Editing Images in Lightroom CC

achieving maximum image quality when using a mobile device

by Mark Galer Ambassador

Contents
The CC Advantage Effects
Making Photographs Selective Edits
Expressive Editing Healing Brush
Edit Detail
Gesture Shortcuts Optics
Profiles Geometry
Color: White Balance Black & White
Color: Vibrance & Saturation Toning
Color: HSL Share
Light Editing in other Apps
Crop & Rotate CC Gestures, Shortcuts & Icons
MARK GALER is a photographer, educator and
published author (30 books for Focal Press). He
has a commercial background in editorial
photography and was also a Digital Imaging
Ambassador for Adobe for a period of 14 years.
He was a Program Director and Senior Lecturer
in Photography at RMIT University in Melbourne
and has circumnavigated the globe on a
motorcycle.

Mark is using his wealth of experience as both a

photographer and educator to support the
Photographic Community and was appointed a
Sony Digital imaging Ambassador in 2012.

Mark owned the original Alpha 100 and

currently owns an extensive range of Sony
mirrorless cameras.

Mark Galer
Sony Digital Imaging Ambassador

4-Minute Profile Movie

 The CC Advantage

Originals & ‘Smart Previews’

A Smart Preview is a low-resolution version of the original file that can be used for
editing when the original is either offline or not downloaded to the mobile device.
Membership Advantage

Lightroom CC (Creative Cloud)

Protecting Data Traffic & Storage Limits

OFF

Disable Cloud Activity

when using Cellular Data
Lightroom CC
 Add Photos JPEG or Raw Images

SD Card Reader
Fast Editing & Sharing On The Move

Leave the Laptop at Home

Add photos via Lightroom CC (desktop)
Add files to your Lightroom CC Library at home (on your desktop
computer) to edit while travelling on your mobile device. Remember
to Sync your mobile device using Wi-Fi before leaving home.
 Making
Photographs
 Cameras do not see what we see

& cannot record what we feel

Cameras are merely mechanical

devices without a soul

Cameras can collect information, but

their images do not communicate our
memories & feelings without being edited
 The unprocessed image file is the
equivalent to the composer’s score, while
editing the image is the performance

adapted from a quote by Ansel Adams, talking about the value of the dark/lightroom
 Editing images in Lightroom allows us

to express our vision and tell our story

SOOC (straight-out-of-camera) = No Personal Response

 SOOC

At my local pier at sunset, my

camera recorded this image...
 Edited

...but this is what I remember seeing &

wanted to communicate about this scene
 SOOC

In scenes with extreme subject contrast the

cameras are least likely to record the ‘truth’ of
what we see and feel about the scene
 Edited
Image ‘Manipulation’ or ‘Optimisation’?

…Lightroom can restore the colour &

tonality that we remembered seeing
 SOOC

Sometimes the before and after can be subtle

 Edited

…but the editing is vital in order to tell your story

Camera lenses can distort reality
Lightroom can restore the human perspective
 Expressive
Editing
Learning how to say what you want to say?

Back to Contents Page

 SOOC

Some photographers like to share images that they label as being

‘straight out of camera’ (SOOC), as if editing an image using post
production software is cheating. Cameras, however, often don’t
reflect what we see or feel about a scene, so editing is essential to
communicate the photographer’s personal vision.

Who is to say if this is ‘correct’ (SOOC)

…or this
…or this
…or this
SOOC

Sometimes reality needs to be altered...

Edited

...in order to find a unique voice.

Edit

Back to Contents Page

Some ‘self-appointed’ 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

Start with fixing what annoys you the most

and finish with what annoys you the least

Back to Contents Page

Start to Edit
Open Panel
 View Options
Show Histogram

You can cycle between viewing the histogram, capture

settings and file info by tapping the screen with two fingers
Making adjustments with the Edit panel open

Select Auto or manually adjust sliders to taste. You can

zero any slider by double-tapping the button on the slider.
 Two finger adjustments

Pinch zoom to magnify image and then make

adjustments - the panels will auto-collapse
 Two finger adjustments
Clipping

Blacks Slider
(show clipping)

Areas in black indicate a loss of information in the shadows

 Cloud Status

Low Quality Preview?

Check you are working with the original image rather
than just a ‘Smart Preview’ (the original high quality
file may be in Adobe’s Cloud and not on your device).

