Mastering Curves: Adjusting Tonality

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Just as layers are the most powerful feature in Photoshop, curves are the most powerful adjustment. So powerful, in fact, that many adjustments you normally use (such as brightness and contrast, levels, and color balance) are actually simplified versions of curves. With that in mind, if you can master curves, you can master adjustments – and Ben Willmore will show you how.

Introduction (10:46)
Adjusting Images (09:28)
Adjusting Contrast (17:22)
Making Your Image Look Weird (07:31)
Preventing Color Shifts (03:47)
Curves in Camera Raw (12:17)
Using Selections and Adjustments (13:57)
Complex Examples (20:08)
More Complex Examples (11:20)
Random Tips (17:06)
Conclusion (02:18)

Course Time: 02 Hours 06 Minutes

S. Thomas

Apr 30 2013

Just like Ben's course on color correction (with curves), this course gives someone a great understanding of what's happening when you edit an image. This course and Ben's course on color correction are definitely my 2 favorite courses. I really want to know what is going on when I edit and what I can really do to make changes to my images in Photoshop. These courses gave me that understanding. Just to be clear though, these courses are not for very casual image editing, but anyone wanting to go beyond basic editing would benefit from this and the color correction class. Thanks very much Ben. The classes were great and very easy to follow!
S. Blixt

Apr 19 2013

Excellent explanation of the difficult to understand Curves adjustments for non-professionals, like me. Ben clearly knows his subject and shows how to use the functionality of Curves in an easily understandable way.
D. Harrelson

Apr 2 2013

I really loved this course! Ben explained curves perfectly and made it all seem so simple. I'll definitely be checking out his other courses!!
S. Liberto

Mar 21 2013

Ben sure knows his curves! I had no idea there was so much to learn about Curves! Hes a great teacher. I need to rewatch.
F. Gatt

Mar 14 2013

Great course, I fully understand curves...finally!
P. Guardiola

Mar 6 2013

Este capitulo de curvas es simplemente excelente, la metodología y ejemplos de Ben, dejan todo muy claro e incluso se ve mas fácil. Muchas gracias buen trabajo.
C. Dickinson

Mar 2 2013

I liked this course and totally enjoyed Ben Willmore, he is very easy to understand.
S. Fouquaert

Feb 4 2013

For months I have been struggling with curves, so i got stuck to a trial and error method. This video is so instrumental ann well explained that in no time I got the swing of it. If I only would have know this earlier, it would have made my live much easier. To conclude; I can only say thank you for this explanation. It was clear and down to the point.
R. Wooldridge

Jan 12 2013

Ben Willmore is the best instructor I've watched so far.
J. Guindon

Dec 10 2012

Very easy to follow, instructor is amazing. Great course.
J. Bielick

Dec 2 2012

I used to think that I knew how to use curves. After watching this course, I realized how wrong I was! This was an EXCELLENT course for learning how to use/apply curves. Ben does an incredible job explaining the material so the novices like myself understand the concepts of curves. I really liked the fact that Ben stuck to the course subject, and didn't go off on tangents trying to explain, for example, the details of making selctions, etc. After watching this course, I'm excited to go off and try to apply the concepts to my own pictures. Well done, Ben!!
V. Pruitt

Nov 28 2012

Very good. Clear.
K. Bowden

Nov 16 2012

Thank you. I have always found Curves daunting......now I understand! Great teacher.
M. Liu

Oct 29 2012

Ben, The best course in Kelby training. You seems to have a through knowledge of "curves". But having the knowledge and trying to pass that knowledge to others, is another ball game. You have mastery in both and I throughly enjoyed reviewing over and over again. We need more video like these. Thanks a lot.
K. Kvam

Aug 22 2012

Since I will be at PSW in a couple weeks, you just got one more attendee for your classes there. Anyone who can make curves that simple and straight forward is worth listening to. Thanks!
C. Begrin

