Lightroom Mobile: How to Get Beautiful Edits Using LR Mobile App

How to Edit in Lightroom Mobile

We all love our camera phones, and most of us use them to capture images regularly nowadays.  With the increase in photos, the use of mobile editing has absolutely skyrocketed!

Lucky for us, Lightroom has created a terrific option for those who want to edit with their mobile devices on the go.  And learning to use the Lightroom Mobile App will help you create beautiful edits no matter where you are or what mobile device you use.

This tutorial will teach you the basics of editing with Lightroom Mobile and is a GREAT place to start:

Where to Find Lightroom Mobile's Editing Tools

Once you have downloaded and installed the FREE Lightroom Mobile app, you first need to open the app and select the image you want to work on.

You will find all the editing tools at the bottom of your mobile screen.  Keep in mind that you can swipe right or left to navigate through the various options, and also note that once you make an adjustment to any of the sections, a small dot will appear below the name of that particular section.

In my opinion, I don't feel like the various editing options at the bottom of the screen are set up in any logical order.  However, this may be because I'm so used to the editing workflow setup found in Lightroom's desktop version.

This means I'm not going to recommend starting with the first editing icon you see at the bottom of your screen.  However, if YOU find that the order of icons at the bottom of the screen seems logical TO YOU, feel free to work in that order.  I'm just sharing what works best for me.

1. Presets Section

With the addition of presets to the mobile workflow, Lightroom has made it really easy to keep your editing workflow consistent and straightforward, so I like to start with the preset section. 

Lightroom does come with some default presets, but I rarely use them because they are not great. 

My FAVORITE MOBILE PRESETS are the Pretty Preset Millennium Collections.  If you like rich, earthy tones, the Dark and Moody Collection is one of their top sellers.  My favorite is the Clean and Colorful collection because it fits my style better.  Everyone has their favorite, so start with a collection that best fits your own style.

If you still need to install your presets, do that before we start editing.  I you need help installing your Lightroom Mobile Presets, CLICK HERE.

To open the presets panel, simply tap on the "Presets" icon, which looks like two overlapping circles.  Navigate to your favorite collection and tap the preset you want to use.  You will see how the preset alters your image.  If you like how it looks, tap the checkmark to apply it and exit.  If you want to try some other presets, go ahead and click on those before making your final selection.

Note that once you start editing with a particular preset collection more than others, Lightroom will learn it's a favorite and will open that collection automatically when you tap the "Presets" icon - no need to locate it every time.  Super handy!

2. Light Section

After applying a preset, I recommend clicking on the "Light" icon.  You will find several essential editing functions in this section.

This is where you will find the Exposure slider, which will change the overall brightness of your image.  Moving the slider to the right will brighten your photo, and moving the slider to the left will darken it. 

Exposure is one of the most important parts of a great photograph, so getting it right is critical.

The next sliders in this section will help fine-tune your exposure by independently adjusting the contrast and the light and dark areas of your image.

• Contrast is the tonal difference between your photo's light and dark areas.  To increase or decrease the contrast of your image, move the Contrast Slider left or right.

The Highlights and Shadows Sliders will allow you to recover any blown highlights or shadows. 

• To brighten the highlights on your image, click and drag the Highlights Slider to the right. 
• To decrease the brightness of the highlights, click and drag the Highlights Slider to the left.
• To add a little brightness to the shadows of your image, click and drag the Shadows Slider to the right. 
• To darken the shadows, click and drag the Shadows Slider to the left.

I often use these sliders together by brightening the shadows (dragging the slider to the right) and decreasing the highlights (dragging the slider to the left) on my images.

If you aren't seeing all the sliders I mentioned above on your mobile screen, try swiping up on the area where the sliders appear, and you should see these options hiding there.

3. Color Section

"Color" is another Lightroom Mobile section that can make a big difference in your mobile workflow.  You can add a pop of color, adjust your white balance, and more.

When you open the "Color" section, the first two sliders you will see are Temp and Tint.  The Temp slider will help you adjust the warmth or coolness of your image.

• If your image looks too cool, add some warmth by moving the Temp Slider towards the yellow side. 
• If your image looks too warm, add some coolness by moving the Temp Slider towards the blue side.

The Tint slider will help you adjust how green or red your image looks.

• Like blue and yellow, green and red counteract one another, so if your image looks too red, move the slider towards the green and vice versa.

If you are having difficulty choosing the best adjustment here, or you are doing too much guessing and making a mess of the color (it takes time to develop an eye for "seeing" the color), you can use the dropper icon on your screen to help you set the white balance. 

To use the dropper method, start by zooming in on your image and locate a neutral gray color (a shade of gray or white works best, like teeth or a sidewalk). 

Next, click on the dropper icon at the top-right of the panel above the sliders and move the dropper over the neutral gray area you previously located on your image.  Note that you can move the dropper around to different spots (neutral grays) on your image until you feel like you have the right balance of colors.  Once you find a good white balance, tap the check mark on the screen to lock it in.

For more information on editing color in Lightroom, CLICK HERE.

4, Export Section

While editing is important, sharing your edited images is of equal importance.  Once you finish your edit, you can easily save and export it so you can share it on your favorite social sites. 

To share, simply tap the square and up arrow icon at the top of the screen.  When you tap on that, several options will open up.

• Choose "Export to Camera Roll" to save it with all your photos.
• Choose "Share To" to quickly text it to a friend or to share it on your favorite social site.
• Choose "Export to Files" to save it directly to the files on your phone.

If you want more control over the exporting process, choose "Export as."

• This will allow you to save the file as a DNG, TIF, or JPG.
• This will also allow you to export the file at 100% image quality.
• AND, a new Lightroom Mobile feature allows you to add a watermark to your images if you share online, where watermarking is essential!

Conclusion

It's hard to believe that we now have such powerful editing features on a mobile device, but I'm so happy we do!  We can quickly add presets, adjust exposure and color, and share images from one convenient and powerful mobile app.

Whether you're a veteran Lightroom desktop user or a casual photographer editing family snapshots, you will find that the FREE Lightroom Mobile App is a POWERFUL tool that can beautifully transform your images with just a few simple adjustments.

To learn more about Lightroom Mobile, check out our other great tutorials:

• How to Install Presets in Lightroom Mobile
• Using Presets in Lightroom Mobile
• Lightroom Mobile Sync: How to Sync Photos & Edits to LR Mobile
• Batch Editing in Lightroom Mobile
• How to Smooth Skin in Lightroom Mobile
• How to Add a Watermark in Lightroom Mobile
• How to Export from Lightroom Mobile
• Lightroom Mobile Preset Collections

Do you have any questions or comments about Editing in Lightroom Mobile?  Just leave us a comment below - we would LOVE to hear from you!  And PLEASE SHARE this post using the social sharing buttons (we really appreciate it)!