LRC Auto Tone Refinements

Some members use Auto Tone, some do not, some might find the quick settings in the Library module work better than the Tone in Develop, some not. Using Auto Tone in LrC has a history to many of being bad, to after upgrades sometimes bad, to newer upgrades to Ok. Many of us remember the old terrible Auto Tone days (on at least some subjects) and do not use it.

So, the replies to this posting are going to be interesting.

Some things to consider and perhaps review then reply on:

• Auto Tone in Library vs Develop (might relate more to batch Auto Tone for using Library Modules Quick Develop)
• Any particular Profile, better, worse
• Any specific camera, better, worse
• Any particular mod to Tone Curve prior to Auto Tone, effect this (yes most will mod tone curve later)
• Any specific situation, as you stated at least when White Values get cranked up.
• If you readjust a particular slider after the Auto Tone (in this case White) does it improve
• I am sure other members will have other what if's

Personally, I do not use auto tone any longer. It bothered me that LrC will sometimes blow it. But I do shift + double click exposure, white, and Black (individually) to get approximate  EXP (brightness) and the White and Black point. Sometime I find the Black mod is just wrong, sometimes (typically in a poorly exposed blown out sky) the white may be better controlled using a mask and a brush.

Note, while it is a pain to initially set up,within Jeffrey’s “Bag-o-Goodies” Lightroom Plugin, their is a Personalized Auto Tone component that will limit LrC Auto Tone sliders, so for example, you could limit how far out the White slider would be allowed to go. Have you experimented with that? Make sure to read the documentation on how to set it up, a bit tricky.