Photoshop How To

If you're unfamiliar with Lightroom's powerful Point Color tool there a good chance your edits aren't as impressive as they could be. We'll change all that today with the in-depth guide below from the folks at Eastern Shore Photo Instruction.

This is a comprehensive 27-minute tutorial explaining everything you need to know, so we suggest having a pen and paper handy for jotting down some notes before launching the video. Instructor Mickey reviews all the features and functions of Point Color, and he says, "I think it's one of the more creative color tools available in Lightroom."

This oft-ignored tool can be used to manipulate specific colors within an image whether you're making global adjustments or selective enhancements (which we recommend) using Lightroom's masking capabilities. In either case, Mickey's emphasis today is adding a bit more artistry to your Lightroom workflow.

There's a time-stamped "table of contents" in the description beneath the video so you can jump to a specific topic if you're currently dealing with a problem or confront one in the future, so bookmarking the lesson is a good idea. Mickey illustrates a variety of common tasks with four detailed demos on getting the job done.

The episode kicks off with a quick overview of the Point Color tool before jumping into a variety of techniques. You'll gain insight into the difference between global and local enhancements and learn why Mickey insists that "Pont Color "provides more features and capabilities for color correction and enhancement than other tools like HSL or the Color panel.

Mickey walks you through the necessary steps for using Point Color filters to refine hue saturation and luminance, and how to use this to with Sky and Linear masks for foreground and sky enhancement. He also demonstrates how to refine hue selection and improve color when processing images of flora.Tips for editing portraits are also included in this guide, and you'll discover how Lightroom's Point Color tool can be invaluable when targeting and enhancing a subject's skin tones for a natural looking result. So check it all out and add these powerful capabilities to your Lightroom bag of tricks.

 If Lightroom is your post-processing software of choice, be sure to visit the Eastern Shore Photo Instruction channel for more great advice.

And don't miss the earlier tutorial we featured with another image-editing expert who demonstrates a straightforward Lightroom technique for editing photographs of birds and other nature and wildlife subjects.