Split Toning in Lightroom: A Complete Guide for Beginners

(Last updated on October 16th, 2023)

Short Summary

• Split toning is a technique that allows you to add different colors to the highlights and shadows of your image, creating a unique and artistic effect.
• You can use split toning to enhance the colors, contrast, and mood of your photos, or to create a completely different look.
• You can use split toning in Lightroom CC by using the color grading panel, where you can adjust the hue, saturation, luminance, balance, and blending of each tone.
• You can also use split toning on black and white photos to add some depth and contrast.
• You will see some examples of different split toning effects and how to achieve them, such as warm glow, cooling effect, sepia, cinematic, blush, and more.

Introduction

Have you ever wondered how some photos have a certain mood or atmosphere that makes them stand out? How some photos look warm and cozy, while others look cool and dramatic? How some photos look like they belong to a movie or a magazine?

The secret behind these stunning photos is split toning. Split toning is a technique that allows you to add different colors to the highlights and shadows of your image, creating a unique and artistic effect. You can use split toning to enhance the colors, contrast, and mood of your photos, or to create a completely different look.

In this article, you will learn what split toning is, how to use it in Lightroom, and how to apply it to both color and black and white photos. You will also see some examples of different split toning effects and how to achieve them. By the end of this article, you will be able to use split toning to transform your photos into stunning artworks.

Split Toning Tips Before Starting

Before we dive into the details of split toning, let’s go over some basic tips that will help you get the best results.

• Keep it simple and avoid using too many colors. Split toning works best when you use one or two colors that complement each other. Using more colors can make your photo look messy or unnatural.
• Be subtle and use low saturation levels. Split toning is meant to enhance your photo, not overpower it. Using high saturation levels can make your photo look fake or overprocessed. A little color goes a long way.
• Learn some color theory and use complementary or contrasting colors. Complementary colors are opposite on the color wheel, such as blue and orange, or purple and yellow. Contrasting colors are adjacent on the color wheel, such as red and orange, or green and blue. Using these colors can create a harmonious or dramatic effect on your photo.
• Try orange and teal for a cinematic or Instagram look. Orange and teal are one of the most popular combinations for split toning, as they create a warm and cool contrast that mimics the look of movies or social media filters. You can use orange for the highlights and teal for the shadows, or vice versa.
• Add mood to black and white photos with a tint. Split toning can also be used on black and white photos to add some depth and contrast. You can use a single tint for the whole image, or different tints for the highlights and shadows.

One last tip: split toning is not suitable for all photos. It depends on the light, tones, and colors of your image. Some photos may look better without split toning, or with other adjustments. The best way to find out is to experiment with different settings and use virtual copies to compare results.

What is Split Toning in Lightroom?

Split toning is a method of adding different colors to the highlights and shadows of an image. Highlights are the bright areas of your image, such as the sky, clouds, or reflections. Shadows are the dark areas of your image, such as the ground, trees, or shadows. By adding different colors to these areas, you can create a variety of effects on your image.

Split toning is also known as color grading in Lightroom CC, which is the new term for this technique. Color grading is more than just adding colors to your image; it also allows you to adjust the luminance (brightness) and balance (weight) of each color.

To access the color grading panel in Lightroom CC, open the Edit section and expand the Color panel. You will see three wheels: one for shadows, one for midtones, and one for highlights. Each wheel has a handle that you can drag to set the hue (color) and saturation (intensity) of each tone. You can also use the slider underneath each wheel to set the luminance (brightness) of each tone.

You can also adjust the balance and blending levels at the bottom of the panel. The balance slider allows you to shift the weight of each tone towards either highlights or shadows. The blending slider allows you to control how much each tone overlaps with each other.

How to Use Split Toning in Lightroom

Now that you know what split toning is and how to access it in Lightroom CC, let’s see how to use it in practice.

Here are the steps to use split toning in Lightroom CC:

1. Open the Edit section and expand the Color panel.
2. Drag the handles in the center of each wheel to set the hue and saturation for shadows, midtones, and highlights. You can also use the eyedropper tool to pick a color from your image.
3. Use the slider underneath each wheel to set the luminance for shadows, midtones, and highlights. You can also use the keyboard shortcuts J and K to increase or decrease the luminance.
4. Adjust the balance and blending levels to fine-tune the effect. You can also use the keyboard shortcuts H and G to increase or decrease the balance, and B and N to increase or decrease the blending.

That’s it! You have successfully applied split toning to your image.

Here are some tips and tricks for using split toning effectively:

• Use complementary colors for a harmonious look. Complementary colors are opposite on the color wheel, such as blue and orange, or purple and yellow. Using these colors can create a balanced and pleasing effect on your image. For example, you can use blue for the shadows and orange for the highlights to create a warm and cool contrast.
• Use contrasting colors for a dramatic look. Contrasting colors are adjacent on the color wheel, such as red and orange, or green and blue. Using these colors can create a strong and vivid effect on your image. For example, you can use red for the shadows and orange for the highlights to create a fiery and intense contrast.
• Use subtle colors for a realistic look. Subtle colors are low in saturation and close to neutral, such as gray, brown, or beige. Using these colors can create a natural and realistic effect on your image. For example, you can use gray for the shadows and beige for the highlights to create a soft and gentle contrast.
• Use split toning to correct white balance or create a film look. Split toning can also be used to fix or change the white balance of your image, which is the overall color temperature of your image. For example, you can use blue for the shadows and yellow for the highlights to make your image look cooler or warmer. You can also use split toning to mimic the look of film photography, which often has subtle color shifts in different tones.
• Use split toning to add mood or emotion to your photos. Split toning can also be used to convey a certain mood or emotion in your photos, such as happiness, sadness, nostalgia, or mystery. For example, you can use pink for the shadows and purple for the highlights to create a romantic or dreamy mood.

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How to Use Split Toning on Black and White Photos

Split toning can also be used on black and white photos to add some depth and contrast. You can use a single tint for the whole image, or different tints for the highlights and shadows.

Here are the steps to use split toning on black and white photos:

1. Convert your color photo to black and white in Lightroom using one of the following methods:
   • In the Basic panel, click Black & White.
   • Right-click on your image and choose Develop Settings > Convert to Black & White.
   • Press V on your keyboard to toggle the black & white mode.
   • Use the Profile Browser or the B&W panel to choose a black and white profile or mix.
2. Go to the Color panel and click on B&W or B&W Mixer. You will see a list of eight colors: red, orange, yellow, green, aqua, blue, purple, and magenta. Each color represents a range of tones in your image that you can adjust individually.
3. Drag the sliders for each color to change the luminance (brightness) of those tones. You can also use the Targeted Adjustment Tool (TAT) to click and drag on your image to adjust the corresponding color slider.
4. Experiment with different combinations of colors and luminance values to create different effects on your black and white image. You can also use the balance and blending sliders to fine-tune the overall effect.

Conclusion

Split toning is a powerful technique that can help you enhance your photos by adding different colors to the highlights and shadows. You can use split toning to create various effects, such as warm glow, cooling effect, sepia, cinematic, blush, and more. You can also use split toning on black and white photos to add some depth and contrast.

Split toning is easy to use in Lightroom CC, where you can access the color grading panel and adjust the hue, saturation, luminance, balance, and blending of each tone. You can also use presets or profiles to quickly apply split toning effects.

I hope this article has helped you learn how to use split toning in Lightroom CC. Have fun with split toning and share your results with me! 😊

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)