Fine-tune image colors with HSL sliders

Use the HSL and Color panels in the Develop module to adjust individual color ranges in your photo. For example, if a red object looks too vivid and distracting, you can adjust it using the Saturation slider for Red. Note that all similar reds in the photo will be affected.

The adjustments you make in the HSL and Color panels produce similar results, but the two panels organize the sliders in different ways. To open a panel, click its name in the HSL/Color/B&W panel header.

The slides in these panels work on specific color ranges:

Hue
Changes the color. For example, you can change a blue sky (and all other blue objects) from cyan to purple.

Saturation
Changes the color vividness or purity of the color. For instance, you can change a blue sky from gray to highly saturated blue.

Luminance
Changes the brightness of the color range.

Make adjustments in the HSL panel

 In the HSL panel, select Hue, Saturation, Luminance, or All to display the sliders you want to work with.
  • Drag the sliders or enter values in the text boxes to the right of the sliders.

  • Click the Targeted Adjustment tool  in the upper-left of the panel, move the pointer over an area in the photo that you want to adjust, and then click the mouse. Drag the pointer, or press the Up and Down Arrow keys to make the adjustment.

Make adjustments in the Color panel

  1. In the Color panel, click a color chip to display the range of colors you want to adjust.
  2. Drag the sliders or enter values in the text boxes to the right of the sliders.

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The HSL panel

George Jardine
A thorough video tutorial covering the HSL panel in the Develop module of Lightroom.