There’s an interesting dichotomy when it comes to adjusting color during post processing. Most of the time our goal is to use various techniques to make an image appear exactly as it did through the viewfinder for a believable, natural looking result. Other times, however, our intent is to is to employ lens filters, camera settings, or editing enhancements to achieve special effects or change the mood and feeling of an image.

This video addresses a different and unintentional situation; namely, when extreme color casts of various sorts destroy an otherwise great shot. Fortunately, there’s a very effective Lightroom remedy for banishing those unwanted tones.

Roy van der Wens is a self-taught Dutch pro with a unique style of shooting and editing a broad range of photos, from landscapes and portraits to wedding photos and more. He’s also a self-proclaimed visual storyteller, and in this episode he demonstrates a quick-and-easy fix that just about anyone can accomplish in minutes. So if you’ve done your best and tried everything in your toolbox, Roy’s tips will set you free.

As you’ll see, unwanted color casts are not uncommon and they occur for a number of reasons. One of the most objectionable distractions is when heavy magenta tones overwhelm an image. That’s the case with Roy’s first example, and the problem is so severe that modifying White Balance doesn’t get the job done. Same thing with Lightroom’s Color Mixer and other common tools.

The solution to this unsightly image lies within Lightroom’s Tone Curve panel and the easy-to-use Calibration sliders, and Roy walks you through the simple steps for rehabilitating the shot. He provides an illustration of the Color Wheel to help you understand this technique.

The point of this graphic is that every primary color has a complimentary color “and the other way around.”

After banishing the magenta Roy explains how to tackle situations in which photographs appear too orange or too red. The process works in a similar fashion, but by tweaking tones in a different way. Once you get the hang of it, and it doesn’t take long, you’ll be able to remove any other color cast you confront to create a perfectly balanced image.

If you’re interested in more post-processing lessons like this one head over to Roy’s instructional YouTube channel and explore what’s available. You won’t be disappointed.

And on a related note, don’t miss our recent post with a comprehensive beginners guide to color theory that will help you achieve natural-looking photographs or create a variety of interesting effects. It’s useful for experienced photographers too.

If the Radial Filter isn’t part of your everyday workflow, that’s going to change today because you’ll learn what it does and how to use it in this tutorial from landscape photographer Abhiskek Mitra. Mitra recently launched an instructional YouTube dedicated to Lightroom and Photoshop hacks for those new to the game.

Mitra insists that “The Radial Filter is one of the most powerful tools available in Lightroom and Photoshop.” Even so, it’s extremely easy to use which is why it only him takes four minutes to demonstrate a process that you’ll likely employ frequently in the future.

Today’s demonstration image was captured by Mitra near Lake Minnewonka in beautiful Banff, Canada. The original shot looks pretty nice but watch what happens when he employs Lightroom’s Gradient Filter to transform a good photograph into a great one. Here’s the drill:  “This tool will help you dial-in the adjustments you need to really focus in on the subject.”

The process begins in the Masking panel by choosing the Radial Gradient option. Then you pull out a round selection covering the main subject; this is the area in which your initial adjustments will occur—leaving the rest of the photo untouched. He increases both shadows and whites, then movies on to the Tone Curve tool to heighten the effect.

Mitra describes the second part of the process like this: “I’m now going to use the Radial Filter to make all the adjustments I need around the radius of the subject.” For this step he creates another mask with a Radial Gradient and clicks on Invert. Doing this helps him makes several more enhancements that really make the key subject stand out from the background by sort of reversing the changes made in the first selection.

Now the image is greatly improved, but the edit isn’t quite complete. Can you guess why? Once you’re done with all the necessary modifications inside and outside the Radial Filter you need to use the Feather slider to blend both adjustments together so that the separation between the two areas isn’t visible.

Mitra also illustrates a few easy tweaks to refine the result further until you love what you see. His instructional YouTube channel includes more straightforward post-processing lessons like this one, so be sure to take a  look when you have time to explore.

And don’t miss the earlier tutorial we featured with another image-editing expert who explains mistakes to avoid when sharpening photographs and a foolproof method for doing it right.