# Tone curving



## someothername (Apr 8, 2012)

I was worried that the changes in the development module would play havoc with a technique I've been using in LR3 to enhance images.  I am finding that direct work on the tonal curve is a great way to develop an image, both when done with a delicate touch for a "normal" image and when done aggressively for a more "abstract" image.

I'm happy to report that tone curve works even better in LR4 than it did in LR3.  This is a blog where I discuss the general approach, but does not include screen shots of actual curve plot or other development details
http://redwoodtwig.blogspot.com/2012/04/tonal-curving.html

This blog contains more specific development information, but with screenshots from the LR3 development module.  Be advised that this blog is 18+ and proceed accordingly.  http://thenakedform.blogspot.com/2012/01/tonal-abstraction.html

In the few tests that I did, the tone curve work I did in LR3 does not translate.  Turning on the 2012 process on a tone curved image simply removes the tone curving completely.   I haven't downloaded the release candidate because I'm going to wait for the actual update.  I'm hoping the facebook issue will be resolved by then also.  

What is interesting is that I had saved a few of the tone curves I'd applied as presets and those come across intact.  However, when that preset is applied to a 2012 processed image, the look is very different.


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## jeorf (Apr 8, 2012)

I am looking for some information about the differences between the new basic sliders and the sliders in tone curve. There was a previous discussion when it was LR4 beta and I didn't understand the terminology such as:
The Highlights & Shadows in the Basic panel are tonemapped - they adapt to each photo.  Whites and blacks are clipping.  Tone Curve is a proper curve.

and:
It seems that the default Point Curve is now "Linear" instead of "Medium Contrast"
Am I correct?

Any plainer English translation or just more basic explanation?

Thanks.


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## Victoria Bampton (Apr 8, 2012)

Brandon, the release candidate fixes the point curve issue on any photos that haven't been edited, so if you've used the tone curve much, it's probably worth updating.

Jeorf, yes, the default point curve is now called linear.  The same curve is just going on behind the scenes now.  

The short version is:
Set Exposure to make the midtones/overall brightness look right.
Set Contrast, mainly looking at the midtones
Adjust Highlights and Shadows to bring back shadow/highlight detail.


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## happycranker (Apr 12, 2012)

When I upgraded to 4.1 the application created two folders in my Collections with photos that had recovered curves data in them. Not sure why two folders and how they managed to find so few, as most of my recent work has some tone curve modification. Anyway I assume that some time in a future release this will be fixed for good?


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## b_gossweiler (Apr 12, 2012)

Please note that only those images with non default tone curves which have had their previews wrongly re-rendered in LR4.0 (i.e. by just going into Develop, without doing adjustments) are reported in the first collection. There might have been many more images corrected, but if they have never "looked" wrong in LR4.0 (because the old preview was still active), they are not reported in the collection.

The second collection should contain images with recovered tone curves that have already been edited in LR4.0. For this reason, automatic adjustment of the end result has been performed.

Beat


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