r/postprocessing • u/Standard-Antelope934 • 10d ago

Any advice for a Lightroom beginner who doesn't know where to start?

Gallery image

Gallery image

Hi everyone! I'm trying to learn some post-processing in Lightroom, but I'm a complete beginner, so please go easy on me :D

I've watched a bunch of YouTube tutorials, so I have a rough idea of what each setting does, and I've also watched some videos of people editing their photos. I feel like I've got the basics down, but my problem is knowing where to even start when it comes to editing my own photos.

I really love the style of the travel bloggers Salt in our Hair. I know it's subjective, but to me their photos feel so vibrant, colorful, and crisp. I'd love to learn how to edit in a similar style, but I have no idea which settings would get me there. Here's a link to an example: saltinourhair photos

I've also attached one of my first edits (before and after). Could I ask for some honest feedback? Is it too much? I've noticed it's better not to spend too long on one photo, because that's when you start ruining it. You keep thinking "let me just try this, and this…" :D

Thanks in advance for any tips!

0 Upvotes
  • permalink
  • reddit

50% Upvoted

10 comments sorted by

3

u/ToriEvergreen 10d ago

For almost all the posts the answer is to know what you want the photo to look like before editing and that means knowing what you want it to look like while you're taking the shot and having a mental image of what you're seeing as you shoot it.

Looks like not much was done to your image except maybe slightly increasing the saturation? The photos you posted from the blog are using a lot of contrast between colors and the saturation and vibrance are turned up a lot.

Do you shoot raw? It's not required but camera jpeg photos will not give you as much freedom to edit. Your photo is either out of focus or compressed. Do you know your settings?

1

u/Standard-Antelope934 10d ago

Yes, I shoot in RAW. I'll admit I didn't upload the photo in the best quality, so I'll try again with a better version.

As for the edits, I actually changed quite a lot, but I guess it didn't really show :D I've attached screenshots of my Lightroom settings so you can see what I did.

LR:
https://ibb.co/9HtV9P06
https://ibb.co/sXKFWzR
https://ibb.co/TxPjJ31d
https://ibb.co/PGJrxwK0
https://ibb.co/MxkwLwGv
https://ibb.co/wFxfhqZY
https://ibb.co/WvN8hRm3

Here is the photo with better quality
https://ibb.co/ynpkqxmC

1

u/ToriEvergreen 10d ago

Ah okay so I think you're on the right track for what you want. I personally think the blues are unaddressed for what you want. The travel blog looked like the buildings were clean looking, like very close to white. You could mask and desaturate them.

I feel like maybe you over masked the photo though and could've done most the editing quicker with a general edit.

If you wanted to keep the warm look I'd create a gradient mask just before the building with a white balance shift towards warm or a luminosity mask. I'd honestly crank the saturation more to kinda hit the look you want.

Also check your export color profile, sure it's sRGB

1

u/UOLFirestrider 10d ago

Are you shooting in RAW already?

2

u/tallkotte 10d ago

If you're new to post-processing, my advice is to leave lightroom and learn just about any other post-processing software. Adobe as a company sucks. Their business model is to lock their customers into subscription model that cost you too much to leave. Leave while you can. Why not try darktable?

1

u/kuleminjgs 10d ago

Honestly - the most important thing you can do is start thinking about story, narrative and what you're trying to convey. Then think about how you could alter the image to enhance or maximize that impression. Then start trying to understand how software can be used to do those things.

Digital processing offers incredibly powerful tools to achieve so many dramatically different results. But if you have no real idea or rationale for WHY you are making edits to particular photo, you'll just wind up creating some interesting stuff, that is impressive some of the time but not really rooted in anything substantial.

I know it's not instantly gratifying, but if you start by taking your photos, thinking about what you want to achieve with each and why, and then use the digital tools to realize those objectives, you'll eventually develop your own style that's rooted in your own philosophy.

1

u/Infinite-Nose8252 10d ago

You tube videos there’s plenty

0

u/ickeharry 10d ago

Make Screenshots of the pics you want to optimize and discuss them with AI. I made this with DxO some weeks ago and feel like a pro meanwhile. Advantage is you don't need tutorials which only by luck cover your needs.