Gleep715 Loc: Nesbitt, TX

I have an interesting dilemma with some fireworks pictures I am editing. I have a two monitor system and do all of the editing on the main monitor (the one directly in front of me). I have taken the time to get this monitor properly calibrated but have never bothered to do so on for the second monitor since the main thing I use it for is the extra desktop space to keep a second app open to drag files from.
I had a limited view when I shot the fireworks pictures on Tuesday and had a streetlight in the left side of every picture and a tree just to the right of the spot where the fireworks were being shot from. The tree hasn't proved to be much of a problem but it did block some of the lowest edges of some of the bursts. The streetlight, on the other hand significantly detracts from the quality of every photo.
My dilemma comes in at the level of editing the photos. I have no reservations about removing the streetlight to create a great picture. The problem I am having is the appearance of the picture when viewed on a calibrated monitor (and printed copies) versus that on the un-calibrated monitor. On my primary monitor and what I had printed today none of the light spilling over from the streetlight is visible. On the secondary monitor the area I have darkened around the light is like a big black blob with a jagged edge with a halo of light that runs up to the edge of the bursting fireworks.
I am debating whether I should leave the edits like the are since they look perfect when printed and on my main monitor knowing that the picture isn't really done well or do I worry about getting them to look right on a monitor with incorrect brightness and contrast settings. I know that it comes down to personal preferences but I am interested in your opinions.

rgrenaderphoto Loc: Hollywood, CA

In Lightroom, which I assume you have, use the adjustment brush to highlight the street lamp and adjust exposure, highlights, etc until you mute it to the point you want.

Gleep715 Loc: Nesbitt, TX

I have Lightroom but know next to nothing about it. I'm working my way through a course on Photoshop and haven't gotten to learning LR yet. Thanks for the tip. I'll try to figure it out.

R.G. Loc: Scotland

There's only one way to set up a monitor properly, but there's an infinite number of ways that a monitor can be set up wrong. If you adjusted your pictures to look OK on your second monitor there would still be a million and one monitors that would make the picture look off. The best you can do is go by what your main monitor is showing you, especially since it looks OK in print. That's assuming that your main monitor is set up to be as neutral as possible.

People that have incorrectly set up monitors will be used to seeing the consequences. Or are you concerned about some monitors showing up your editing? An editing style that aims for an unprocessed look is most likely to produce images that won't show signs of editing on the majority of monitors. But the bottom line is that all editing will produce images that are monitor-sensitive.

Gleep715 Loc: Nesbitt, TX

The monitor was calibrated using the software that came with the video card I recently purchased. Also, I looked much closer at the prints and can see at little of the glow from the streetlight. I seriously doubt anyone who is not looking at the prints with a very critical eye would notice it but I am not satisfied. Since my original post I have been trying to work with the settings and found that no matter what I change, including setting the brightness at maximum, I cannot see the lighter areas on my primary monitor that I see on the secondary. As suggested I tried using Lightroom to take care of the problem in the unmodified pictures. The light and all glow from it disappeared from the screen until I moved LR to the second monitor. The resolution on the secondary monitor is too limited for me to comfortably use it for my editing so I have purchased a replacement monitor but haven't had a chance to install it yet. Once I have everything set back up I am going to go back and re-edit the files from the beginning.

rgrenaderphoto Loc: Hollywood, CA

One really great thing about Lightroom is that all edits are non-destructive. Hitting the Reset button returns your image to original condition. In Photoshop, if you don't do a Save As, you original is modified.

Gleep715 Loc: Nesbitt, TX

That is a nice feature and one that I expect to rely on. When I edit with Photoshop I normally move a copy of the file(s) I plan to edit to a temp folder and work from there to keep from accidentally altering the original.
I do intend to do a lot more with Lightroom but I don't have good enough bandwidth at home to watch videos and haven't bought a book on it yet. I don't ) know anyone who knows enough about Lightroom to even give me tips. I'm halfway through the lessons in Adobe Photoshop CC Classroom in a Book (2017) and will find a similar resource for Lightroom soon.

bdk Loc: Sanibel Fl.

Outline the streetlight using the lasso tool , hit shift F5 , a box comes up, in the box at the top click thru till you get content aware is showing up now hit enter.
save the new pic and look at it on the second monitor , is it any better?

10MPlayer Loc: California

LR is much easier to understand. It is mainly a file management application that allows you to make a lot of basic adjustments to the pixels. If you're not doing a lot a complex graphic arts tricks you can do just fine with LR alone. Photoshop is much harder to learn. I've spent probably 80 hours going through tutorials and how-to video and have only scratched the surface. PS is like learning to play a musical instrument. If you don't work at it a little every week you'll never learn it. I know I haven't even come close.