How to Change Background Color in Lightroom

Background colors can set the mood of an image and direct attention to the subject. I'm teaching different ways how to change background color in Lightroom so you can have various backgrounds for your real estate images.

How to Change Background Color in Lightroom

To change the background color in Lightroom, you can use the Adjustment Brush tool and HSL Panel to switch between different colors. These tools let you paint over the existing background and use the Swatches panel to choose new colors. You'll also need to adjust the Luminosity sliders for a seamless effect.

Lightroom offers multiple methods of changing background colors. With only a few straightforward steps, you can transform an image background and change its color to any shade. These tools not only help you enhance the look of your image but also help you create unique effects.

Changing the Background Color Using the Adjustment Brush Tool

This is the best method for changing the color of image backgrounds or any other objects in your image. It helps you change the color of only the desired areas with precision and accuracy. Moreover, when you use this tool for color changing, all your other areas remain unaffected.

Follow these steps to use the Adjustment Brush tool in Lightroom.

Import the Image

The first step is to import your desired images into Lightroom. If your image does not already exist in your Lightroom catalog, you must import that one photo.

1. Navigate to the menu bar present at the top of your Lightroom screen. Go to File, then click on Import Photos and Videos. Find the images you need, select them, and then click on the Import button at the bottom of the window.
2. Press the keys CTRL + Shift + I to open the same window. You can also click the Import button on the bottom left of your Lightroom workspace.

Switch to the Develop Module

Whenever you open an image in Lightroom, it automatically opens up in the Library Module. You need to switch to the Develop Module to find the editing tools.

1. Select the Adjustment Brush tool from the editing panel toolbar.

2. Hold the ALT key to ensure no editing sliders will move from their default positions. This will reset your previous adjustments to the image. You can also click the Reset button at the bottom of your image editing panel.

Paint Over the Background

You can also alter the size and effects of the Adjustment Brush tool by changing all that in the editing panel. Tick the Auto Mask checkbox after selecting the brush slide per your requirements.

1. Start painting over the background of your image. You will notice a bright-red overlay all over the background. This red overlay distinguishes between the background you want to change and the other parts of your image.
2. Start with the color-changing procedure after painting over the background. Deactivate the overlay by pressing the O key on your keyboard. Decrease the Saturation of your image to the value of negative 100.
3. Decrease the Saturation value to see if any parts of the images have been left out. You can then paint them over until the whole background turns into a gray color.

Add Color to the Background

At this instant, your image's background has no color. Instead, it has lost all its existing color and is now a plain gray color. You can now put a different color on the background.

Go to the Color section on the editing panel. Click on the Swatches panel present over there, and select any color as per your requirements and choice. We are choosing blue, as shown in the image below.

After adding the color, you can alter the effect of the color using the sliders. Adjust the Luminosity sliders for Exposure, Contrast, Highlights, Shadows, Whites, and Blacks until you achieve the desired output for the background.

Changing the Background Color Using the HSL Panel

Another method of changing Lightroom's background colors is using the HSL panel. This method is particularly useful for images with a single object placed against a solid background.

1. The initial steps of this method remain the same as the previous one. Firstly, import your required images, and then go to the Develop Module.
2. After loading the image in the Develop Module, hover the cursor over the edit module on the right side of your Lightroom interface.
3. In this edit module, click on the HSL/Color panel.
4. From this panel, open the Hue tab. You will then see multiple sliders, each representing a different color.
5. Pick the slider that shows the color of the background of your image, and move it forward or backward.
6. You will then see that only your background color changes while the other parts of the image remain the same.

Related Questions

Conclusion

There may be instances where you need to change the background of a real estate photo or headshot portrait. You can do this using the Adjustment Brush and HSL Panel. Mastering this technique can let you experiment with colors and achieve different effects for your edits.