Hi everyone,
Occasionally I come across an image where I just cannot get the results I'm looking for in LR. And the main problem is I don't understand why. I know there is something I need to learn so I can fix the problem, but I don't know what exactly I should be working on.
One standout example is a 2009 portrait shot in natural light. The only way I can get a result I like is by using onOne's Perfect Effects. Although I paid serious money for the suite in which it is a part I prefer to use it only as a last resort for several reasons -- the most important of which is that I cannot save its processing steps in the TIFF's XMP so I can recreate them later. Therefore I'd like to get as much right as I can in LR. However with this particular image I need Perfect Effects because there is something in its algorithms that gets the job done.
Currently the colors look simply awful in LR, no matter how much I adjust the temperature and tint.
Is this an image that absolutely requires using the HSL / Color panel in LR4? (I never normally touch that panel). When I adjust the Color portion in this image -- as an experiment -- the only adjustment that has a truly notable effect is manipulating Orange, which has a strong effect on the skin tone. The rest of the image still looks terrible.
I've attached 3 images. Straight out of the camera LR with no manipulation, LR before sending it to Perfect Effects, and the final image after Perfect Effects and some minor clean up in Photoshop. I keep in-LR image fairly neutral (e.g. no contrast adjustments at all) so that Perfect Effects has something useful to work with.
Thanks in advance for any insights you can offer.
Damon