Editing Minimalistic Photography in Lightroom — Mikko Lagerstedt

You can use multiple masks and make highly complex selections.

You can also use the following manual masking tools:

• Select the Graduated Filter tool from the toolbar on the right side of the screen. This tool allows you to apply a gradient effect to your photo, which can help draw the viewer’s attention to a specific area of the image.

To use the graduated filter, click and drag on the part of the image where you want the effect to start. Then, release the mouse button where you want the effect to end. It will create a gradient effect that gradually changes the photo’s exposure, contrast, saturation, or other settings.

• Next, you can use the Radial Filter tool to apply a circular gradient effect to your photo. It can help create a vignette effect or draw attention to a particular image area. To use the radial filter, click and drag on the part of the image where you want the center of the effect to be, and then release the mouse button to set the radius of the effect.

• Finally, you can use the brush tool to apply effects to specific areas of the photo selectively. Select the brush tool from the toolbar on the right side of the screen and then adjust the brush settings to control the brush’s size, hardness, and other properties. Then, brush over the areas of the photo where you want the effect to be applied.

Using these tools, you can create a more minimalistic photograph by selectively applying adjustments to specific areas of the image. It can help draw the viewer’s attention to the essential parts of the photo and create a more cohesive and balanced composition.

4. REMOVING DISTRACTIONS

One of the most helpful ways to make your photograph more minimalistic is to remove distracting elements. In Lightroom, the healing tool is the tool you can use to get rid of unnecessary elements. This tool allows you to selectively remove unwanted objects from your photo, which can help create a more minimalistic and cohesive composition.

There are three different tools inside the healing panel in the Lightroom CC 2022 version. The Content-Aware Remove, Healing, and Clone tool.

1. The Content-Aware Remove tool tries to automatically remove selected distractions without suggesting an area to apply with.

2. The healing tool suggests a replacement for the spot you are trying to remove and uses an algorithm to match the color and light of the applied area.

3. The clone tool clones an area you want to remove.

Use the cropping and straightening tools to remove distractions and frame the photograph to emphasize the subject.