TECHNIQUES
Improve image quality
Sharpen your shots and reduce noise the smart way
3
Sharpen
shots
Go to the
Detail tab in
the Develop
module
and use the Sharpening Amount slider to
increase the sharpness. A value of 50 usually
works well, but you can push this higher
if your picture is soft. The Radius slider
determines how wide the edge is.4
Clipping mask warnings When
tweaking the Exposure, Highlights,
Shadows, Whites and Blacks sliders it’s
worth holding down the Alt key as you drag
each slider, as this will give you a clipping
warning. You’ll see warnings when dark or
bright tones are about to clip and lose detail.4
Sharpen
mask
When
adjusting the
Sharpening
Amount slider
a top tip is to hold down the Alt key as you
do so. This will provide you with a black and
white sharpening mask overlay. Any areas
that are white will be sharpened, while any
black areas won’t be sharpened.5
Increase contrast The Contrast
slider found in the Basic panel is pretty
basic, so for more control you can go to
Tone Curve and adjust the Highlights, Lights,
Darks and Shadows sliders. This way you can
fine-tune the contrast of these specific areas
more easily.5
Reduce
noise In
the Detail
panel you
can fine-tune
the noise
reduction. Here you can reduce luminance
noise, which is where the noise appears as
brighter or darker specks around the frame,
or chrominance noise via the Color slider,
to reduce noise that has a clear colour tint,
such as red, blue or green specks.6
Boost details Staying within the
Basic panel, you can use the Clarity
slider to increase the microcontrast and
give your shots a bit of punch, or use the
Dehaze slider to cut through fog or haze
and make the details in your image stand
out more.6
Improve
colours
Take total
control of the
colours in
your image
by heading to the HSL panel. HSL stands
for hue, which lets you change the colours,
saturation, which lets you boost or subdue
specific colours, and luminance, which
enables you to tweak the brightness of the
colour channels.1
Correct
lens
distortions
One of the
easiest ways
to improve
the image quality of your images is to go to
the Lens Corrections panel and tick Enable
Profile Corrections. Lightroom will then
automatically select your lens profile from its
database and correct defects like vignetting
and barrel distortion.2
Remove
chromatic
aberration
Staying in
the Lens
Corrections
panel, you can click on the drop-down list
and choose your lens manually if it isn’t
chosen automatically. If you see an unsightly
purple or green fringe around edges of
high contrast you can then click Remove
Chromatic Aberration.capture, which is a very tricky task to do with
JPEG files.
It is worth noting here that the core tools,
features and functions that you will find in the
Lightroom Classic CC’s Develop module can
also be found in Photoshop’s Adobe Camera
Raw (ACR), so if you want to edit a RAW image
quickly you can also bring it into Photoshop
and have similar functionality. However,
Lightroom comes into its own because it has
a brilliant system to organise and sort your
pictures too.
So without further ado, here’s how you can
use the Develop module in Lightroom to do a
basic RAW conversion.THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO LIGHTROOM
Improveimagequality
Sharpenyourshotsandreducenoisethesmartway
3
Sharpen
shots
Gotothe
Detailtabin
theDevelop
module
andusetheSharpeningAmountsliderto
increasethesharpness.A valueof 50 usually
workswell,butyoucanpushthishigher
if yourpictureissoft.TheRadiusslider
determineshowwidetheedgeis.4
ClippingmaskwarningsWhen
tweakingtheExposure,Highlights,
Shadows,WhitesandBlacksslidersit’s
worthholdingdowntheAltkeyasyoudrag
eachslider,asthiswillgiveyoua clipping
warning.You’llseewarningswhendarkor
brighttonesareabouttoclipandlosedetail.4
Sharpen
mask
When
adjustingthe
Sharpening
Amountslider
a toptipistoholddowntheAltkeyasyou
doso.Thiswillprovideyouwitha blackand
whitesharpeningmaskoverlay.Anyareas
thatarewhitewillbesharpened,whileany
blackareaswon’tbesharpened.5
IncreasecontrastTheContrast
sliderfoundintheBasicpanelispretty
basic,soformorecontrolyoucangoto
ToneCurveandadjusttheHighlights,Lights,
DarksandShadowssliders.Thiswayyoucan
fine-tunethecontrastofthesespecificareas
moreeasily.5
Reduce
noiseIn
theDetail
panelyou
canfine-tune
thenoise
reduction.Hereyoucanreduceluminance
noise,whichiswherethenoiseappearsas
brighterordarkerspecksaroundtheframe,
orchrominancenoiseviatheColorslider,
toreducenoisethathasa clearcolourtint,
suchasred,blueorgreenspecks.6
BoostdetailsStayingwithinthe
Basicpanel,youcanusetheClarity
slidertoincreasethemicrocontrastand
giveyourshotsa bitofpunch,orusethe
Dehazeslidertocutthroughfogorhaze
andmakethedetailsinyourimagestand
outmore.6
Improve
colours
Taketotal
controlofthe
coloursin
yourimage
byheadingtotheHSLpanel.HSLstands
forhue,whichletsyouchangethecolours,
saturation,whichletsyouboostorsubdue
specificcolours,andluminance,which
enablesyoutotweakthebrightnessofthe
colourchannels.1
Correct
lens
distortions
Oneofthe
easiestways
toimprove
theimagequalityofyourimagesistogoto
theLensCorrectionspanelandtickEnable
ProfileCorrections.Lightroomwillthen
automaticallyselectyourlensprofilefromits
databaseandcorrectdefectslikevignetting
andbarreldistortion.2
Remove
chromatic
aberration
Stayingin
theLens
Corrections
panel,youcanclickonthedrop-downlist
andchooseyourlensmanuallyif it isn’t
chosenautomatically.If youseeanunsightly
purpleorgreenfringearoundedgesof
highcontrastyoucanthenclickRemove
ChromaticAberration.capture,whichisa verytrickytasktodowith
JPEGfiles.
It isworthnotingherethatthecoretools,
featuresandfunctionsthatyouwillfindinthe
LightroomClassicCC’sDevelopmodulecan
alsobefoundinPhotoshop’sAdobeCamera
Raw(ACR),soif youwanttoedita RAWimage
quicklyyoucanalsobringit intoPhotoshop
andhavesimilarfunctionality.However,
Lightroomcomesintoitsownbecauseit has
a brilliantsystemtoorganiseandsortyour
picturestoo.
Sowithoutfurtherado,here’showyoucan
usetheDevelopmoduleinLightroomtodoa
basicRAWconversion.
THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO LIGHTROOM