Tweak the levels

[mattchewone]

What do people mean by this and how is it done? It's something I see a fair amount around the critique forums etc.

I don't do alot of post processing so am not too sure what people actually mean and what affect it has on the photo.
Also tips on PP the thing I tend to do is adjust exposure and WB if necessary and then clarity and vibrance tweak and a quick sharpness adjust. Should I be looking at more things and tweaking to get the best out of my image?

I use LR2 so any help would be great.

Many thanks
Matt

 

[arad85]

Take a couple of images and play with the sliders in LR2 and see what they do. It's the best way to learn IMHO...

 

[garryknight]

"Tweaking the levels" refers to altering the highlights, mid-tones and shadows in a picture. In Photoshop and Lightroom there are levels adjusters but they work in slightly different ways. In Lightroom 2, the bit you want is called the "Tone Curve panel" and you can read about it here. If you don't have the Help installed, you might like to bookmark the online help.

Also, have a look at the Adobe Video Workshop. Select "Photoshop Lightroom 2" in the top-left pane and you'll find 14 or so videos covering various aspects of using LR2. A search on YouTube for "Lightroom" will turn up so many that you'll wish you hadn't looked