How to Change Any Color in Lightroom
I love Lightroom. Photoshop too.
In fact, let's all take a moment to be thankful that we live in a world in which we have these programs to help us perfect our images to fulfill our creative vision.
Part of making your dreams a reality is understanding how to wrest all the benefits that you can out of post-processing.
In the video above by Mango Street, we get a great Lightroom editing tutorial that focuses on how to change any color.
And those changes can be made without even touching the HSL sliders...
But how, you ask?
Let's find out!
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Learn How to Change Any Color in Lightroom by Using Masks
YouTube Screenshot/Mango Street
Often, I have photos that could stand a little change of pace. Adjusting the color of an individual element is a great way to do that.
In the video, Mango Street uses the image above to demonstrate how to change colors in Lightroom.
YouTube Screenshot/Mango Street
First, go to the Develop Module and click on the Adjustment Brush Tool at the top of the window.
Keep the size of the brush small with a medium feather. Turn the Density and Flow all the way up to 100.
Also be sure that Auto Mask is selected because that will help you color within the lines and ensure that only the item you want to be colored differently will change. These settings can be seen in the screenshot above.
YouTube Screenshot/Mango Street
Next, simply use the brush to paint the object you wish to paint. In this case, it's the yellow jacket shown above.
Be sure to press O on your keyboard to reveal the mask as you paint. This will make it MUCH easier!
You might also zoom in as you work so you can see exactly what you're doing. Just press the spacebar while you click and drag on the image to do so.
If you make a mistake, just press Alt/Option to unpaint the errors.
Learn More:
Desaturate and Touch Up the Mask
YouTube Screenshot/Mango Street
The next step is to inspect your work with the mask.
To do so, bring the saturation level all the way down to -100.
Then, zoom in on the area you've masked. It will be easy to see any areas that need to be cleaned up, as shown by the yellow areas that are still showing in the screenshot above.
Again, use the brush to paint the mask over the remaining areas just as was described above.
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Select a New Color
YouTube Screenshot/Mango Street
And now, the fun part...
Once the mask is completely touched up, use the color picker to select a new color for the masked area.
When you do so, you might notice that the edges of the masked area are still desaturated.
To fix this, go to the Lens Corrections Panel and select Manual. Then bring the Amount Slider down to zero.
YouTube Screenshot/Mango Street
And that's it! With just a few clicks of the button, you can completely change the look and feel of your photos with these easy Lightroom tips and tricks.
For more example of how to change colors in Lightroom, be sure to watch the full video by Mango Street. It's worth it!
