Last Updated on 03/06/2018 by Mark Beckenbach
Here’s a quick and useful tutorial that will teach you how to really, really, really use a gradient filter.
One of the most useful tools on your Lightroom arsenal is the gradient filter. As one of Lightroom’s powerful local editing tools, it lets you make changes only to a specific part of your frame. If that sounds like something you could use for your photos, this two-part video tutorial by Joshua Cripps will tell you how it’s done and what you can do with it.
Also called Graduated Filter, this tool lets you apply a myriad of adjustments on a specific area of your frame, with just some clicks on your photo. With this, you can make those precise and sometimes tricky adjustments for projects like landscape photography.
In the first part of his tutorial, Joshua shows us how to locate the Graduated Filter panel, the basics of applying the changes using the filter, making sure that you can always see the changes you’re making, and make even more precise and selective adjustments with the Brush>Erase tool in conjunction with it.
Watch Part 1 below:
Now that you’ve been introduced to the Gradient Filter and the kind of adjustments you can do with this helpful tool, you might want to spend some time experimenting and get more acquainted with it. After that, proceed to Part 2 of Joshua’s video tutorial. Here, you’ll learn some practical applications of this tool, how to use all the adjustment parameters to make photos more interesting, and some best practices you can do to make the most out of the Graduated Filter.
Watch Part 2 below:
If you found this two-part Gradient Filter video tutorial helpful, you might also want to check out the Professional Photography Tips channel on YouTube for more photography tips and tricks from Joshua Cripps.
Screenshot image from the videos