Digital Photographer - UK (2020-01)

Learn how to

perform a basic

RAW conversion in

the Develop module

Understand the

Develop module

Once you’ve imported your shots and done

everything you want to do with your photos in

the Library module, such as adding keywords

and creating any collections you want to make,

it’s time to go into the Develop module to start

editing images to bring them to life. Click on

the Develop module heading in the top right or

press D on your keyboard to get there.

This is where you can take full advantage

of the extra data in your RAW files and adjust

exposure by over ten stops, though realistically

it’s best not to push this past two or three

stops under or over the exposure to maintain

a usable image quality. It’s also really easy to

change the white balance after the point of

Get more with RAW Perform a basic RAW conversion in Lightroom Classic CC

1

Tweak white balance While it’s

difficult to correct the white balance

for JPEG images, it’s easy to change this in

Lightroom because you have the extra RAW

data. Use the Temperature and Tint sliders

in the Basic panel or use one of the presets

from the drop-down list to change it.

2

Balance the exposure RAW files

contain much more data from the

point of capture than JPEGs, so you can

successfully move the exposure by roughly

three stops before you start to see image

degradation. This is an impossible feat for

JPEGs, as the tones are compressed.

3

Expand the dynamic range RAW

files captured by modern digital cameras

contain huge amounts of detail, but without

working them up you’ll likely have images

that are biased towards highlights or shadows.

Use Highlights, Shadows, Whites and Blacks

sliders to get more out of the dynamic range.

TECHNIQUES

Learnhowto

performa basic

RAWconversionin

theDevelopmodule

Understand the

Develop module

Onceyou’veimportedyourshotsanddone

everythingyouwanttodowithyourphotosin

theLibrarymodule,suchasaddingkeywords

andcreatinganycollectionsyouwanttomake,

it’stimetogointotheDevelopmoduletostart

editingimagestobringthemtolife.Clickon

theDevelopmoduleheadinginthetoprightor

pressDonyourkeyboardtogetthere.

Thisiswhereyoucantakefulladvantage

oftheextradatainyourRAWfilesandadjust

exposurebyovertenstops,thoughrealistically

it’sbestnottopushthispasttwoorthree

stopsunderorovertheexposuretomaintain

a usableimagequality.It’salsoreallyeasyto

changethewhitebalanceafterthepointof

Getmore withRAW Performa basicRAWconversionin LightroomClassicCC

1

TweakwhitebalanceWhileit’s

difficulttocorrectthewhitebalance

forJPEGimages,it’seasytochangethisin

LightroombecauseyouhavetheextraRAW

data.UsetheTemperatureandTintsliders

intheBasicpaneloruseoneofthepresets

fromthedrop-downlisttochangeit.

2

BalancetheexposureRAWfiles

containmuchmoredatafromthe

pointofcapturethanJPEGs,soyoucan

successfullymovetheexposurebyroughly

threestopsbeforeyoustarttoseeimage

degradation.Thisisanimpossiblefeatfor

JPEGs,asthetonesarecompressed.

3

ExpandthedynamicrangeRAW

filescapturedbymoderndigitalcameras

containhugeamountsofdetail,butwithout

workingthemupyou’lllikelyhaveimages

thatarebiasedtowardshighlightsorshadows.

UseHighlights,Shadows,WhitesandBlacks

sliderstogetmoreoutofthedynamicrange.

TECHNIQUES