Aug 8 2012

I watched a few different videos that were instructed by Ben Wilmore. I really liked the way Ben explained the different video tutorials. He was very easy to understand and his directions were very simple to understand. The tone of his voice along with his verbal delivery made it enjoybale listening to him explain things. Great instructor (at least for these video tutorials).
S. Oliver

Aug 4 2012

This course is a must for all those using Photoshop. It is full of excellent tips and advice, easy-to-follow examples, and a great pace and segment breakdown that allows you to absorb at your own rate. Highly recommended!
C. Arvey

Jul 27 2012

I thought Ben did an excellent job; he thoroughly explained everything he was doing and repeated the more complex steps multiple times so they are more clear. Excellent Job!! I learned a tremendous amount and will use his techniques many times going forward.
W. Parker

Jul 26 2012

I've always been intimidated by the notion of curves, but after watching this course, multiple times, I can see the precision of curves. Ben's explanations and the way he patiently repeats different concepts, with different pictures, really helped me. Thanks. I'm looking forward to color curves course after I practice tonal curves for a while (and re-watch this course again).
R. Capilli

Jul 16 2012

This is a great tutorial!!
A. Daouk

Jul 15 2012

Great course:) Now, i am able to deal with curves! Get Ben back for more courses.
J. Barillas

Jul 15 2012

One of the best Photoshop courses ever.
P. Breton

Jul 14 2012

I'm a novice at PS , and so am availing myself of the training videos as much as possible. While there are numerous instructors (people who know this material well) there aren't as many who can explain concepts easily to people who don't. I think Mr Wilmore is definitely one who can. The guy's a born teacher. Often , people who are experts at something assume a level of knowledge on the part of the student that he may not have. Mr. Wilmore explains and points out things that many would assume one already knows. I have watched his two courses several times and find him easy to follow , informative, and straight to the point. I am hoping to see more courses by Mr Wilmore in the future.
T. Krueger

Jul 11 2012

It´s one of the best video-trainings . Thank you. I hope we´ll see more of you on kelbytraining!
A. Conrady

Jul 8 2012

What a valuable course! I've really enjoyed the concise and time-saving teaching. I can recommend this class to every PS user to understand what PS can do to improve any picture.
D. Dawson

Jun 30 2012

Fantastic! I'd always looked upon Curves as a great way to screw up an image, and had used the relatively simpler Levels control instead. You have de-mystified Curves and given me a whole new perspective on Photoshop. Many thanks! ---- No, I'd keep it between us
D. Bowers

Jun 30 2012

Ben explained curves in a very easy to understand format and with greater success than any other lesson on curves I've taken. Thanks Ben.
Y. Lin

Jun 25 2012

Ben: This and the other Mastering Curve lectures are the most helpful and practical ones among the all the lectures in KelbyTraining.com. Certainly, I have to watch many times and practice on my own photos for me to get good control of these skills. Thanks! Yuan Lin
M. Glick

Jun 15 2012

This course was excellent. Not only did I learn a lot, but he was a fantastic teacher. He did an incredible job making the concepts simple and easy to understand
D. Ganas

Jun 13 2012

Simply brilliant!! Very explanatory and lots of different style pictures were used to illustrate all kind of points. It took the guesswork and fear away from using curves. I think I will start using curves all the time from now on. Thanks Ben, you kept my interest throughout the course. Dimitri
C. Pop

Jun 12 2012

Ben is a fantastic teacher! Excellent course!
W.

