Control The Light, Own The Narrative

When you take command of light in your edits, you take command of the story your image tells. In this tutorial, I review a sequence of Lightroom adjustments to control tone, shape contrast to a blue-hour skyline and bridge scene from Portland, Oregon to better guide the viewer’s eye. The “before” version has tremendous potential — inky blues in the sky, deep shadows under the bridge, and scattered highlights in the skyline reflecting across the water — but the visual story can be stronger.

Using targeted local adjustments to refine the light and shadow, crafting the real structure of the scene. A few carefully-placed masks accentuate key elements in the composition, with balanced counterparts to downplay the sky and water. One of my favorite finishing tweaks is adding a little pop to the amber light playing about the bridge supports.

It’s all about taking control of the light — because when you control the light, you control the narrative. Watch for my new video course that’s all about understanding light and shadow and how the tools in Lightroom empower you to craft stronger images.