In both PL8 & 9 I find that the shadows slider gives a global adjustment very similar to simply changing the global exposure, unlike LR which only touches the shadows. Any work arounds for this, other than masking?
Far better to use the Tone Curve - and the Fine Contrast sliders from the FilmPack plugin for improving shadow contrast.
I agree - it is just a shame that the curves tool is not available on masks.
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Of course, there is one other choice for masks and that is the Luminosity mask. Just brush over with a soft brush for whatever levels you want to affect.
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@Joanna , just a reminder that for many people the Luminosity mask is not an option because they don’t have a license for FilmPack.
Mark
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Elsewhere in this forum, you can find demonstrations of how the Selective Tone sliders in PhotoLab affect an image. Short answer: if you want more isolation, try reducing the Midtones when raising Shadows or Highlights. Or use the Blacks slider instead of Shadows.
Many people complain that these sliders don’t work the same as with Lightroom. DxO designed theirs differently and have stood by their decision. Sometimes DxO’s way is very pleasing. But it will take more work if you want to narrow your tonal selection. I imagine that some day DxO will make the range of these sliders more adjustable.
Yes but it is all a workaround. Why they cannot just sort it head on escapes me.
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Thanks all, I don’t want to get Filmpack as well. If I decide to carry on with PL9 then I won’t be getting it until Nov when they always have black friday deals. I’m keen to get away from Adobe.
If I may - don’t think of FilmPack as an optional extra. It is actually already included in PhotoLab and just needs activating, just like ViewPoint.
What DxO have done is to provide a cut price “lite” version by allowing you to ignore certain features.
In fact, if you were to activate the 30 day free trial of FP, there’s a fair chance you would realise what you are missing, as it is not just about film emulations, but much more.
And, no, I don’t get any recompense from DxO for promoting it.
IMO, the Selective Tonality sliders are very poor and cause all sorts of side effects - see this post Selective Tone / Highlights too "broad" - #41 by Joanna as well as this one Visible Posterization in PL8, in Bokeh Areas - #22 by Joanna
Exactly! For years, I’ve been wondering what these sliders are actually for, since their usefulness is minimal and their range of action is so wide that, apart from minimal adjustments, they are useless… Why can’t they work like the ones in LR, where they are really well implemented? I really have no idea why they are so poor in PhotoLab…
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