Banding

There is an option to store all the images in

an Album Locally (on your device). You may
need to clear storage space if you want to
store lots of your Raw files locally.
 Share

Export as… Largest Available Dimensions

Even if you edit using only a Smart Preview the original file will still
be downloaded when exporting a high-resolution image.
Profiles & Presets

Back to Contents Page

Choose a Profile as a starting point to the edit

Touch to select and star to add as a Favourite

 Camera Matching

Profile

You may be able to match one of the colour options from your camera
 Profile

Decrease or Increase Filter Effect

Add functionality via Lightroom CC
(desktop version)

Import Profiles & Presets

 x-rite Color Passport

Camera Profiles
A custom ‘dual illuminant profile’ can be added to
Lightroom CC’s profiles and can be used instead of Adobe
Color as the starting point to editing your images.

Mac OS location of profiles: User/Library/Application Support/Adobe/CameraRaw/CameraProfiles

 Presets

One-Click Editing
Create Preset

Note > Only include settings that create ‘the look’ &
don’t include settings that were specific to editing this
image, e.g., Exposure, White Balance , etc.
Apply the preset to one or more images by tapping the Preset
Preset Downloads
www.markgaler.com
Light

Back to Contents Page

Scene with Dominant Dark Tones
Potential for overexposure in-camera

Over exposure
The camera doesn’t know it
needs to keep some dark
tones dark, in order to protect
the few highlight tones

Negative Exposure
Compensation
Live Histogram

Monitor your Histogram

 Live Histogram

These overexposed tones may not

be able to be recovered in Post
Production editing. These tones are
referred to as being ‘Clipped’.
Exposure Review
Check your exposure if you are in doubt about your
exposure. Remember it is not how bright or dark
the image appears on the monitor, but whether the
highlights and shadows have been captured.
 Absolute Black

Absolute White
The GOAL of… Exposure Compensation
get Everything (highlights & shadows) between the goal posts
 Shadows Midtones Highlights
(Exposure)

Whites
Blacks

Histogram Guide

Under exposure Over exposure

Histograms can offer useful information about under or

overexposure & contrast, but mostly you are only concerned
with ‘clipping’ (over or underexposure).
Expose for the Highlights
Process for the
Shadows
It is OK to let the ‘specular highlights’ clip

Use two finger slide to check clipping

It is OK to let ‘voids’ (empty spaces)
clip to absolute black
There is nothing in this
image that needs to be
set to absolute white,
so setting the white unnatural
point automatically will highlights
render the skin tones
too bright as Lightroom
must set the brightest
tone in the image to
white when using an
Auto adjustment.

Excessively Adjusted Highlights using ‘Auto’

 natural
highlights

Manually Adjusted Whites

 Tone Curves?
NOTE > Tone
Curves are now Highlights Lowered

‘old-school’ linear
editing tools that
have been X
replaced (in performance)Unnatural Midtones
Shadows Raised

There is no option to use Luminosity Masks with

Curves in Lightroom so it is possible to compromise
NOTE tonal>transitions
Tone Curves are Curves.
when using now ‘old-school’
linear editing tools that have been replaced
(in performance) by the vastly superior non-
linear Tone editing sliders in the Basic panel.
 Highlights/Shadows
NOTE > Tone
Curves are now
‘old-school’ linear
editing tools that
have been X
replaced (in performance)
There is no option to use Luminosity Masks with
Curves in Lightroom so it is possible to compromise
tonal transitions when using Curves.

Superior outcome using the Highlights & Shadows

Adjustment Sliders
 Where to start?

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 allow us to make appropriate choices
about Exposure & White Balance.

Note > Be bold with your adjustments if

you want to quickly see the details in
darkest shadows and brightest highlights
Final Edit
Don’t pass over images when reviewing them in post
without seeing what lies hidden in the shadows
Let there be (more) light
Let there be (more) light
Expose for the Highlights
Note > Raw files will often appear darker in
Lightroom compared to the camera preview
Process for the Shadows
Expose for the Highlights
Process for the Shadows
Expose for the Highlights
Process for the Shadows
Expose for the Highlights
Process for the Shadows
Expose for the Highlights
Process for the Shadows

Negative Shadows Adjustment

(to hide details you don’t want people to see)
Negative Shadows Adjustment
(to hide details you don’t want people to see)
 You can’t permanently damage a file

…but beware of ‘haloes’ sometimes created by

a combination of big adjustments to Clarity,
Shadows & Highlights
Color
White Balance

Back to Contents Page

 White Balance Selector

Useful if you have included a white

balance reference in your image
 WB
Auto White Balance
is most commonly used
by photographers but it
is about as accurate as
Auto Exposure

