From Clicking to Creating-Using the Radial Filter in LR

Using the radial filter in lightroom can enhance the focal point in your image, in a subtle, yet effective way.

This is my final edit.

And this is the image before applying the radial filter.

I like to get the focal point in the image were I want it, and then apply the filter. The foal needed a little more contrast, and I corrected white balance in the whole image slightly. I then applied the radial filter to the image.

You can turn the red mask on and off by hitting the “O”, this shows you exactly what will be adjusted. When you apply the radial filter, another menu of adjustments comes up that apply only to the filter. If you want to adjust the center, click the “invert”. In this same area of the console you can also adjust the feathering of the filter.

(click to enlarge)

This is an extreme example of what adjustments can do. If you look on the right, you can see what I did.

Here, I have inverted the mask, and again, used an extreme example to show you what the feathering can do.

Earlier in the year, Lightroom added a couple of cool features to the radial, and graduated filters. Range masks. I have left the red visibility mask on here so you can see what it does. When you turn on the range mask, two options will come up. One is color. You then use the dropper, and click on a color in the photo. Here, you can see that clicking in the grass is telling lightroom that is the color I want to adjust.

This is the luminosity mask, and it’s adjusted with a slider. Like anything else, you really just have to get in and play with all the adjustments to find what you like.

When you’re done, just click the “done” in the right corner. You can go back to readjust at anytime too. Click the radial filter, and the filter you created will show up. Click the dot, and you can edit what you applied before. Or, you can make another filter if you want.

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This weeks Dogwood 52 challenge is No Peeking. Meaning, that we are to take a photo and not look at the screen to check it. Like back in the day when everyone shot film.

When the wild horses start fighting, the action happens way too fast to check the screen. I just shoot, and look at everything on my computer later.

I also thought about this image for the challenge. This was quite the series.

I hope you find the radial filter useful in some of your images. What have you created this week?