How to · 6 min
Your first monochrome photograph
A deliberate path from opening a file to a finished image.
Start with a photograph that already has a clear subject. A car with bright chrome and dark paint is a useful first exercise: it makes highlight detail, shadow separation, and edges easy to judge. Work from broad decisions to small corrections.
The method
Step by step.
- Open a photograph from Library with a double-click, or use File → Open (⌘O). Allow the RAW preview to finish loading before judging detail.
- Choose Fit to see the whole composition. Begin with Profiles set to None, then compare one alternative. Hold O to compare with the original; release it to return.
- Use Light to establish exposure, then adjust Highlights and Shadows only where the image needs them. Avoid moving every slider just because it is available.
- Refine the composition in Crop. Add local masks only after the overall rendering makes sense. Use EFX and Finish sparingly.
- Save a snapshot before a major variation. Export a JPEG for sharing or TIFF for a high-bit-depth handoff; retain your source and editable work.
Keep this close
Control reference.
- Fit
- Judge balance, subject placement, and the strength of the effect.
- 100%
- Inspect edges, grain, noise, and small defects.
- Original comparison
- A reference to the source, not a command to undo the edit.
Closer to the controls
See the settings, not a reconstruction.
This detail is cropped from the real application capture above. Click to enlarge, then choose actual pixels to inspect the labels and sliders.
At your own pace
Try it.
Make two interpretations of the same car: one restrained and one with stronger contrast. Compare the reflections, not just the overall darkness.
Watch for
An impressive thumbnail is not always a good full-size photograph. Check both Fit and 100% before exporting.
Monochrome Lab Pro workflow guide. Interface details may evolve. Example settings are creative starting points, not automatic corrections.