Auto White Balance in Camera (‘As Shot’)

 – 600° K

Complementary colours achieved by lowering

the colour temperature by – 600° K
Selecting Auto from the WB
menu is likely to select a
colour temperature and tint
that is very similar to the
camera’a choice (As Shot’)

WB: ‘Auto’ similar to ‘As Shot’

 – 700° K

Complementary colours achieved by

lowering the colour temperature by – 700° K
As Shot
 Raised Tint

Complementary colours achieved

by raising the Tint 16 higher than the Auto setting
As Shot
 – 2,600° K

Complementary colours achieved by

lowering the colour temperature by – 2,600° K
 Auto White Balance

Cameras often struggle to set an accurate white balance

…especially when the scene is not ‘average’
 + 300° K

In this image colour correction is used to

convey a sense of energy
 – 2,000° K
Sea of Tranquillity

Edit to express mood

as well as editing to
achieve colour
accuracy. Never
assume the camera will
automatically figure out
the most appropriate
white balance to
achieve how you felt
about the scene you
were capturing.

Using colour to invoke mood

rather than represent reality
 Color
Vibrance & Saturation

Back to Contents Page

 Saturation

Saturation: Controls the saturation of all colours

equally. This can cause unnatural skin tones or lead to
a loss of detail in colours that are already saturated.
 Vibrance

Vibrance: Changes the saturation of colours using

more sophisticated algorithms to protect skin tones
and colours that are already saturated.
Lowering the Vibrance will fully desaturate colours
with low saturation and leave saturated colours with
some colour.
Lowering the Saturation will fully desaturate all
colours. This is not, however, recommended for
creating Monochrome or Black & White photos.
It is possible to use a combination of both sliders to
create interesting effects.
Full Colour
 Limited Colour

Negative Vibrance & Positive Saturation

to Reduce the Colour Palette
 Color
HSL
Hue, Saturation & Luminance

Back to Contents Page

 Color Mix

Hue

Sometimes a colour can be a distraction

 Colour can be selectively modified

Note > Photojournalists can remove all colour (convert

to black & white) but are prohibited from selectively
modifying colour
Colour can be selectively modified
Colour can be selectively modified
 Target
Adjustment

Adjust Multiple Colours at the same

time using the targeted adjustment
Colour can be
tool - touch andselectively
drag on themodified
image
Colour can be selectively modified
- even in Black & White
 Luminance

Colours can be selectively modified

to darken or lighten tone
Are you looking at the gorilla
or the green grass?
Who is looking at the green grass now?
Crop & Rotate

Back to Contents Page

Auto Straighten

Auto Straighten
Crop & Rotate
Aspect Ratio

Auto Straighten
Crop & Rotate
Aspect Ratio
Aspect Ratio

Auto Straighten
 Crop &
AspectRotate
Ratio
Rotate Crop Aspect

Auto Straighten

Reset Crop
or double-tap inside
crop marquee
 Custom Crop
Remove visual distractions

Stop the eye wandering, to inspect detail that does not

contribute to your communication. Remove it from view.
 Remove visual distractions

Crop to remove visual distractions

 Visual distractions

Crop to remove visual distractions

 Crop to get closer

This may be necessary when you reach the

minimum focussing distance of your lens or you
need to increase the depth of field slightly.
Rule of Thirds

Crop to create a classic balance

Touch and hold the image to view ‘Rule of Thirds’ Overlay
 Rule of Thirds
Tap the image to view the image full screen - Touch for the Rule of Thirds Overlay
Rule of Thirds
Rule of Thirds
Crop to Create
Symmetry
Central vanishing point
ASPECT 16 x 9 Aspect Ratio (Shape)

Crop to Set a Specific Shape

 Full Screen (TV)

Export as Ultra HD 4K (3840 x 2160 px) - 8.3 Megapixels

4K from 42.4 Megapixels
4K TV Display
How Much is Enough?
2048 px (longest edge)
1080 px (wide)

3840 x 2160 px

or 1920 x 1080 (Full HD)

2048, 2224 or 2732 px on longest dimension

Back to Contents Page

Effects

Back to Contents Page

 Vignette

A lot of photographers add a vignette

to a lot of their images
 Vignette

If the vignette is obvious you have overcooked it

…this is especially obvious in Grid view
 Clarity
Clarity adds localised
contrast around the
edges of your subject

