Adobe 65007312 - Photoshop Lightroom User Manual page 113

Develop module Tone Curve panel
If a point on the curve moves up, it becomes a lighter tone; if it moves down, it becomes darker. A straight, 45-degree
line indicates no changes to the tonal scale: The original input values exactly match the output values. You may see a
tone curve that isn't straight when you first view a photo that you haven't adjusted. This initial curve reflects default
adjustments that Lightroom applied to your photo during import.
Use the Tone Curve panel to adjust the values in specific tonal ranges in the image. For example, if you want to see
greater separation of tones in the midtones, you add contrast by moving the dark tones down the graph and making
them darker, and moving the light tones up to make them lighter. The slope of the tone curve becomes greater,
indicating increased contrast in that tonal range.
Make adjustments to the tone curve
You make tone curve adjustments directly on the curve or using the Region sliders in the Tone Curve panel. The areas
of the curve affected by the sliders depend on where you set the split controls at the bottom of the graph.
The middle region sliders (Darks and Lights) affect the larger midregion of the curve. The Highlight and Shadows
sliders affect mainly the ends of the tonal range.
•
In the Tone Curve panel of the Develop module, drag the Region sliders. As you drag, the area of the curve affected
by the slider is highlighted. You can expand or contract the curve regions that the sliders affect (see below).
•
Click a point on the curve and drag it up or down. As you drag the point, the area of the curve affected is highlighted
and the related slider moves. The original and new tonal values are displayed in the upper-left of the tone curve.
• Choose an option from the Point Curve menu. The setting you choose is reflected in the curve but not in the region
sliders. Medium Contrast is the default Point Curve setting. The Point Curve option is blank for photos imported
with metadata and previously edited with the Adobe Camera Raw tone curve. The curve itself will reflect any
custom edits.
• Click the Targeted Adjustment tool
the photo that you want to adjust, and then click the mouse. Drag the pointer, or press the Up and Down Arrow
keys to lighten or darken the values for all similar tones in the photo.
Change curve areas affected by Region sliders
❖
Drag the split controls at the bottom of the tone curve graph.
in the upper-left of the Tone Curve panel, move the pointer over an area in
Updated 03 September 2009
USING PHOTOSHOP LIGHTROOM 2
Developing photos
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