If you're looking for a simple tool that can yield drastic results in a quick and efficient manner while editing your images, then look no further than the targeted adjustment tool built right into Adobe Camera Raw.
Blake Rudis from f64 Academy opens with a truth that I can definitely relate to, if I try something but don't really understand it I tend to put it down pretty quickly and move onto something that I do understand. The targeted adjustment tool does not need to be one of those things for Blake, for me, or for you. It's a straightforward tool that can get your edits moving in the right directions pretty darn quickly.
In a nutshell (and an over simplistic explanation from yours truly) the targeted adjustment tool gives you access to various slider controls via in-image click selections. Think something like a curves layer or your HSL tab and as the name would imply, the tool allows for selective or targeted image adjustments based on what you select and where in the image you are sampling from. As shown in the video, this is a great way to go about editing your image in a very visual way as you select areas directly from within the image to adjust.
Why is Photoshop awesome? One reason that I love it is because there are so many different methods that do similar things which allows each person multiple paths that take them in the same direction. If one method isn't your cup of tea or just doesn't quite feel as intuitive as you'd like, there are other options that can may work better for your style. Have you spent time with the targeted adjustment tool before? If so, what do you find it most useful for versus what areas do you leave to other methods?
