Lilly Pads: Finding the hidden light

This post is not about lilly pads. This is about light and how to manipulate the information by utilizing the various color controls on Lightroom. This post is also not about Photoshop with its complex array of controls. Lightroom is a Photoshop product but each of these images took no more than 3 minutes to adjust.


This first pond image uses the "velvia" effect. Velvia is a popular film made by Fuji. It characteristics include highly saturated colors, low noise, high contrast and exceptional sharpness.


This effect was done using the split toning feature. Green and purple were strengthened while the other colors were desaturated.


Finally, this image was adjusted to make a color negative effect. The exposure was jacked up, the contrast was taken all the way down and the "light" areas were increased.


By the way this is what the original, unadjusted RAW image looked like. Pretty bland? Unless you used a film with unique characteristics like the highly-saturated Velvia or the super slow Kodachrome 25 you were stuck with unadjusted slides or prints. With the new digital tools the image can now include what you see in your "mind's eye."

Copyright 2007 James D. Fisher
All Rights Reserved.

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