PP for Clouds in Lightroom (Page 2): I use the NIK plugins to bring out the clouds and skys in my images. NIK plugins are free and work great in LR and Photoshop. Sadly, when Adobe...

jeep_daddy Loc: Prescott AZ

globetrekker wrote:

Hello Hogs,

What are some good ways to highlight cloud textures and three-dimensionality in Lightroom? Any particular sliders or tools that are recommended? Thanks for any tips.

I use the NIK plugins to bring out the clouds and skys in my images. NIK plugins are free and work great in LR and Photoshop. Sadly, when Adobe comes out with the next major upgrades to their applications the NIK collection will not work.

blackest Loc: Ireland

Local adjustment brush for sky clouds ocean try

exposure -20
contrast 40
highlight 35
shadows -10
clarity 35
saturation 20
sharpness 10

density 88

100% feather and flow

Rich1939 Loc: Pike County Penna.

tdekany wrote:

The haze removal slider can do wonders for clouds.

R.G. Loc: Scotland

This is a quick summary of what has been said already, plus a few extra points. It should give you a good starting point:-

Reduce Highlights, add Contrast and Clarity.

If adding Contrast strengthens the colours too much (making them look too solid) you can desaturate a bit and perhaps lift the Shadows a bit. If you have a HSL section for colours, you can darken and desaturate blue.

Adding Clarity produces a harsher effect than adding Contrast, but it adds more definition (particularly noticeable with whispy clouds). Contrast will add more depth than Clarity does. The best thing to do is experiment. If you select the sky you can exclude (deselect) any small parts of the sky that are being adversely affected by the adjustments.

If after all that you want the sky to have a softer texture (without losing the details) you can add some extra denoise.

via the lens Loc: Northern California, near Yosemite NP

globetrekker wrote:

Hello Hogs,

What are some good ways to highlight cloud textures and three-dimensionality in Lightroom? Any particular sliders or tools that are recommended? Thanks for any tips.

To decrease highlights in the clouds, take down (to the left) the highlights slider. You can also use the gradual density filter to take down exposure, highlights, increase saturation a little bit, and perhaps, in some cases, increase (to the right) the dehaze filter. It is also possible to increase only the WB in clouds using the brush tool, perhaps a warmer tone. To create more of a three-dimensional look in LR use the brush tool and increase or decrease exposure as needed very slightly, usually using the natural flow of the subject and its shadows and highlights. In this case, you would set your brush tool to perhaps 20% and go over the area more than once to get the look you want. You can use contrast to increase the texture in the subject, which can also increase the 3-D feel, but not normally in clouds. Normally a 3-D feel or look comes from shadows and highlights and you will need to experiment with this until you get it to feel right to you.

speters Loc: Grangeville/Idaho

globetrekker wrote:

Hello Hogs,

What are some good ways to highlight cloud textures and three-dimensionality in Lightroom? Any particular sliders or tools that are recommended? Thanks for any tips.

You can do it in ACR, use the individual color sliders to bring them out, also the exposure brush will do a good job!

Reinaldokool Loc: San Rafael, CA

globetrekker wrote:

Hello Hogs,

What are some good ways to highlight cloud textures and three-dimensionality in Lightroom? Any particular sliders or tools that are recommended? Thanks for any tips.

There was a great illustration in a Youtube from Affinity. It would be a little different in LR, but pretty similar. I think it was one of the basic intro to Affinity and Raw.

JD750 Loc: SoCal

globetrekker wrote:

Thanks, Bob. I do shot raw. Sometimes in manual, but typically in Av or Tv. Don't really know my camera's limits. Anything specific tips re adjustments? I haven't done burning and dodging. I'm a man of modes PP skills, so far anyway, lol. Thanks for replying.

I don't want to have to work at learning the art. Learn my camera? That takes work. This is the instant gratification culture after all. I want results NOW! I should not have to work to learn and then have to wait for my gratification. The software should have all that I need and there MUST be a simple button or slider that does exactly what I am thinking. Which one is it? Please tell me.

via the lens Loc: Northern California, near Yosemite NP

JD750 wrote:

I don't want to have to work at learning the art. Learn my camera? That takes work. This is the instant gratification culture after all. I want results NOW! I should not have to work to learn and then have to wait for my gratification. The software should have all that I need and there MUST be a simple button or slider that does exactly what I am thinking. Which one is it? Please tell me.

Hope you got the rant out of your system, lots of ways to do things for different types of people with different goals...MacPhun software....works just like that, pull a slider and the preset kicks in.

globetrekker Loc: Bend, OR

JD750 wrote:

I don't want to have to work at learning the art. Learn my camera? That takes work. This is the instant gratification culture after all. I want results NOW! I should not have to work to learn and then have to wait for my gratification. The software should have all that I need and there MUST be a simple button or slider that does exactly what I am thinking. Which one is it? Please tell me.

That is just offensive. If you don't have anything useful to add in the spirit of collaboration, then just STFU.

JD750 Loc: SoCal

globetrekker wrote:

That is just offensive. If you don't have anything useful to add in the spirit of collaboration, then just STFU.

I guess some people are very easily offended. Quick run to your safe space.

Your quote above is a personal attack and intended to be offensive using crude slang. Mine was just a comment, with a little satire.

SusanFromVermont Loc: Southwest corner of Vermont

JD750 wrote:

I don't want to have to work at learning the art. Learn my camera? That takes work. This is the instant gratification culture after all. I want results NOW! I should not have to work to learn and then have to wait for my gratification. The software should have all that I need and there MUST be a simple button or slider that does exactly what I am thinking. Which one is it? Please tell me.

JD750 wrote:

I guess some people are very easily offended. Quick run to your safe space.

Your quote above is a personal attack and intended to be offensive using crude slang. Mine was just a comment, with a little satire.

Apparently you have a problem with telling the difference between wanting instant gratification and seeking helpful information. The OP asked a legitimate question and was grateful for suggestions to add to a modest amount of experience in PP. Without knowing whether the OP is just learning or has been "sliding along", you made a judgement!

As for the OP's response, while "personal" and "offensive", what did you expect? Your "comment, with a little satire" was equally "personal" and "offensive"! Try seeing what others are really saying. [Try some empathy.] We don't want to have those who ask for advice to be chased away because of negative types of responses. There are too many contributors here who have even worse responses than yours, turning the thread into an argument.

Perhaps there was something that touched a nerve for you, or you are having a bad day. That happens to all of us. Hope you can see that I am not making a personal attack, but rather attempting to give some useful advice!

Have a good day!
Susan

blackest Loc: Ireland

SusanFromVermont wrote:

Apparently you have a problem with telling the dif... (show quote)

Agreed, you put it so well.

globetrekker Loc: Bend, OR

blackest wrote:

Agreed, you put it so well.

I agree. Thank you, Susan.

jeep_daddy Loc: Prescott AZ

jeep_daddy wrote:

I use the NIK plugins to bring out the clouds and skys in my images. NIK plugins are free and work great in LR and Photoshop. Sadly, when Adobe comes out with the next major upgrades to their applications the NIK collection will not work.

I was incorrect about this. I've installed the updated version of LR and Photoshop and they both work fine with the NIK Collection. Happy Happy Happy Happy Happy Happy Happy