Today I’ll tell you a bit about how you can raise the level of your photos with local adjustments in Lightroom, very efficient way to use only Adobe Lightroom to create fantastic editing, without needing another app, or plugins.
Raise the level with LOCAL ADJUSTMENTS in Lightroom
Using local Adjustment in Lightroom you’ll have more control over how you edit your photos.
Not just simple things like a gradient filter but also getting to more complex things like skin treatment, cleaning unwanted objects or cloning wanted ones.
Almost all local adjustments tools in Lightroom have options that are very similar to the Basic Panel controls.
Only one of the Lightroom local adjustments has never been useful to me, but that does not mean you can not make good use of it.
All Lightroom local adjustments work with masking systems, which means you don’t have to worry about damaging your photos.
With a masking system, you can easily change any aspect of the adjustment if you don’t like the result.
Let’s dissect each of the local settings.
Spot Healing and Clone Stamp
In the Local Adjustment Tools section in Lightroom, the Spot Healing / Clone stamp is the second of them, next to the Crop tool.
Very useful when you need to remove dirt and stains, pimples or even some dirt present on the sensor of your camera.
I consider this tool indispensable in day by day use because with this you can manage to achieve an image with much better.
It has very simple features, just the brush, opacity, and the soften, feather control.
The use of this local adjustment tool is very simple, choose the tool, click on what you want to disappear, and that’s it.
You can even choose where to pick a sample to correct the desired region.
With the clone stamp tool, it works exactly the same way.
Particularly I prefer to use Photoshop in situations where I have a lot this kind corrections to do, it is faster and more precise.
In the lower bar of the photo, when the healing tool is active there is a very interesting resource.
When this feature is activated it improves your view of dirt spots, very useful when you know you have a dirty sensor.
Your image will look like this and the very bright spots can possibly be dirt spots and need to be cleaned!
Gradient Filter
Maybe this is the most used tool in Lightroom because its features are great.
It has all the features at the basic editing Panel of Lightroom, such as temperature, contrast exposure and more.
With this tool, you can manipulate the lighting of the photo in a very nice way.
As soon as you use the gradient tool you will have a more or less equal view of the photo above.
The areas in red, following the diagonal lines, are the areas that will be affected by the filter.
In this area, you can manipulate any aspect of editing using the filter controls. Exposures, contrast and all sort of controls.
If you don’t want the gradient to affect a certain region of the photo where it is applied, simply use the eraser available in the settings and erase the desired areas.
To do this, simply click the brush and then the eraser.
Note that the face of the model is now not affected by the gradient filter, so I can work with my local adjustment in Lightroom much more accurately.
Radial Filter
Much like the gradient filter, the radial filter works the same way and with the same options.
The biggest difference is that instead of using a straight gradient, it works radially or oval.
Extremely handy tool when you want to change a light source or add one.
Being able to work with adjustment both internal, inside the circle, and external, outside the circle the manipulation options are huge with this tool.
With the radial filter it is possible to use the eraser to further adjust the adjustment action, only you need is use the same procedure as the Gradient Filter.
Brush
Don’t underestimate the value of a good brush, and the Lightroom brush is your Swiss Army Knife.
The Lightroom brush, like all other local adjustments, works with masks, so don’t worry, if you don’t like the result just delete and start over.
Both the brush and other local adjustments can be used as many times as you want. Just like if you were working with Photoshop layers.
Besides allowing you much more control over the area that will be changed, the brush also allows you to work in a more artistic way.
The features present are the same as the previous two filters, including the eraser.
Red-eye reduction
To be honest, I never had to use this tool, but the procedure is very simple.
If you have a photo, be it animal or people, have that strange reflection in the eye, just click here to select the area that will be affected, and Lightroom takes care of the rest.
Very simple and easy.
Recapping
Local adjustments in Lightroom:
Spot Healing / Clone – remove stains and dirt
Gradient Filter – Change lighting, texture, the color of an area. Linear shape
Radial Gradient – Change lighting, texture, the color of an area. Circular shape
Brush – Change lighting, texture, the color of an area. Circular shape, much more control
Red eye removal – the name itself tells you what it does.
And these are the local adjustments in Lightroom, now and sit there and by practice. I guarantee your photos will look great after using these tools.
Don’t forget to see all this in action in the video below.
