STEP BY STEP GET MORE FROM RAW

Head over to the Develop module to adjust highlights and shadows

01 Examine the histogram

Import midtone_start.dng into Lightroom and into the Develop module. First, tweak the white balance, as this can alter the tones: drag the Temperature slider to 3418 to remove the warm cast, and the Tint slider to +22 to remove the hint of magenta.

03 remove the Clipped areas

Click the Highlight Clipping Warning icon at the top-right of the histogram window. Blown highlights will turn red. Move the cursor onto the far right of the histogram. The Whites slider will become highlighted below. Drag Whites to -20 and Highlights to -60.

05 increase the midtone Contrast

You now have a healthier-looking histogram. Drag the Clarity slider to +69. This increases midtone contrast, revealing texture and detail in the press and the bench. Zoom in to 1:1 magnification to compare the before and after versions and see the revealed detail. The Canon Magazine

02 increase the Exposure

Now, to reveal more detail, kick off by dragging the Exposure slider right to +1.15. The histogram will slide to the right, as some of the shadows become midtones. We can see more detail in the printing press – but some of the highlights are now blown out.

04 improve the Global Contrast

To reveal more detail, drag Shadows to +72. This selectively lightens more of the shadows. You can now see more detail in the printing press, but the photo lacks contrast and there aren’t any strong blacks. To improve the overall contrast, drag Blacks left to -65.

06 Fine-tune the Clipped patches

Return to the Loupe view (click its icon or press D). Moving the Clarity slider may have caused clipping in the background’s brighter areas, so drag the Whites slider left to -70. A few red patches can remain in the windows, because they contain no important details.