Before After
Be careful not to ‘overcook’ you image with
excessive amounts of Clarity
 Texture

Decrease Texture
Global Edit

Localised Edit

Decrease Texture
Before Dehaze
 After Dehaze
Dehaze

Global Edit

Follow up with adjustments from the Light &

Color panels (Contrast & WB , etc.)
 Grain

Simulate film grain

Selective Edits

Back to Contents Page

 Size of Brush
Feather
Flow
Adjustment
Brush

Paint an adjustment, or combination of

adjustments directly onto an area of your image.
Touch and then drag up or down on one of the
three options in the tool panel to change the setting
 Adjust Brush Size

Size of Brush

Reference
 Feather

Feather

Reference

Top Tip: Keep the ‘Feather’ value low most of the time
 Flow

Flow

Reference

Top Tip: Set the ‘Flow’ value lower to build up the

adjustment with multiple strokes of your finger or stylus
 Adjustment Brush

Overlay
Colour Selective Edit
Shift + O
for the ‘Princess Fiona’
workflow
BEFORE
 Radial Gradient

Add fill-light to your subject to draw

attention to the focal point of your image
 Erase adjustment from the background

Tap the pin to view the areas of the

adjustment that need to be erased
Radial Gradient

Selective Edit
Don’t let overly bright highlights
detract from your main subject
 Linear Gradients

Touch & Drag

End of Adjustment

Don’t let overly bright highlights

detract from your main subject
 Linear Gradients
Full Adjustment

End of Adjustment

Tap pin to see adjustment overlay

Add Multiple Linear Gradients to Build Effect

3 x Graduated Filters
 Linear Gradients

Graduated Filters that lower the exposure

are the most common
Add Multiple Adjustments to a Single Gradient

Graduated White Balance

Creating a composition of complementary colours
 Linear Gradients

Graduated White Balance

…don’t edit by numbers, edit by feel
 Lightroom CC (desktop version)
Lightroom CC on the desktop
offers an Auto Mask option
(currently unavailable on the
mobile version) that helps
you work close to an edge
Healing Brush

Back to Contents Page

 Spot Removal

Pinch Zoom to
locate the spots.
Use Heal & Zero
Feather as your
default options.
Adjust the source
area if necessary

Any ‘Dust Spots’ on your sensor will appear when you are using
the smaller apertures on your camera such as f/11 or f/16
Spot Removal

The Spot
Removal Tool
can also be used
to remove small
distracting
elements within
your photo
 Touch and drag to
remove a line
rather than a spot

Spot Removal …click and drag to remove a line

Detail

Back to Contents Page

 Sharpening

Sharpening can be raised higher than the default setting of 40.

To avoid sharpening the noise the Masking slider should be raised
higher to suppress the noise in the areas of smoother tone.
Masking the
sharpening process
will prevent noise &
image artefacts from
being ‘enhanced’ or
exaggerated

Note > Holding down the

Option/Alt key allows you to
see where the sharpening will
be applied.

Use two fingers when sliding the Masking

slider to see where sharpening is occurring
ISO 5,000

Maximising High ISO Performance

Use a elliptical graduated filter to reduce noise
only in the areas surrounding your subject
Tap the pin to make sure the effect is being
applied around your subject. Invert the effect if
necessary using the icon in the tool panel
 Local Noise Reduction
Subtract

Protect the in-focus detail, Red Mask indicates

where local Noise Reduction has been applied
ISO 8000

Unprocessed Raw file

Avoid underexposure
ISO 8000
ISO 8000
ISO 8000

Processed
Raw file
Apply Noise Reduction
primarily to the out-of-
focus areas and mask
any sharpening
ISO 12800

ISO 12,800
Optics

Back to Contents Page

 Barrel
Distortion
Distortions
Corrected
Converging Verticals Corrected
Upright: Auto
Converging Verticals Corrected Manually
Chromatic Aberration
Chromatic Aberration
 Defringe

Lightroom CC (desktop version)

Geometry

Back to Contents Page

 Keystoning

To correct the converging verticals

introduced by ultra wide-angle lenses
Upright: Auto
 Keystoning

I recommend fine-tuning the crop

after using Upright Auto
 Guided Transform

Converging Verticals
Touch and drag up to four verticals & horizontals
Tap the image to magnify your view
 Guided Transform

I recommend fine-tuning the crop after

using Guided Transform
Black & White
Back to Contents Page
 Q) Why convert to Black & White?

