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gannon.johnc
gannon.johnc
Participant
June 17, 2019
Question

Automate white and black clipping on import - Lightroom Classic

  • June 17, 2019
  • 5 replies
  • 1232 views

I have been asking Adobe to do this since the added this manual feature in '14. Why can't they automate the white and black clipping (shift double click on <white, black>) on import or for for all selected images?

I understand that the amount / level varies for each image. That's why we need LR to handle it as a function on import or that you can trigger at any time. In fact, why is this not a standard part of the process or profiles?

We can argue about the artistic value of over/under clipping and contrast / dynamic range. But, an image that uses 100% of the range is the best place to start editing.

Auto editing does this, but it adjusts everything else as well and still after 4 (?) years makes a mess of the images on import.

What am I missing about this?

John

    This topic has been closed for replies.

    5 replies

    Todd Shaner
    Todd Shaner
    Legend
    June 17, 2019

    gannon.johnc  wrote

    We can argue about the artistic value of over/under clipping and contrast / dynamic range. But, an image that uses 100% of the range is the best place to start editing.

    The LR Process Version 3, 4, and 5 Tone controls are "image adaptive," which causes them to interact with each other. Adjusting them in a top-down workflow (just as Adobe has organized) them provides the fastest method of achieving the desired toning. More here:

    Tone Control Adjustment Procedure

    gannon.johnc  wrote

    Why can't they automate the white and black clipping (shift double click on <white, black>) on import or for for all selected images?

    As stated above setting the White and Black clipping controls FIRST is only useful if you leave all of the other controls at their default settings. As soon as you apply the Exposure, Contrast, Highlights, and Shadows settings the White and Black clipping points will change and sometimes very drastically! I've also noticed that SHIFT double-click on the Whites and Blacks controls can produce extreme wrong settings. For example with a dark underexposed image that has very bright clipped highlights the Whites control will go negative and often to -100. You know that's not the optimum value because once you apply the very needed -Highlights and +Shadows those SHIFT double-click clipping point settings will change significantly! However, they will still be incorrect settings because this method of setting them uses no intelligence (Your Brain or Sensei Ai).

    As 99jon mentions, "For blacks and whites I always press the Alt (Optn) key when using the sliders to get the optimum setting at the point of clipping." For the example I just described above you want to adjust those fully clipped highlights so that they appear fully clipped in the Alt (Optn) key preview. That's reality because there's no recovering fully RGB channel clipped raw data! Setting Whites to the lower SHIFT double-click value will simply make the unclipped highlights appear darker and less natural.

    Your other option is to use the Auto function after Import. Unfortunately, batch applying Auto Settings uses a lower resolution camera raw cache data at the link 99jon mentions, which can produce less than optimum results. You'll need to apply the Auto Settings function to each image file individually to get the best results. I've created two 'Idea' posts in the Photoshop Family forum to improve both Auto and Manual Settings rendering with batch application. Please add your 'Me To' vote, 'Follow,' and any comments at the below two posts. Thank you!

    Option To Batch Apply Auto Settings With Full-Resolution Image Data | Photoshop Family Customer Community

    The following post was originally intended to "fix an issue when using Auto Settings with fisheye lens images that have unexposed black frame areas. However, the center-weighted concept has the added benefit of improving the accuracy of Auto Settings calculations with normal image files. This is similar to center-weighted and evaluative exposure metering that all current cameras use, but targets  ALL of the LR Tone control settings.

    Center-Weighted Option for Auto and Manual Tone Settings | Photoshop Family Customer Community

    gannon.johnc
    gannon.johncAuthor
    Participant
    June 17, 2019

    Thanks this is all very helpful.

    Yes, I do realize that there is interplay among the tone settings. It has just always seemed to me that white and black were more black and white (could not resist). I almost never end up right at the clipped level, but it's just one step that I would like to eliminate. Plus, I take a lot of images and for 80% of them it's good enough.

    Having done a lot of reading today, I will start using Auto again - it was awful in the past which I always found odd since Adobe made such a big deal about it. Adobe seems to be aware of the batch apply issue. I will vote for your suggestion.

    Somehow this led me to profiles. I had not understood the change in profiles, or how to use them, unitl today. Interesting given that I am an IT professional who has been using LR for about 8 years. Not sure how I missed the info on how to get profile adjustment into my workflow. Anway, I started usign the new profiles and it has really changed my images. I am getting better color and more range and better contrast without moving sliders.

    I don't have a before and after image for the Auto - my comment was based on memory of past expereince. Always happy to try something new.

    Here are a few recent images, though. They are from Alaska. Check out the glaciers. Great subject to shoot.  https://www.flickr.com/photos/jcgannon/albums/72157709121870843/with/48078600898/

    Thanks,

    John

    GoldingD
    GoldingD
    Legend
    June 17, 2019

    Did you look at the link elie_di provided to the jeffery Friedl plug-in? Looks like it would accomplish your goal. You could use it to accomplish the auto tone but only for say whites and blacks (or shadows or hi lites, some of us go one way some another)

    99jon
    99jon
    Legend
    June 17, 2019

    For blacks and whites I always press the Alt (Optn) key when using the sliders to get the optimum setting at the point of clipping.

    elie_dinur
    elie_dinur
    Participating Frequently
    June 17, 2019

    Jeffrey Friedl has a plugin with which you can custom configure the Auto Settings feature, attenuating or excluding some parameters while retaining others.

    Jeffrey Friedl's Blog » Personalizing Lightroom’s Amazing New “Auto Tone” Feature

      Tony_See
      Tony_See
      Inspiring
      June 17, 2019

      Yep

      I'd reset your Develop module and purge the cache before attempting this.

      John: Be interested for you to post back a cropped screenshot after this has been achieved for our benefit if you can . . . ?

      99jon
      99jon
      Legend
      June 17, 2019

      Hi John

      The auto-settings are not designed to be used as a batch process on import or cached previews.  AI (Sensei technology & machine learning) is used to give a best starting point on individual photos. See if this link helps:

      https://feedback.photoshop.com/photoshop_family/topics/auto-tone-of-a-batch-of-photos-gives-different-results-than-if-you-do-them-one-at-a-time

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