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Author Topic: Adjust levels  (Read 3632 times)

nemophoto

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Adjust levels
« on: July 06, 2008, 11:34:51 pm »

While I like, by and large, most of Lightroom's adjustments, I miss being able to directly adjust white points/black points, via a levels slider. I'm sure I've missed something, but I don't seem to be able to achieve, easily, the same simple adjsutment. I find I often have to open and image in PS specifically so I can adjust this. It almost always makes a HUGE difference in the final image.

Am I missing something? Could someone direct me to the way this is accomplished? Thanks.

Nemo
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Josh-H

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Adjust levels
« Reply #1 on: July 06, 2008, 11:41:27 pm »

Quote
While I like, by and large, most of Lightroom's adjustments, I miss being able to directly adjust white points/black points, via a levels slider. I'm sure I've missed something, but I don't seem to be able to achieve, easily, the same simple adjsutment. I find I often have to open and image in PS specifically so I can adjust this. It almost always makes a HUGE difference in the final image.

Am I missing something? Could someone direct me to the way this is accomplished? Thanks.

Nemo
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=206091\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

Use the 'J' key shortcut to turn on clipping indicators in the develop module.

Adjust exposure and black level as desired / required - black level clipping shows up as 'blue' and white as 'red' - in other words blue areas are clipped black and red clipped white.

I find this gives excellent white and black points.
« Last Edit: July 06, 2008, 11:42:23 pm by Josh-H »
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Nat Coalson

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Adjust levels
« Reply #2 on: July 06, 2008, 11:49:21 pm »

Nemo - you can get similar results in LR as PS Levels....

The "Blacks" slider adjusts the Black Point. The white point is more discreet; the "Exposure" slider adjusts white point but also the tones between midpoint and white. "Brightness" adjusts midpoint alone.

You can stretch your dynamic range - and increase contrast - the same way as with PS Levels using a combination of Blacks, Exposure and, optionally, Brightness. Crack up the Blacks, then Exposure, and you'll see dramatic change in contrast and tonal range. Then use Brightness if midtones need work.

The parametric Tone Curve can give you some control over the end points, too, but compared to point curve or Levels the adjustments are much subtler.

If you're capturing RAW, it's best to spend as much time as necessary in LR getting these settings as close as possible to your liking before doing the conversion and continuing processing in PS.
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digitaldog

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Adjust levels
« Reply #3 on: July 07, 2008, 08:48:51 am »

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Use the 'J' key shortcut to turn on clipping indicators in the develop module.

And or, use the slider while holding down Alt/Option key for overlay of clipping. White/Black indicates true clipping, colors indicate saturation clipping.
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nemophoto

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Adjust levels
« Reply #4 on: July 09, 2008, 11:09:32 pm »

Thanks for the various suggestions. After some playing around, I only JUST figured out that "exposure" is the rough equivalent of PS levels "white point". Duh. And as Nat said, it's only a rough equivalent, and in someways, a much futher reaching effect. Not sure I like that. I always use the Alt key when adjusting clipping -- love that feature. I've used it for Recovery and Blacks, but never knew it worked with exposure. I still miss a direct levels adjustment. One of the things I liked in Capture One -- both levels and curves.
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Jonathan Wienke

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Adjust levels
« Reply #5 on: July 14, 2008, 07:26:03 pm »

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I still miss a direct levels adjustment. One of the things I liked in Capture One -- both levels and curves.

You can drag the endpoints of the curve in ACR when not using parametric mode, and get the functionality of levels and curves at the same time. You can edit the values in the boxes at the bottom just like the levels dialog.
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JDClements

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Adjust levels
« Reply #6 on: July 19, 2008, 03:06:58 pm »

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Use the 'J' key shortcut to turn on clipping indicators in the develop module.
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=206093\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]
Quote
And or, use the slider while holding down Alt/Option key for overlay of clipping.
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=206165\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]
Or, if you want to see just the white or just the black, then just click once on the appropriate indicator triangle to turn it on (or off again).
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