Jun 12 2012

Thank you for this course. Ben did an amazing job presenting it. I now understand curves; I mean I really understand them now. I have played around with curves for about a year, but never quite got the results I wanted in my images and certainly did not understand why. Now, after I watched and tried the lessons and tips he presented, it works and it finally makes sense to me. I watched all the lessons and gained great information from each one. Each video built upon the previous one which resulted in understanding the complex examples towards the end. They were my favorite along with the additional tips video. I think the analogy of curves being like a dimmer switch was brilliant. Because of that and the way the videos were presented it all makes sense to me now. Thank you so much. I can't wait to get into the color adjustment lessons with curves.
M. Ekern

Jun 4 2012

I finally understand curves! Awesome course and taught at just the right pace. I look forward to the next session above curves and color. Thanks Ben! ---- No, I'd keep it between us
B. Horler

Jun 4 2012

Fantastic course! Ben is a great instructor - can't wait to take more of his workshops.
A. Walch

Jun 3 2012

Very well explained!!! Have learned so much, quickly and easily through these videos. Thanks very much.....Andrew, Bridgend, South Wales, UK
D. Newman

Jun 2 2012

Fantastic, I will use the things I learned every time I edit an image. Thanks Ben
B. Buckley

Jun 2 2012

This course was superb. Ben Willmore is articulate and explains things exceedingly well without throwing in a lot of superfluous information. Learned a huge amount, specifically how little potential of curves I was using...despite using it all the time. Please have more tutorial by him. How about an in-depth one on masking? Thanks for the excellent course.
L. Schmidt

Jun 2 2012

Thank you, I'm finally understanding curves. The instructors does a wonderful job of simplifying the concept, yet shows the power of the tool.
S. Johnson

Jun 1 2012

Ben's class was one of the best I have take here. He explains things in a way that makes it easy to understand and even though I just finished it a few days ago, I have used his quick techniques several times. His other course on color correction fits right in with the techniques here also. More classes from Ben please!
N. Baig

May 30 2012

Excellent teacher, makes everything very clear, and shows logical steps.
B. Jansen-Reynaud

May 30 2012

Ben is absolutely fantastic.... Great instructor.....
D. Topham

May 29 2012

What a great course. This is the best course I have seen on the subject of curves. Ben gives a very in depth and concise view of the curves adjustments. He also sticks closely to the subject at hand. This is a great learning tool..
D. Warren Jr.

May 29 2012

Your clear and comprehensive explanations are deeply appreciated. Thanks, excellent job Ben!
K. Chiodi

May 28 2012

Another wonderful course from Kelby training. Ben's clarity, thoroughness and consistency in his explanations is perfectly helpful and illuminating. Thank you so much.
J. McGuffin

May 27 2012

Wow, Ben Wilmore has done a really fantastic job of presenting the curves adjustment to the user in a very simple and easy to understand way. I now feel 100x more comfortable with this tool based on this course. Thank you Ben and if anybody out there is considering taking this course, I think it's a must for any serious Photoshop/Lightroom user.
S. Cassimode

May 23 2012

Wow! Ben is a great instructor. Very clear with great explanation of what he is doing making it easy to understand.
M. Traynor

May 22 2012

I have been using Photoshop and curves for years. This course has brought me to a new level in using Photoshop and accelerated my post production with much better results. Everyone who uses Photoshop should check this out.
S. Udupa

May 22 2012

FANTASTIC!
C. Clay

May 21 2012

I watched Ben's course on color correction and loved it - this course is just as excellent. Ben makes it so easy to understand.
D. Dillon

May 20 2012

I really enjoyed Ben's course on curves!!!! I enjoy using curves and Ben made it so clear on how effective it is to use. His teaching technique is really good and I learned a number of points I didn't realize and better ways to use curves. Thanks to Ben and Kelby Training!!! I look forward to more courses from Ben!!
C. Riley

May 19 2012

Even though I don't use Photoshop yet, I thought this course was one of the best I've seen so far. Tone curves are no longer a big mystery. Well done.
R. Elkins

May 19 2012

One of the most valuable courses I've taken here. Ben is an excellent teacher. He sticks to the subject. Russ Elkins

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Your Instructor

Ben Willmore

Author and Instructor

Photoshop Hall of Famer, Ben Willmore, has taught over 100,000 Photoshop users on five continents. His bestselling books, DVDs, and hit seminars have established Ben as one of America's favorite...VIEW FULL BIO»

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