From Flat to Fabulous: My Start-to-finish Lightroom-only Editing Tutorial
Hi Gang: Thought I’d do something different for this Friday – it’s a start to finish video tutorial (below) on taking a flat looking out-of-the-camera image and bringing it to life without using HDR, without using any plug-ins, and just simple stuff right in Lightroom. Hope you find it helpful. 🙂
Have a great weekend (don’t forget to make your travel plans to join me and the crew in Las Vegas July 19-21st for the Photoshop World conference) and we’ll see you next week. 🙂
Best,
-Scott
P.S. If you want to see a little “finishing move” I added to the final image you saw here (I did it over in Photoshop), go check out my tutorial on my daily blog – it picks up right where I left off with this image. 🙂
i am learning in every article of yours
Thanks scott
Great tutorial Scott! Curious of your thoughts of sharpening images in LR after editing. I personally don’t like the default 25 setting and usually slide it up to 40 or 50. Thanks again for your tutorials. I like them allot.. 🙂
Thank you for the great tutorial. I learned a lot about LR’s presets, which I never use. BIG time savers. Thanks again!
Hey Scott,
Absolutely loved this! It was very inspiring and now I just want to head home and see what i can do with a few potential keepers. Would be delighted to see more of these Lightroom videos. 🙂
Awesome !! Thanks Scott great review of workflow more like this would be great!!
Wow!! This is Awesome and Amazing!! I cant wait to give it a try during my visit to Mosta Malta
I loved this post! I’d like to see more of such tutorials! Especially landscapes are particularly difficult to me.
Nice tip! Always cool to see how far you can move an image from as shot to way, way better. Nice finishing move on your blog too!
I read your blog every day! Don’t comment much but always appreciated.
K
Awesome!! Amazing how much detail can be brought back.
Thanks for sharing your tutorials. See you in Las Vegas!
I LOVED watching this video– to see your workflow, using only the in-program features of LR, was fantastic and so enlightening (no pun intended ;-)). I certainly hope that you will make more videos like this, since I learned so much from this one!
This is awesome. 10 minutes and you get a touched up picture. Like to see more. Thanks.
Love these. Thank you for sharing!
Great tutorial! Thanks
Wow! That was a pretty amazing correction, with minimal work. Thank you for a really good tutorial.
Thank you thank you thank you! Loved how easy this was. Thank you for being such an amazing educator.
Thanks for the kind words, Yvette 🙂
Nice one. Always something useful (and clearly presented) on Killer tips. And, thank you so much for the Heads Up on the Nik Collection news. I now have this free set of filters and am exploring them through Lightroom & PS Elements. Have a great time in LA.
Brilliant! Thanks for sharing! Loved the little side tipps and tricks as well!
Thanks again
Rolf
I have 2 of your books but love these tutorials!
Straighten the pillars and this could be a nice picture
If I wanted the pillars straight, I would have done that either with a Tilt Shift lens when I shot it or in Lightroom afterward. I don’t like the straightened look – this isn’t architectural photography – this is art, and it looks just the way I want it to. 🙂
Scott … love the before and after tutorials. Its like we’re in your head as you talk through the process… Is that good or bad? I always pick up a tip or two to add to the repertoire. Thanks and keep em comin!
Thanks, Ven 🙂
All of us love photography, a visual art. I think that’s why so many of us really appreciate seeing what you do to process a photo. Love to see more.
Always enjoy these types of posts and would love seeing more.
Did you hand hold the camera or sneak in a tripod?
I believe I rested my camera on the top of a pew. 🙂
BRAVO! Awesome job!
I love the quick tutorials. Do more.
Thank you. That was a real eye opener.
You’re welcome, Paul 🙂
This was very helpful! Glad I am not the only one to start with an image like yours! Please do more of these Scott!
Great tutorials Scott, I would love to see more of them.
Totally agree. About the ‘great’ and the ‘more’.
Great tutorial…..Do more! Thanks.
Thanks for sharing Scott. I have used these techniques on my interior images and it makes a big difference. I loved the finishing tip on your blog as well.
Thanks Patrick! 🙂
Great Job Scott. I would like to see more of these videos.
Great tutorial Scott, and I’ll echo what the other folks have said – keep it up! Reminds me of your awesome Digital Photography Book series. Loved it!
I’ve been a member of KelbyOne for two years and keep being amazed by what can be done.
Love that LR can do most things. No switching. Scott is avery personable teacher! Please do more.
Thanks
Thanks Ernest for the kind words 🙂
Lightroom tv wow. Reminds me of the old Scott. Keep it up buddy.
Nice! Yes, more please!
I would like to know your tips, how to correct collapsing walls in architecture photography 😉
I want to add my voice to the other commenters. This kind of tutorials are awesome. To see how a Pro can get the maximum potential from a photography is really instructive. Keep the good work! We love these kind of videos!
Thank you very much Diego! 🙂
Hey Scott,
I really like these quick tutorials! I especially like the comments you make on what’s wrong with the photo and discussing how to go about correcting it. Learning to look at a photo and determine was wrong to begin with is something I need to learn. Some photos are really obvious, but some are not. I always learn a lot from these types of lessons! Keep’em coming.
Dennis
Hey, thanks Dennis! 🙂
Wow, that was simple, thanks.
It is, right? 🙂
Very helpful.
Yes, do more of these.
Thanks,
Allen
More of these please!!
You got it, Jane. 🙂
What I like most of this kind of tutorials and videos is that you never know how much you can sqeeze a crappy photo, so I’m very delighted with this video.
Thank you!
Very interesting and useful. Would love more of this type of videos.
I’m voting for more of these!
You vote has been counted, Kenny 🙂
Wow, thank you very much for the tutorial. Really well explain and easy to follow 🙂
I’ve reading some of your books and following your online tutorials for a while. Thank you very much for all your efforts on teaching us how to work with photos 🙂
You are very welcome – thanks for the kind words 🙂
Please, more. These are great.