How To: Apply localized correction in Lightroom 2

Pixel Perfect is the "perfect" show to help you with your Photoshop skills. Be amazed and learn as master digital artist Bert Monroy takes a stylus and a digital pad and treats it as Monet and Picasso do with oil and canvas. Learn the tips and tricks you need to whip those digital pictures into shape with Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator. In this episode, Ben shows you how to apply localized correction in Lightroom 2.

Frederick Johnson joins Bert this week to give a demonstration of the all-new features in Lightroom 2. He claims that 90% of his general photo editing can be done with this single piece of software, due to an improved localized correction process for dodging and burning, sharpness, saturation, and more, applied by painting directly on your image.

Use Gradient Tool to apply changes to a sky:
Frederick uses a photo of Death Valley to demonstrate saturation of the sky using Lightroom2's gradient tool, located in the Histogram panel, which allows you to select only the desired parts of the image. Click and drag on your image to apply settings.

Use Auto Mask in Expert Mode to apply changes to a local area:
In expert mode, which can be accessed by a switch in the Histogram panel, you're given many other options to change your image, such as exposure, brightness, contrast, saturation, clarity, and sharpness. You can pre-define these options before using the "Auto Mask" feature, which is considered magic to Frederick.

Quick Collection:
This is a temporary area where you can store images that you'd like to return to for future work.

Create multiple versions of images without using up disk space:
Lightroom 2 allows one image to be referenced in "virtual copies", storing only instructions to change the graphic instead of storing multiple image files.

Search Pixel Perfect on WonderHowTo for more Photoshop episodes from this Revision3 show.