Black and White Portrait in Adobe Lightroom CC 2025 Tutorial,
Therefore, getting a striking black and white (B&W) outdoor portrait in Lightroom involves converting the image and then focusing on tonal contrast, which is what replaces color in B&W photography.
In other words, here is a general workflow:
Black and White Portrait in Adobe Lightroom CC 2025 Tutorial,
1. Convert to Black and White:
- Go to the Develop Module and in the Basic Panel, click the B&W button.
- Best Practice: Therefore, Many professionals recommend shooting in color (RAW format) and then converting in post-processing. This retains the color data needed for the B&W Mix. You can also start with the Adobe Monochrome Profile in the Profile section of the Basic Panel.
2. Adjust Tonal Range and Contrast:
Therefore, B&W photography relies heavily on the separation of light and dark.
- Exposure: Start here. Adjust for the overall brightness to place the midtones where you want them.
- Contrast: In other words, increase the Contrast slider for a more dramatic, punchy look, or decrease it for a softer, more moody feel.
- Highlights & Shadows: Use these to selectively refine the lighter and darker areas.
- Reduce Highlights and Whites to recover detail in bright areas (like skies or bright skin).
- Increase Shadows and Blacks to reveal detail in darker areas, or reduce Blacks for deeper, richer shadows. You should aim for a small amount of pure black and pure white for a full tonal range. Hold the Alt (Win) / Option (Mac) key while moving the Whites and Blacks sliders to see clipping.
- Clarity: In other words, Increase Clarity to enhance mid-tone contrast and add texture, which is often desirable in B&W portraits, especially for outdoor shots. Be careful not to overdo it, as it can look harsh on the skin.
Black and White Portrait in Adobe Lightroom CC 2025 Tutorial,
3. Fine-Tune with the B&W Mix:
In other words, this is the most critical step for controlling the “color grading” of your B&W image. The B&W Mix panel (formerly HSL/Color) allows you to control how the original colors convert to shades of gray.
- Lighten Skin Tones: Red and Orange sliders primarily control skin tones. Moving these to the right (lighter) often brightens the face and makes the subject stand out.
- Darken Background/Sky: For an outdoor portrait, darkening the Blue slider can make a bright sky more dramatic. Darkening the Greens or Yellows can darken grass or foliage, adding separation from the subject.
- Targeted Adjustment Tool: In other words, use the small circular tool next to the B&W Mix panel. Click and drag up/down on a specific color area in the photo (like the subject’s face or the background) to adjust the corresponding color sliders automatically.
Black and White Portrait in Adobe Lightroom CC 2025 Tutorial,
4. Add Toning (Color Grading)
In other words, while the image is B&W, you can add a subtle color tint for mood using the Color Grading panel (formerly Split Toning).
- Highlights: Apply a very subtle warm tone (e.g., Hue around 40-60, low Saturation) for an aged or sepia-like feel.
- Shadows: Apply a complementary, subtle cool tone (e.g., Hue around 220-250, low Saturation) for a classic cinematic look.
- Blending and Balance: Adjust these to control the transition between the tones in the shadows and highlights.
Black and White Portrait in Adobe Lightroom CC 2025 Tutorial,
5. Finishing Touches:
- Tone Curve: In other words, use the Tone Curve for ultimate control over contrast, including lifting the black point for a “matte” or filmic look.
- Grain: Add Grain (in the Effects panel) for a more authentic, analog film aesthetic.
- Vignette: Add a subtle Post-Crop Vignette (in the Effects panel) to darken the edges and draw the viewer’s eye toward the central subject.
