How to use the Contrast Slider in Lightroom to Make Your Photos POP

How do you use the contrast slider in Lightroom? The best Lightroom tool that almost always gets underused by most photographers especially beginner photographers is the contrast tool. It is an intimidating tool because if used incorrectly, you can potentially destroy your image. 

The contrast tool is my favorite tool to finish an image with. Once I edit a photo the way I like it, (landscape, portrait or any kind of image) I always go to my contrast slider to finish it up. 

Contrast makes the photo look real, it makes it look like a finished image. If you are ever in doubt of how to edit a photo or what you need to do to an image to make it pop, always go to the contrast slider. 

How do you use the contrast slider in Lightroom Best tool in lightroom sunset in naples

When you watch the video below, you can see that the image above looks really good after I edited it and before I touched it up. However, once I brought up the contrast the photograph came alive. It made it look so much better. Like a suit without a tie, the contrast slider is the tie to finish off the suit. 

Contrast is just as important as anything else, but I always give it a bit more love than all the other sliders. Contrast brings the colors of an image together, it darkens the right spots and it makes your sky pop. 

When you use contrast correctly in combination with all the sliders in Lightroom, you will see a very large difference in your images. 

Contrast should always be adjusted in all of your images. Once you start to do it and getting familiar with it, you will see there is nothing to fear. 

In this video, you can see how I use contrast to bring my photo to life and to finish it off before sending it off to print. 

How to use the Contrast Slider

To see more tips, tricks and inspiration click this link. 

 

Black and White Photography tips

Black and White Photography tips:

Here are some tips on how to make a beautiful Black and White photograph. I live by this when shooting Black and White.

1. When shooting B&W photography it’s important that you learn to see in black and white. Remember you don’t have color to draw the eye when shooting B&W photography, so you have to find shapes and tones to compose your photo. Study the colors and study the your environment picture all the gray tones and picture everything in B&W. I will keep it short and sweet. If you have any others please share on the comments below.

Arquitectural Photography

2. Always shoot in color, it is important that you always shoot in color. Most cameras out there have a B&W setting DO NOT USE IT. If you shoot everything in color you will have more control of the gray scale in post production once you convert it.

The Man In White

The Man In White

3. Always use the lowest ISO setting possible. This will get rid of the noise in the photograph and you will end up with a great clear photograph. If you are looking for noise do it in post production. I like to add noise to (some) B&W but I always do it in post production that way I still have a very high resolution high quality photo.

FlatIronB&W

4. Always shoot RAW, most DSLRS shoot in RAW (and any camera now a days), again this gives you more control of the image in post production thus making a better B&W photograph. If you don’t have this setting on your camera, don’t worry, you can still make an amazing B&W photograph shooting JPEG.

Venice Beach Ball

5. Contrast is very important when shooting B&W photography, it sets the mood it, it defines your lines, it brings out shapes and shadows you would never be able to see in color photography. Play around with it and make it work for you.

SunnyIslesPier

Did I miss any? Please leave them in the comments below.

Le Garage New Orleans edinchavezphotography

Always remember that practice makes perfect, and always have fun out there.

Shot of the Day-Polished Rocks

I was on another photography quest the other day, as the sun started to set I found these cool rocks being hit by the light just right, I set up my cam and took some long exposures. ISO 100 26mm F/22 6 Second exposure ND.9 Filter.

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Polished Rocks

Polished Rocks

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