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Dan Rodney/3 min read

Using the Graduated Filter Tool

Color Grading Steps

1

White Balance First

Get neutral colors right before any creative grading.

2

HSL Panel

Shift, lighten, or darken individual color ranges.

3

Color Grading

Set highlight, midtone, shadow color tints for mood.

4

Match Across the Set

Sync settings across selected images for consistency.

Master Adobe Tools at Noble Desktop

Noble Desktop's Graphic Design Certificate covers Photoshop alongside the broader Adobe toolkit that complements Lightroom in any photography workflow.

Explore a comprehensive tutorial on how to use the Graduated Filter tool in Lightroom, including practical exercises on adjusting the size and scope, deleting filter masks, and creating a feathered darkening effect on images.

Topics Covered in This Lightroom Tutorial:

The Graduated Filter Tool, Adjusting the Size & Scope of the Graduated Filter, Deleting Filter Masks

Exercise Preview

lightroom preview4B

Exercise Overview

In this exercise, you will learn how to use the Graduated Filter tool. We’ll use it to adjust the exposure of an image, creating a feathered darkening effect on the sky.

The Graduated Filter Tool

  1. If you have not imported the photos that were imported in Exercise 2E:
    • Go into the Library module.
    • At the bottom left of the screen, click Import.
    • In the dialog box that appears, on the left under Source, navigate to Desktop > Class Files > Lightroom Class and select the Develop folder.
    • At the top, above the photos, make sure Add is selected (highlighted).
    • On the bottom right, click Import.

  2. In the Library module, click on the sky & horizon photo (20110820_ben_199).

  3. Press D to go into the Develop module.

  4. On the right side under the Histogram panel, click the Graduated Filter tool graduated filter.

  5. In the panel that appears, from the Effect menu, select Exposure.

  6. Below that, drag the Exposure slider to the left, to around − 1.80.

  7. Hold Shift, then click and drag from the topmost center point of the photo to a little past the bottom of the photo, in a straight line down as shown below:

    screenshot gradfilter 1

  8. Click the Graduated Filter tool graduated filter again to deselect it.

  9. Let’s examine our work:
    • At the bottom of the screen, click the Before & After icon before after yy button.
    • Press Tab.
    • Press L twice.

  10. It looks good, but the effect is a little much. Press L again.

  11. Press Tab.

  12. At the bottom of the screen, click the Loupe View icon loupe view, or press D.

Deleting a Graduated Filter

  1. Click the Graduated Filter tool graduated filter.

  2. Click on the circle gray circle that appears in the middle of the photo.

  3. Notice that a black dot black dot circle appears inside to show it’s selected.

  4. Hit Delete on your keyboard.

Adjusting a Graduated Filter

Let’s apply the graduated filter to the image again, but this time we’ll adjust the filter to get a more subtle effect.

  1. Hold Shift, then click and drag from the topmost center point of the photo to about two thirds of the way down the photo (a little before the ground).

  2. Drag the bottom of the filter slightly to adjust the feathering.

  3. Notice that the center of the effect moved. We want the center to stay in the same place.

  4. Press Cmd–Z (Mac) or CTRL–Z (Windows) to undo what you just did.

  5. Hold Opt (Mac) or ALT (Windows) and drag the bottom part of the filter up as shown below:

    screenshot gradfilter 2

    The center of the filter stays put, allowing us to adjust the feathering.

  6. Drag the bottom of the filter down again to bring the effect of the filter closer to the horizon. This will move the center point lower and increase the scope of the filter.

  7. Hold Opt (Mac) or ALT (Windows) and drag the bottom part of the filter up again to adjust the feathering.

  8. Repeat the steps above until you think the center of the graduated filter and the feathering looks good. If you need some guidance, look at the screenshot below:

    final graduated filter

  9. Click the Graduated Filter tool graduated filter again to deselect it.

  10. At the bottom of the screen, click the Before & After icon before after yy button.

    Quite the contrast indeed!