The Purpose of Tone Curve Panel
Most photographers use the Tone Curve panel to tweak the
contrast.
The heavy lifting is done with the Basics panel.
You may want to do the same.
However, some photographers use the Tone Curves panel for everything.
So, experiment.
Two Versions
The Tone Curve panel has two versions.
You'll probably use version #2 more than version #1.
To switch between the two versions, click the Point Curve icon in
the lower-right corner of the panel.
Point Curve Icon
Version #1 - Point Curve
Tone Curve Panel - Point Curve
Version #2 - Sliders
Tone Curve Panel - Sliders
The Tone Curve Graph
Let's explore the tone-curve graph.
Before You Do Anything
When you first open the Tone Curve panel, you see a white straight
line.
This curve represents your unchanged photograph
file.
The curve isn't a histogram.
It doesn't represent the actual tonal values of your photograph.
After You Do Something
After you move the curve, it represents the change in the tonal
value.
Note
Lightroom may apply default changes when importing a photograph.
If it does so, the curve may not be a straight line.
The Two Axes
Bottom Axis
The horizontal axis of the graph is the original
tonal values of the file.
Side Axis
The vertical axis of the graph is the changed tonal
values of the file.
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Horizontal axis
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Original tonal values
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Vertical axis
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Changed tonal values
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Four Regions
The Tone Curve panel divides the tonal values of a photograph
into four regions:
• Highlights
• Lights
• Darks
• Shadows
Highlights
Lights
Darks
Shadows
Shadows Darks Lights Highlights
Changing the Curve
When you change the curve, the tonal values change from their original
values.
Move a Single Point
When you move a single point on the curve up, that tone becomes brighter.
When you move a single point on the curve down, that tone becomes
darker.
Try It
Click on the white line, hold, and drag it up-and-down.
Some of the tonal values of your photograph become brighter and darker.
Reset
To reset to a linear curve, do the following.
1) Right click (Windows) or Ctrl + click (Mac) on the graph.
2) Select Flatten Curve or Reset All.
Change the Slope
When the slope of the curve changes.
If the slope is steeper, there's more contrast.
If the slope is shallower, there's less contrast.
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Steeper slope
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More contrast
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Shallower slope
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Less contrast
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Try It
Look for the Point Curve menu in the lower-right corner of the Tone
Curve panel.
Point Curve Menu
Open the menu and click Medium Contrast or Strong Contrast.
When the slope changes, the contrast changes.
Reset
Again, to reset to a linear curve, do the following.
1) Right click (Windows) or Ctrl + click (Mac) on the graph.
2) Select Flatten Curve or Reset All.
Change the Tone Curve
Move the sliders.
Tone Curve Sliders
No Sliders?
If you don't see the sliders, click the Point Curve icon in the lower-right corner of the Tone Curve panel.
Point Curve Icon
Compare!
Look at the before version of your photograph, and the after version.
Click the Turn Off icon repeatedly.
The icon is located in the upper-left corner of the Tone Curve panel.
Turn Off Icon
Reset
To reset a single slider, double click the name of the slider.
To rest all of the sliders, double click Region.
Another Way to Reset
Right click (Windows) or Ctrl + click (Mac) on the
graph, and make a selection from the reset menu.
Three Other Ways to Change the Curve
There are three other ways you can adjust the curve.
Way #1 - Click & Drag the Curve
Click on the curve, hold the mouse button down, and drag up-and-down.
Way #2 - Targeted Adjustment Tool
The Targeted Adjustment tool is located in the upper-left corner
of the Tone Curve panel.
Targeted Adjustment Tool
Do the following.
1) Click the tool.
2) Click on your photograph, hold, and drag, up-and-down.
The area that you clicked on, and other similar areas, are adjusted.
Done
When you're finished with the Targeted Adjustment tool, click Done.
The Done button is located below and to the right of your photograph.
Done Button
Way #3 - Points on the Curve
You used the Point Curve menu
above.
If you see the sliders . . .
Tone Curve Sliders
. . . click the Point Curve icon in the lower-right corner of the
Tone Curve panel.
Point Curve Icon
Then, in the point Curve menu, select Linear, Medium Contrast, or
Strong Contrast.
Linear Curve
If you selected Linear, click on the curve to create a control point,
a tiny white circle on the curve.
Then, click and hold on the control point, and drag up-and-down.
Medium Contrast & Strong Contrast Curves
Click and hold on a control point, the tiny white circle on the curve.
Then, drag up-and-down.
Click on he curve to create more control points.
Delete a Control Point
To delete a control point, do the following.
1) Right click (Windows) or Ctrl + click (Mac) on the control point.
2) Select Delete Control Point.
Reset
To reset to a linear curve, do the following.
1) Right click (Windows) or Ctrl + click (Mac) on the graph.
2) Select Flatten Curve.
Contrast & Saturation
Occasionally, when you change the contrast, the color saturation
may change adversely.
If so, use the Vibrance and Saturation sliders in the Basic panel
to return the saturation to your liking.
Vibrance only affects colors that are not already saturated.
Saturation affects all colors.
Even More Control
There are three sliders, split controls, at the bottom of the graph.
Move these sliders to change the size of the four regions.
To reset one of these sliders, double click the slider.
Clipping
Avoid extreme changes, as clipping my result.
If you haven't already, go to the
Histogram Panel and to Clipping.
