How do you balance the color and tone of your images in Lightroom?

1 Adjust the white balance

The white balance is the setting that controls the color temperature and tint of your image, which affects how warm or cool it looks. You can adjust the white balance using the eyedropper tool or the sliders in the Basic panel. The eyedropper tool allows you to select a neutral gray area in your image and automatically adjust the white balance accordingly. The sliders allow you to manually change the temperature and tint values to your liking. A good tip is to use the histogram as a guide to avoid clipping the highlights or shadows.

2 Correct the exposure

The exposure is the setting that controls the brightness and contrast of your image, which affects how light or dark it looks. You can correct the exposure using the sliders in the Basic panel. The exposure slider allows you to increase or decrease the overall brightness of your image. The contrast slider allows you to increase or decrease the difference between the light and dark areas of your image. A good tip is to use the tone curve as a tool to fine-tune the contrast and tonal range of your image.

3 Enhance the colors

The colors are the settings that control the hue, saturation, and luminance of your image, which affect how vivid or dull it looks. You can enhance the colors using the sliders in the HSL/Color panel. The hue slider allows you to change the color of a specific color range in your image. The saturation slider allows you to increase or decrease the intensity of a specific color range in your image. The luminance slider allows you to increase or decrease the brightness of a specific color range in your image. A good tip is to use the targeted adjustment tool to select and adjust a specific color in your image.

4 Apply the split toning

The split toning is the setting that allows you to add different colors to the highlights and shadows of your image, which creates a more artistic and creative look. You can apply the split toning using the sliders in the Split Toning panel. The hue slider allows you to choose the color of the highlights or shadows. The saturation slider allows you to choose the strength of the color of the highlights or shadows. A good tip is to use the balance slider to adjust the ratio between the highlights and shadows.

5 Add some effects

The effects are the settings that allow you to add some extra touches to your image, such as clarity, vignette, grain, and dehaze. You can add some effects using the sliders in the Effects panel. The clarity slider allows you to increase or decrease the detail and texture of your image. The vignette slider allows you to darken or lighten the edges of your image. The grain slider allows you to add or remove some noise to your image. The dehaze slider allows you to reduce or increase the atmospheric haze in your image. A good tip is to use the amount, midpoint, roundness, and feather sliders to customize the vignette effect.

6 Use the presets

The presets are the settings that allow you to apply a predefined set of adjustments to your image, which saves you time and effort. You can use the presets using the menu in the Presets panel. The presets are organized into different categories, such as color, black and white, creative, and vintage. You can also create your own presets or import presets from other sources. A good tip is to use the preview window to see how the preset will affect your image before applying it.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?