Levels in Lightroom?

[lolage]

Hey, I'm currently getting to grips with Lightroom and really like it. I understand if I want to do editing such as cloning etc its best to go to photoshop.

But - I'm finding I'll go to photoshop for each of my images just to do an adjustment layer on levels. Once I mess with those and fix the histogram it really makes my images look 10x better. Is there something similar within lightroom?

Thanks, Ben.

 

[itsdavedotnet]

oh yes... prepare to never go into photoshop again.

top right hand corner of lightroom, hit the word 'develop'

 

[lolage]

oh yes... prepare to never go into photoshop again.

top right hand corner of lightroom, hit the word 'develop'

Hmm, don't wanna sound stupid but I already use that develop tab but can't find an alternative to what I can do in PS with the levels.

Heres a screenshot of what I mean:

 

[specialman]

You can do adjustment layers (plus burning/dodging etc) in the develop tab:



It just stacks layers as PS would, although PS is probably a much better option for real intensive layer/masking work. I still revert to PS for this (and cloning/brushwork) but LR does most things really well

 

[awp]

You can adjust levels and do cloning in LR. Hit F1 for lots of help.

 

[Tobers]

Go into Develop. You want the Tone Curve facility to fine control. Its on the right side of the screen and it allows you to adjust the shadows, darks, lights and highlights, and move around the boundaries of the same.

You can just click on the diagonal line to tweak up and down and add more points, or use the sliders.

 

[swanseamale47]

You can do adjustment layers (plus burning/dodging etc) in the develop tab:



It just stacks layers as PS would, although PS is probably a much better option for real intensive layer/masking work. I still revert to PS for this (and cloning/brushwork) but LR does most things really well

I'm courious as to how you have layers in Lightroom?, it doesn't support them, you can open images as layer in photoshop but not in lightroom.

 

[onform]

I'm courious as to how you have layers in Lightroom?, it doesn't support them, you can open images as layer in photoshop but not in lightroom.

It doesn't in the same sense, you don't have a pallet showing you all the individual layers and you can't move the layers up or down, but each adjustment you make is essentially a new layer it's just not visible if that makes sense?? You can come back to an adjustment you made earlier and re adjust it or even erase it.

For what its worth I have not used PS since getting LR3.. If only the clone tool worked the same as PS!!

 

[Chappers]

I think to use the term layers is miss leading. What is happening is that Lightroom is displaying a representation of the image.Changes that are made are simply instructions within it's database. Making a change simply changes that instruction and the updated instruction is shown in the image. Nothing happens to the image until it is exported.Then the desired changes are used to render the image as instructed

 

[onform]

I think to use the term layers is miss leading. What is happening is that Lightroom is displaying a representation of the image.Changes that are made are simply instructions within it's database. Making a change simply changes that instruction and the updated instruction is shown in the image. Nothing happens to the image until it is exported.Then the desired changes are used to render the image as instructed

I agree in your description but they are still layers, there are various types of layer in PS there are blending and adjustment and probably more but can't remember. LR simply uses the adjustment layers.

 

[swanseamale47]

Lets just clear this up Lightroom does not have layers it's a parametric editor, it doesn't alter the original pixels but it's still not a proper layer. Saying it's a layer is fooling people into thinking it can do something it can't.

 

[specialman]

Lets just clear this up Lightroom does not have layers it's a parametric editor, it doesn't alter the original pixels but it's still not a proper layer. Saying it's a layer is fooling people into thinking it can do something it can't.

Layers, masking, whatever*

In my book when you can create different adjustments (exposure changes, saturation changes, clarity etc...) and apply several over one another then it's a layer.

The one thing you can't do like Photoshop is link layers and create masks in the same sense, plus you can't rearrange them at will like you can in Photoshop's layers pallette. That's the major difference between the two programmes and why PS still has a major part to play in my processing.

Chillax people

*(I actually think masking is probably the most appropriate wording)

 

[StewartR]

The one thing you can't do like Photoshop is link layers and create masks in the same sense, plus you can't rearrange them at will like you can in Photoshop's layers pallette. That's the major difference between the two programmes and why PS still has a major part to play in my processing.

Plus you can't edit or delete an adjustment in LightRoom without undoing all the adjustments you made after it. That's my single biggest gripe about LightRoom, because it should be quite easy for them to enable that.

 

[awp]

Plus you can't edit or delete an adjustment in LightRoom without undoing all the adjustments you made after it. That's my single biggest gripe about LightRoom, because it should be quite easy for them to enable that.

There are ways - when you get to any point you can make a virtual copy - and then continue on that - always having a copy to fall back on at any point you choose in your editing.

 

[specialman]

Plus you can't edit or delete an adjustment in LightRoom without undoing all the adjustments you made after it. That's my single biggest gripe about LightRoom, because it should be quite easy for them to enable that.

Totally agree. That's a bit of a bugbear for me and why I still use PS at times. It makes you think hard about how you prices at times, but that's not always ideal.

 

[Musicman]

There are ways - when you get to any point you can make a virtual copy - and then continue on that - always having a copy to fall back on at any point you choose in your editing.

Or copy all of the settings that you have, except the parameter that you don't want (e.g. exposure) - back up to where you were and paste settings.

Or back up to where you were, copy the parameter that you want to recover, move back forward and paste that setting, then you get to keep the full edit history.