Calibration Secrets – Unlock Lightroom’s calibration panel once and for all

Learn exactly how the calibration panel works inside Lightroom Classic

We’ve done tutorials on the Calibration Panel inside of Lightroom Classic before. Sometimes hearing it from a different perspective is what you need to finally connect the dots. In this super simple & insightful tutorial, Mark Denney explains how the Calibration Panel actually works and the way he uses it in his photography editing workflow in Adobe Lightroom Classic.

So what’s the main difference between the Lightroom Calibration Panel and the HSL panel or saturation sliders in Lightroom?

It all comes down to GLOBAL vs LOCAL adjustments.

• Adjustment brushes affect only the area of the image you select.
• HSL channels affect only the specific color you select
• The Calibration panel affects EVERY PIXEL in your image.

Any adjustment you make effects every part of your image.

In a photo, each pixel contains an RGB value – The amount of RED, GREEN & BLUE that combine to make that specific pixels brightness & color.

Once you get your head around this, the way you see the calibration tool finally begins to make sense.

You can use it correctively, to balance out color casts in your images

OR you can use it stylistically, to adjust skin tones or get those orange and teal tones so famously overused on IG.

The key is knowing how it works, then you have the power to truly use it however you want!

What do you think? Will you be using the calibration tool differently now? Let us know how in the comments!