Three Simple Lightroom Edits to Make Your Subject

Making your subject stand out in an image can be as simple as adjusting light, contrast, or depth. The right edits guide the viewer’s eye without making the changes look obvious. When done correctly, these techniques enhance an image without feeling overprocessed.

Coming to you from Gareth Evans with Park Cameras, this practical video covers three ways to make a subject pop in Lightroom Classic. The first method is using exposure adjustments through masking. A radial gradient brightens the subject while a linear gradient darkens other parts of the image. This creates a natural vignette effect, keeping attention where it belongs. Even subtle tweaks can shift focus without making an image look overly edited. Evans demonstrates how to check before-and-after views to ensure the effect stays balanced.

The second method relies on color to separate the subject from the background. By selectively desaturating the background while keeping the subject’s color intact, the subject becomes the focal point. This approach works best when the background is already somewhat monotone. Too much desaturation can make an image look unnatural, so keeping some background color helps maintain realism. Adjusting contrast in the background can also create separation, making the subject stand out even more.

The final technique uses Lightroom’s Lens Blur tool. This feature enhances existing depth of field by simulating a stronger blur in out-of-focus areas. It works best on images already taken with some background blur. By increasing the blur slightly, the subject gains even more separation without looking artificial. Evans points out that longer focal lengths tend to produce the most natural results when using this tool.

Each of these techniques serves a different purpose, and knowing when to use them is key. Exposure adjustments work on almost any image, color separation can create a striking effect when done carefully, and lens blur provides an easy way to enhance background separation. Experimenting with these methods can help refine how you draw attention in an image. Check out the video above for the full rundown from Evans.