If you’re only making quick adjustments with auto settings or exposure sliders, you’re missing out on Lightroom’s most powerful tools. Understanding how to work with tone curves, masks, and color adjustments will push your images to the next level.
Coming to you from Anthony Gugliotta, this detailed video walks through advanced editing techniques in Lightroom, starting with the Develop module. This is where you’ll find every tool that controls how your image looks, from the basic exposure sliders to more advanced options like color grading and local adjustments. Gugliotta explains how to use the histogram to balance exposure and why making global changes before fine-tuning details leads to more natural results. He also highlights the importance of selecting the right image to edit—composition, lighting, and subject all play a role in how much you can enhance a photo.
A key part of this workflow is masking. Instead of applying edits to the entire image, masking allows you to adjust specific areas. Gugliotta demonstrates how to highlight key subjects using object selection and brushes, adding clarity and sharpness only where needed. He also covers dodging and burning techniques, which help create depth by selectively lightening or darkening areas of the image. By using auto-masking, he refines selections with precision, ensuring edits blend seamlessly.
Color control is another major focus. Gugliotta walks through the tone curve and color mixer, showing how to make subtle adjustments that significantly impact the final image. The point color tool offers even more precision, allowing you to select and tweak specific hues within a mask. If a certain area has too much blue or lacks warmth, you can isolate and adjust just that color without affecting the entire image. He also demonstrates how to use radial gradients to enhance lighting direction, creating realistic glow effects that add mood and depth. Check out the video above for the full rundown from Gugliotta.
