the light source or its reflection (specular highlight)
Flare and/or over-exposure can compromise our black point
...but this can be restored by Blacks and Contrast sliders
2. Approximately 50% of all photographers add a vignette to 50% of their images
...so explore the Highlight and Color Priority Vignetting styles in the Effects panel
3. Explore the creative potential of Graduated Filters
3. Explore the creative potential of Graduated Filters
3. Explore the creative potential of Graduated Filters
3. Explore the creative potential of Graduated Filters
3. Explore the creative potential of Graduated Filters
3. Explore the creative potential of Graduated Filters
3. Explore the creative potential of Graduated Filters
3. Explore the creative potential of Graduated Filters
4. Crop to remove surplus negative space
4. Crop to remove surplus negative space
4. Crop when your 16mm wide-angle lens is too wide
4. Crop when your 16mm wide-angle lens is too wide
4. Crop when your 400mm telephoto is too short
4. Crop when your 400mm telephoto is too short
4. Crop to place your subject off-centre
4. Crop to place your subject off-centre
4. Crop to straighten a crooked subject
4. Crop to straighten a crooked subject
5. Apply Lens Corrections to remove Chromatic Aberration (inspect the corners)
5. Youll find it in the corners of image captured with wide-angle lenses
5. It takes just a single click in the lens Corrections panel to remove it
6. Apply Lens Corrections to remove lens distortions
6. Apply Lens Corrections to remove lens distortions
7. Apply Upright or Manual corrections to remove excessive converging verticals
7. Apply Upright or Manual corrections to remove excessive converging verticals
8. Apply noise reduction when raising the luminance of shadows
8. Apply noise reduction when raising the luminance of shadows
9. Dodging & Burning (Adjustment Brush) makes a significant difference
9. Dodging & Burning (Adjustment Brush) makes a significant difference
10. Consider restricting the colour palette...
... by desaturating the colours you dont want
10. If a colour is distracting change its Hue
...and then desaturate to pull focus back to the subject
Many photographers find themselves looking for lighting or
editing recipes that will help them succeed

...but there are no rules in photography.

Mark Galer
Recommended shutter speed 1/60 second - actual shutter speed 3.2 seconds
dragging light over the surface of the sensor will eventually create white light
Lightoom can, however, restore the contrast and saturation
the 2-second hand-held exposure removed.
Auto White Balance: 4,800K
Corrected White Balance: 3,400K
Creative White Balance: 2,100K
 Top Tips
Essential Skills: Colour-Management

Mark Galer
Create a custom profile for your monitor
Create a custom profile for your printer (Imagescience.com.au)
Create a dual-illuminant custom colour profile for your camera (color passport)
Create a custom white balance in camera or use a white balance reference
Create a profile every time you shoot (when your client is very fussy)!!
 Top Tips
Essential Skills: Plug-Ins

Mark Galer
Explore Lightroom plugins such as Imagenomic for sophisticated skin smoothing
or LR/Enfuse for merging bracketed exposures
Developing Images in Lightroom
essential skills for achieving maximum quality

Mark Galer