What is the Targeted Adjustment Brush?
Lightroom has a little known tool that has amazing powers. It is can be found in the HSL Panel and Tone Curve Panel in the Develop Module. It looks like a small circle with a dark dot in the center. Don't discount how powerful this little tool is because of it's size. Size isn't EVERYTHING, you know ;)!!
How Does it Work?
So let's say you have a photo that needs a little more contrast than you can add with the contrast slider in the basic panel. If this is what you need the Tone Curve panel is the place to be. BUT, the Tone Curve Panel can be a bit intimidating.
This photo of my daughter is one of those photos we just talked about. It needs a little more contrast.
The Targeted Adjustment Tool is here to help. Just hover your mouse over that little dot and "click!" You've activated the tool and the magic is ready to begin.
Now I am going to find some areas in the photo that I want lighter. Usually for me these are skin tones so I'll place my mouse there. I am going to "click and drag" the tool UP towards the top of my screen. You should see the skin tones getting lighter.
Now, I'll do the same thing with the areas that I want darker. BUT instead of clicking and dragging UP, I am going to "click and drag" down towards the bottom of the screen. This is what I ended up with after just a couple of quick adjustments!
If you don't like what happened to your photo, then reset the sliders and start again.
You can do the same thing in the HSL/Color/B&W panel. You'd use this panel if you want to increase or decrease the saturation in a specific area of your photo. Just follow the same steps. "Click and drag" UP on the area of you photo where you want to increase the saturation. "Click and drag" down on the area of your photo where you want to decrease the saturation.
It really is as easy as that!!! Doesn't it feel great to know one of Lightroom's BEST KEPT SECRETS?
Hi!! I am Gayle. I am a wife to my handsome husband and mom to 4 beautiful kids. In my spare time, I am a photographer and blogger at Mom and Camera. I have a passion for sharing my love of photography with others. I teach local photography classes and regularly share photography tips and tricks on my blog. I hang out there a lot—I’d love you to stop by and visit!
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