Flat midday lighting with uninspiring colours

A) When colour is a distraction to
the drama of light
Colours can detract from the hero element
…the light & shade
Problem Solved
Problematic Mixed lighting
Fluorescent lighting & daylight
Problem Solved
To convey a narrative with a historical element
Problem Solved
The ‘Hypocenter’ of the Atomic bomb explosion in Hiroshima
 B&W conversions should be more
that just a single click of a preset

Don’t let overly bright highlights detract

from your main subject
It is a story told using light & shade
Treatment
Gray Mix
Graduated Filters
 Dodge & Burn

Light will draw the attention of the viewer

to the focal point of your image
 Dodge & Burn

Erase the adjustment where necessary

 Dodge & Burn

Tap the image to magnify the view while dodging & burning
Add clarity dehaze to enhance low
contrast areas of the image
Tutorial Downloads
www.markgaler.com
Mark as Favorite
Toning

Back to Contents Page

Full Colour
 Limited Colour
semi-sepia effect

Negative Vibrance reduces the colour palette

and the Temperature controls the warmth
 Effects
Split Toning B&W

Choose a Hue & Saturation value for your

highlights from the Highlights color ramp
 Split Toning B&W

Choose a Hue & Saturation value for your

shadows from the Shadows color ramp
 Split Toning B&W

Adjust the balance slider to create the

perfect transition between the colours
 Split Toning Colour

Forced complementary colours

Split Toning Colour
Split Toning Colour
Share

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Share to Social Media

Only 960 pixels!

 High Quality?
Export the file first
 Start Upload
from Facebook
NOT Lightroom
2048 pixels
Share via Adobe’s Creative Cloud
Export as… 4K
Editing in other Apps

Back to Contents Page

Lightroom CC (desktop): HDR Merge
Lightroom CC (desktop)
Lightroom CC (desktop): Panorama Merge
Lightroom CC (desktop)
iPad
 All eyes on the Camera

Use a layer mask to hide & reveal

 Switch on the Lights

Use a blend mode (lighten) to hide & reveal

Add a Sun Flare

Use a blend mode (screen) to hide & reveal

Add a Texture & Border
Add Smoke
 Composite

iPad
The Perfect Sky The Perfect Wave
 Create a Composite Photo
Composite
Layers

iPad
before

Compositing
before
iPad
Compositing
before

Compositing
Two layers and one layer mask

Duplicate the model

Fixed Postion Composite
Create Double Exposures
Create a Photo Illustration
 Action Downloads
Multiplicity Action www.markgaler.com
 CC Gestures,
Shortcuts & Icons

Back to Contents Page

KEY
Undo / Redo
Global Edit Panels
One-Touch Editing Presets
Crop
Tone Adjustments Healing Brush
Color Adjustments Selective Edits
Texture, Vignettes & Grain Apply From Previous Photo

Sharpness & Noise Reduction

Share / Export
Lens Corrections

Transform Options Backed Up

Syncing Paused

Rating Options Help Guide

Comments
Keywords Module Preferences
Reset Options Info
Gesture Shortcuts for Edit Module
On the Image Preview
2-Finger Tap: Toggle Info & Histogram
Tap & Hold: Show Before/After View
Single Tap: Show Image Full Screen
Pinch & Zoom: Create a Custom Magnification
Double Tap: 100% Magnification or 1:1 View

On the Adjustment Sliders

Tap Adjustment Slider: Small Incremental Adjustments
Double Tap Slider Button: Zero Adjustment
Two Finger Adjustment: Threshold View on Some Sliders

Back to Contents Page

Keyboard Shortcuts
Y: Before and After View
U: Set Flagging to Unflagged
I: Cycle Info
P: Set Flagging to Picked
G: Go to Library (Grid View)
X: Set Flagging to Rejected

0 (zero): Set Rating to Unrated

1, 2, 3, 4 & 5: Set Rating to 1 to 5 Stars

Back to Contents Page

Back to Contents Page
www.markgaler.com
 Donate
Please Donate to Support Content Creation

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Become a Patron
Due to the volume of requests I receive for
support I am unfortunately not able to
answer questions via email or Facebook
Messenger. If, however, you would like to
become a Patron you can join my monthly
Seminars, ask questions in the member-only
Q&A forums and receive feedback on your
photographs. In this way I can become your
personal photographic consultant for just a
few dollars per month.

Mark Galer

Membership

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Editing Images in Lightroom CC
achieving maximum image quality when using a mobile device

by Mark Galer Ambassador