The Basics

Lightroom helps you do lots of sorting, keywording, and sophisticated RAW processing. But you can do a lot more with it: Built into version 2.0 are tools and tricks that go beyond what you can usually do with RAW images. Learn the ropes, and you’ll find yourself clicking “Edit in Photoshop” less and less often.

Here are a few of our favorite techniques, all of which can be found within the Develop module:

The Adjustment Brush

When you want to tweak an irregular area of your image, try the Adjustment Brush. With it, you can paint in changes wherever you want them.

Tip: Most of the time, you’ll want to check the box to turn on Auto Mask – that will ensure that no matter how messy your brushstrokes, Lightroom will make its best attempt at helping you color within the edges it finds.

Step 1: Choose the Adjustment Brush tool; it’s just to the right of the Graduated Filter.

Step 2: This photo has good exposure in the puddle, but the sidewalk around it is way too bright. First, get a brush that’s the right size. The inner circle of the tool represents the brush’s primary diameter, the outer circle, the feather. Take a guess at the settings you’ll want – we’ll adjust them later. For now, just make them different enough from the original that you’ll see where you’re painting.

Step 3: Now start painting in the areas you want darker. The Auto Mask will keep the puddle from changing as you adjust the sidewalk.

Step 4: To check the mask you made, type the letter O on your keyboard. If there are spots the program got that you don’t want to affect, click on the word Erase in the Brush menu. Then paint out the areas where you won’t be needing a mask.

Step 5: If you want to add a second mask, click the word New. Then use the Effect pull down menu to chose what you want to do. To add a little more pop to the red sign, choose Saturation.

Step 6: This time, choose a smaller brush, and paint the sign to mask it. Then adjust your settings; a little boost of contrast and clarity make a big difference here. Notice how now you see two dots floating on your picture. The one with the black center is the one you’re working on. The gray one represents the one you did first. You can always click on a dot to re-edit or delete its mask. When you’re finished, just click on the word Close to hide the dots and get back to the usual Lightroom interface.

Finished Product:

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