I was browsing my image catalog today and came across this image from the Don Valley Brickworks, shot back in 2006, (well before I had started shooting RAW for everything). I've always liked the image, but it was shot on an overcast day and was a bit on the flat side. So I thought I would use Lightroom to beef things up. I managed to boost the color and contrast with little difficulty (history steps are below) but then I got to thinking; I wondered if I could process this image so it looked like a black and white image shot at dusk or night time, right within Lightroom.
That's what this tutorial is about.
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The first thing I did was to create a virtual copy for my b/w conversion. Then to jumpstart the process, I used a Black and White conversion preset. Presets are great for getting started, but I find that even after applying a preset, I tend to tweak things further.
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My next step was to add a couple radial filters. The first one encompassed the entire lampshade. I increased the feather to 100% and then maxed out the exposure setting. For a bit more oomph, I also increased the shadow values too. I wanted the shade to look lit up.
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The second radial filter was simply to blow out the lightbulb a bit more. I wanted to retain some detail, but make the bulb look like it was really switched on.
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Those two radial filters did help, but there was still more work to do. The overall image was too bright.
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Sooo, I created another virtual copy and reduced the overall exposure by nearly two stops. NOW, it was looking like dusk.
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But of course, it was TOO dark. At least overall too dark. By adding a third radial filter though, and adjusting the exposure, postion, angle and feathering, I was able to make part of the wall and window appear to be lit by the light. Note how I stretched the filter beyond the bottom edge of the photo.
Lightroom CC/6 came in very handy for this because this latest version of the software allows me to use a brush to edit existing filters, both radial and linear. I used this new feature to paint out any effect the new radial filter was havng on the "light source".
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The final steps for added realism and mood were to use the Adjustment brush to paint a bit of brightness into the bottom left part of the window frame. This adds a bit more depth and realism. Lightroom CC was very helpful here as well, because I can now easily reposition brush effects by dragging the anchor pin, just as I can for Linear and Radial filters.
I also duplicated the lampshade radial filter in order to further brighten the light. I did adjust the values for that duplicate so that the shade was brighter, but not over exposed.
Adding some grain and a squarish vignette polished things off and gave me a more gritty, film-noir feel.
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Virtual copies were the keys to success in this project; I was freed up from losing a look or effect that I liked, and this in turn encouraged me to experiment further and have some fun with this image. All within Lightroom CC.