How to Fix Underexposed Photos with Tone Curve Tools (VIDEO)
It can be difficult to nail exposure when photographing complicated landscape scenes, especially when snow covers the ground and can easily “fool” your camera’s light meter. This tutorial from the PHLOG Photography YouTube channel provides a quick-and-effective fix using Lightroom’s Tone Curve tools.
This is a follow-up to our recent overview explaining why the Tone Curve and Basic Adjustment tools are far more effective when employed in combination rather that applied separately. Today instructor Christian Mohrle takes a deeper dive into the Tone Curve so that you understand the finer points of how it works.
Mohrle is a highly acclaimed landscape photographer and post-processing expert based in Southern Germany near beautiful Lake Constance. This episode demonstrates exactly how the powerful Tone Curve enables you to adjust exposure, create contrast to perfection, and give images “more punch.”
Before getting started make sure to download Mohrle’s sample Raw file with a link beneath the video so you can follow along and make the changes yourself as the simple steps are explained. Mohrle begins by explaining various options and sliders within Lightroom’s Tone Curve panel. Examples include the “Parametric Curve” and “Point Curve” tools. Then you’ll see how to target each channel; namely, red, green, and blue.
He chooses the Point curve for this snow-covered landscape photo because of the greater versatility it provides for the specific task at hand. The horizontal line on the graph enables you to adjust shadows and highlights. The vertical axis, on the other hand, lets you modify brightness.
If you pull the black point all the way up the image will become totally white. Conversely, if you drag the white point to the bottom all you’ll see is black. You’ll then learn how the histogram make it easier to target specific portion of the photo.
The edit proceeds at Mohrle makes several basic enhancements to the image as a whole. He then demonstrates how to perfect the image further with selective adjustments using masks. The transformation concludes with thoughtful color grading and a bit of cautious sharpening. As you’ll see, Mohrle’s before/after examples speak for themselves.
Be sure to check out the popular PHLOG Photography YouTube channel where you’ll find many more lessons for expanding your skills. And don’t forget to watch the related tutorial that we mentioned above.
