Why Your Skin Tones Look Muddy And How To Fix Them In Lightroom
14K views · May 14, 2026 · Howto & Style
Comments · 7
@davet3530 · 1 month ago
Some really useful tips in here - e.g the variance slider for evening out the skin tones. I recently took a photo in mixed lighting conditions that was also in a very dark room. In post editing in Lightroom, I got the look I was after, but there was some unusual blemishing on part ofthe subject's face. I think the variance tip you have given here will sort the problem out. <br><br>In the bit where you suggest using the pillows or the sheets to use as a neutral white - viewers might find it helpful to look at the values that are being shown by the eye dropper e.g. as the more equal all three of those values are, the more neutral that particular spot is.<br><br>Thanks for the great tips.
@andrewrichards912 · 4 months ago (edited)
Using a grey card for white balance is all very well and good so long as the lighting on the grey card is the same as the subject and of course the exposure on the grey card. A grey card at the wrong angle will give a different shade of grey. You. You can a white balance dropper from white but make sure its not clipped white but a well exposed white.
4
@kgulledge.creative · 3 months ago
Great information here, thanks for the tips and explanations! Great ideas as skin tones are always so elusive for me.
@thilinaalagiyawanna3680 · 4 months ago
Thank you
@osmandocardoso2014 · 4 months ago
When using a gray card for white balance, what white balance setting should I use on the camera when taking the photo? Brazil
2
@martinshoesmith522 · 4 months ago
Try to say, “go ahead” a lot less. Not necessary.
Up next

My Natural Skin Retouching Workflow For Portrait Photos Using Lightroom
Photo Feaver · 4.7K views

The Canon R6 mark iii 6 months later... is it worth it?
Isaiah Wehrmann · 4.1K views

The Search for Self and the Return Home: In Conversation with Eugenia Manolidou
Ralston College · 3.2K views

LIGHTROOM MASKING TRICKS AND HACKS that took me forever to learn.
Simon d'Entremont · 250K views

How To Create a High Key Wedding Look In Lightroom
Photo Feaver · 4.6K views

These Two Tools Are Not The Same! Colour Mixer Vs Calibration
Photo Feaver · 11K views

How to Fix Backlit Photos (Lightroom Masking Tutorial for Beginners)
Manual Mode for Moms · 11K views

How To Colour Grade Your RAW Files In Lightroom
Photo Feaver · 10K views

The Last Tone Curve Tutorial You'll Ever Need To Watch
Signature Edits · 228K views

How I get natural skin tones in every portrait - Lightroom
Vlad Moldovean · 1.8K views

My Photography Changed Once I Understood This
THAT ICELANDIC GUY. · 169K views

Better Outdoor Portraits with One Flash | Take & Make Great Photography with Gavin Hoey
Adorama · 199K views

Which CURVE should you use... & when??
Lightroom - Color & Editing Mastery Course and Maarten Schrader · 24K views

The SECRET to Moody Green Tones in Lightroom!
Photo Feaver · 11K views

How I Fix & Improve Underwater Photos in Lightroom
Photo Feaver · 1.8K views

Flawless 1-Min Skin Retouch Action in Photoshop!
PiXimperfect · 878K views

Improve Your Images Colour With These Lightroom Editing Tricks!
Photo Feaver · 18K views

Fix BLOWN OUT SKIES forever!
Simon d'Entremont · 312K views

Color Correction for Concert Lighting - Fixing Extreme Color Tints in Adobe Lightroom
Lightroom Zen · 103K views

How to Master MOODY GREEN & BLUE TONES in Lightroom (Step-by-Step Tutorial)
Lizzie Peirce · 43K views

How I edit my portraits in Lightroom like a pro
Zac Watson · 11K views

The Trick to Perfect Tones in Lightroom
THAT ICELANDIC GUY. · 105K views

How to edit Wedding Event Photos FAST & EFFICIENT using Lightroom, Photoshop & Actions
Myong | Camera to Freedom · 83K views

COLOR GRADE in Lightroom Like a PRO // Cinematic Color Grading
Lightroom - Color & Editing Mastery Course and Maarten Schrader · 20K views

STOP USING S CURVES, Pro's do THIS instead
Lightroom - Color & Editing Mastery Course · 41K views

Took Me 10 Years to Learn These Lightroom Techniques and Tips
Adrien Sanguinetti · 154K views