To quickly set a slider to a specific value double-click on the slider’s numerical
value and type a new amount into the box.Step-by-step Make selective tonal adjustments
1
Smart HDR
We shot our image on an iPhone 11 Pro.
Due to the high contrast lighting it automatically
switched to using the Smart HDR mode to try
and get detail in the shadows and highlights.2
Import photo
Go to File>Import. Browse to our Backlit_
start.jpg file. Click ‘Review for Import’. Double-
click on the imported thumbnail to enlarge it.
Click the ‘Edit’ button to access Photo’s tools.3
Adjust Brilliance
Go to the Light section and drag Brilliance
to 1.00. This tool lightens the shadows, reveals
midtone detail and gently pulls down bright
highlights. It also increases vibrance.4
Lighten the shadows
Drag the Shadows slider right to 1.00.
This selectively lightens the backlit shadows
even more to reveal more detail on the backlit
subject. The highlights remain untouched.7
Tweak settings
Tap the M key to toggle between a before
and after version of the shot. To help restore a
little more highlight detail in the dog’s feathered
legs drop Brilliance to 0.75.5
Darken the highlights
The thinner fur around the dog’s legs is
a little over-exposed. To reveal more detail in
these areas drag the Highlights slider left to
-0.65. This selectively darkens the highlights.8
Examine noise
Use the zoom slider to magnify the shot.
Drag the Hand tool to see the dog’s face. We
can see spots of picture noise that have been
revealed when we lightened the shadows.6
Selective Colour
Open Selective Colour. Click on the light
blue swatch. Drag Luminance left to -70. Boost
saturation to 30. Do the same for the other blue
swatch. This gives the sky more impact.9
Reduce noise
Open Noise Reduction. Drag the Amount
slider right. The challenge is to balance
preserving detail and smoothing the noise. An
Amount of 1.60 is a good compromise.