Lightroom Question - Local Adjustments - Color

KiwiLight

Hi,

I was just wondering if there is any way to control the opacity of the color adjustments that you can make under the local adjustments menu. I have been using this feature to enhance eye color but would like to be able to "turn it down" a little.

Thanks

Rich

www.richpics.co.nz

Thunder Rabbit

Howdy.

Hi, Rich. Here's the primer.

The local adjustment brush is a great tool. But to get the most out of it, it helps to understand that there are two different things going on. First, a local mask is being created. Second, adjustment settings are applied to the mask. The adjustment settings are modified by the adjustment mask and then applied to the global settings. In human terms, this happens simultaneously as you stroke.

The local adjustment brush control panel has two sets of sliders. On top, the Effect controls, and under it, the Brush controls.

In the Effects box, you can control 7 parameters. Exposure, brightness, contrast, saturation, clarity, sharpness and color. Singly, or in any combination. (Color is in its own private Idaho, but works essentially the same.) These adjustments are applied to the mask.

The Brush box controls vary the mask the brush applies.

Use Auto Mask at your peril. Sometimes it works, but I usually get halos.

Size and Feather do what they say.

The Density slider controls the maximum transparency of the stroke. Stroking the same spot twice or twenty times at 50% yields a maximum density of 50%.

The Flow slider controls the rate of application of the adjustment. Lowering the flow allows you to build up to the maximum transparency gradually, stroke by stoke. If you have the brush set to a Flow of 20% and a Density of 100%, and keep stroking the same spot, you will gradually get to 100%. If your brush is set to a Flow of 20% and a Density of 50%, if you keep stroking the same spot, you will gradually build up to a transparency of 50%, but no higher, no matter how many times you stroke.

Pressing Alt while while stroking turns the brush into an eraser. You can use it at low Flow to fine tune the mask.

To see the mask, hover over the mask pin or press "O".

When hovering over the pin (press "H" to hide or show pins), you will also see a horizontal two headed arrow. You can click and drag right or left to increase or decrease the adjustment settings right on the image without going back to the Effects box.

Essentially, you can adjust the strength of a local adjustment two ways. Changing the settings in the Effects box or changing the opacity of the mask with the Brush. In general, an effect at 100 on a mask at 50% opacity will give a good approximation of the same effect applied at 50 on a mask at 100% opacity.

You can have multiple masks with different settings. They can overlap. They can all be readjusted at any time. In other words, there's more ways to modify the strength of an effect than you can shake a stick at.

As to your specific question, you can vary the opacity of your color mask with with your brush tool, or just hover over the pin, then click on the double arrow and drag left or right. Or to reduce the strength of the effect without changing the mask, click on the color box and reduce the saturation ("S" at bottom right).

I don't think there is a way to reduce the transparency of an entire local mask with one command. You have to modify the mask with the brush.

Whew!

KED

Thunder Rabbit wrote:

Howdy.

Hi, Rich. Here's the primer.

WOW. I have seen myriad resources on all things Lightroom, including the local adjustments capabilities, but you have just delivered in less than 1,000 words more than I've ever gleaned from all those other resources. Thanks!

KiwiLight

Thanks!!
Thanks so much for your very detailed and informative explanation. Very helpful. Everything I know about Lightroom is from Scott Kelby's 'Lightrrom 2 book for digital photographers' which is excellent but does not cover everything.

I was hoping it would be as easy as using an opacity slider like in CS4 to tone down the effect (which I was using for eye color).

I will have a crack at your tips.

Thanks!

Thunder Rabbit

Howdy.

You can adjust the strength of your adjustment with just one slider. Just not an opacity slider.

You can reduce the strength value of the effect with a slider, which gets you to essentially the same place. And since you can hover over the pin and drag the arrow left or right to adjust the strength of your adjustment, that's even easier than going over and dragging a slider in the control box.

It's hard to imagine a simpler more convenient setup. I'm sure Adobe tried.

KiwiLight

Thanks -
I will give it a try