Adjusting Tone Directly from the Histogram
by Mikkel Aaland01/01/2008
Need more help with Lightroom? This article is an excerpt from Mikkel Aaland's Photoshop Lightroom Adventure.If you prefer, you can make your Basic tone settings directly from the Histogram. Place your cursor over the Histogram and drag to the left or right. Where you initially place the cursor will determine which tone setting is affected.
Moving from the left side of the histogram to the right, you access these controls:
- Blacks
- Fill Light
- Exposure
- Recovery
As you move your cursor, you will see the relevant Tone slider move as well.
I often work directly from the Histogram when I'm working outside of the Basic tone pane, for example, when I'm in the Split Toning pane. It saves me from having to scroll up the right panel, because I always keep the Histogram pane visible.
Basic Tone Step-by-Step Summary
Start by using Auto. Then, if necessary, fine-tune the Auto effect with any of the other tonal sliders. If Auto is completely off, start with the Exposure slider. Then, if necessary, the Recovery and/or Fill Light sliders, then the Blacks slider. Finish off with the Brightness and/or Contrast sliders. (Further fine-tuning can be done using the Tone Curve, detailed in the following section.)
Be sure not to rely only on the preview window. Use the Histogram or under/over warnings to evaluate the effects of your tonal changes.
Mikkel Aaland is a professional photographer whose pioneering work in digital photography dates back to 1981. He is the author of nine books including the bestselling Photoshop Elements Solutions and O'Reilly's acclaimed Photoshop Lightroom Adventure. Visit his website at http://www.shooting-digital.com.
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