How to Remove Blemishes in Lightroom Classic: A Quick Guide

Close-up portrait of a red-haired woman with freckles, highlighting the use of Lightroom Classic for enhancing skin texture and tone.

Struggling with blemishes and distracting elements that disrupt your otherwise flawless photos? You’re not alone, every photographer encounters these issues. But here’s the good news, Adobe Lightroom Classic is equipped with powerful tools to help you tackle those pesky imperfections. In this blog, I’ll walk you through how to remove blemishes in Lightroom Classic using my tried-and-true methods, ensuring your images look pristine and polished.

Whether you’re looking to perfect a portrait or enhance any shot, these tips will elevate your photo editing skills and bring out the best in your photos. Get ready to transform your images and achieve professional-quality results with ease!

How to Remove Blemishes and Reduce Wrinkles in Lightroom Classic

Lightroom Classic’s Spot Removal Tool, Healing Brush, and Adjustment Brush tool let you effortlessly smooth skin, including dust spots and other unwanted objects, without needing Photoshop. Below is a comparison table that highlights the differences in approach for removing blemishes versus reducing wrinkles:

Aspect	Removing Blemishes	Reducing Wrinkles
Primary Tool	Spot Removal Tool (Heal Mode)	Spot Removal Tool (Heal Mode) & Adjustment Brush
Technique	Single clicks to target small, isolated imperfections	Long, gentle strokes to soften wrinkle lines
Brush Size	Slightly larger than the blemish	Adjusted to cover entire wrinkle length
Opacity Adjustment	Moderate opacity adjustment to blend corrections seamlessly	Lower opacity (around 40-50%) to soften wrinkles without over-correction
Sampling Area	Manually adjust if Lightroom’s auto-selection isn’t ideal	Frequently reposition sampling area for better results
Final Touches	May require further adjustment with the Adjustment Brush	Further refining with Adjustment Brush, focusing on Clarity and Texture sliders
Best Practices	Use small brush size for precision; avoid over-correction	Apply gradual adjustments to maintain natural skin texture
Result	Flawless skin with no visible blemishes	Softer, less pronounced wrinkles that retain natural appearance

Removing Blemishes

Select the Spot Removal Tool: Found under the histogram, use the Heal mode for a natural blend with surrounding skin tones. You can choose between Clone or Heal, but Heal is usually best for blending blemishes with the background. To create a virtual copy, start with this tool to repair imperfections like dust spots or distracting elements.
Adjust the Brush Settings: Resize the spot removal brush slightly larger than the blemish, click on it to remove background spots, and set the sample area if needed. Fine-tune with Opacity to blend the correction seamlessly for a more natural look, ensuring the result appears realistic without creating distracting elements.
Fixing Dust Spots: For dust spots on the camera sensor, use the Spot Removal Tool open to target and fix them. Fix the brush size to cover the spot effectively and use the Tool Overlay to visualize the corrected area.

Reducing Wrinkles

Use Lightroom’s Spot Removal Tool for Wrinkles: Set to Heal mode or clone with 40-50% opacity for a natural look. Apply longer brush strokes for better blending, especially on large areas like the forehead. This approach helps in smoothing out wrinkles while keeping the skin's natural texture intact.
Set the Healing Effect: Tweak the opacity to balance wrinkle reduction while maintaining realistic skin. This technique helps in fixing wrinkles while preserving the authenticity of the skin’s appearance.

How to Remove Blemishes in Lightroom Classic for Softened and Smooth Skin

Achieving softened and smooth skin in your portraits starts with effective removal. Adobe Lightroom offers a range of tools and techniques to help you do this while maintaining a natural look. Below, we’ll explore how to use these tools for further softening and skin smoothing.

Using the Spot Removal Tool for Blemish Removal

Select the Spot Removal Tool: Located in the toolbar beneath the histogram, this healing brush tool offers two modes, Heal and Clone. For its removal, Heal mode is usually the best choice as it blends the corrected area with the surrounding skin tones. For fixing other imperfections, this tool is essential.
Adjust Brush Size: Match the size of the brush to the blemish you want to remove. This ensures precise coverage of the imperfection without affecting too much of the surrounding area. Quickly adjust the size using the [ and ] keys.
Heal the Blemish: Click on the blemish to have Lightroom automatically smart select a sample area from elsewhere in the photo. If Lightroom's initial choice doesn’t blend well, you can manually set the sample area by dragging it to a better location. For better results, consider creating a virtual copy of your file before making extensive changes.

Enhancing Results with the Adjustment Brush

Select the Adjustment Brush: Choose the Adjustment Brush from the toolbar. This tool allows for precise adjustments to specific areas of the skin, making it ideal for smoothing and softening.
Customize Brush Settings: For skin retouching and softening, lower the Clarity and Texture sliders. This reduces the sharpness and detail in the skin, resulting in a smoother appearance. Be cautious not to overdo it, as excessive softening can make the skin look unnatural.
Apply the Brush to the Skin: Carefully brush over the areas of the skin that need smoothing. Avoid areas that should remain sharp, such as the eyes, lips, and hair. You can visualize the affected target area by pressing the O key, which overlays a color on the selected area.

By following these steps, you can effectively fix unwanted spots in Lightroom Classic, setting the stage for smooth, professional-looking skin in your portrait background. These techniques ensure that your subject looks their best while maintaining the natural characteristics that make them unique. For a deeper dive into mastering skin retouching and portrait techniques, explore our portrait editing courses to enhance your editing skills.

FAQ about How to Remove Blemishes in Lightroom Classic

How to smooth blemishes in Lightroom?

Use the Spot Removal Tool in Heal mode to blend them with surrounding skin tones. Set the size of the brush, click on the blemish, and refine edges with the Adjustment Brush to lower Clarity for a polished, natural look.

How do I get rid of unwanted spots in Lightroom?

To remove blemishes, delict the Spot Removal Tool in Lightroom, set to Heal or Clone mode depending on the spot. Single click on the spot to automatically blend it with a sampled area, adjust the sample if needed, and fine-tune with the opacity slider.

Is there a smoothing tool in Lightroom Classic?

Yes, use the Adjustment Brush to soften skin by lowering Clarity, and the Remove Spot Removal Tool in Heal mode for specific task. Combine these tools for a smooth, natural look.

How to touch up photos in Lightroom?

Start with the Spot Removal Tool in Lightroom for imperfections, then use the Adjustment Brush to enhance specific areas. Use the Graduated and Radial Filters for broader adjustments, and fine-tune all edits for a natural look.

Conclusion: How to Remove Blemishes in Lightroom Classic

In my photography journey, I struggled with natural-looking skin tones until I used Lightroom Classic’s Spot Removal Tool and Adjustment Brush. For example, I used Heal mode to blend blemishes and adjusted opacity for seamless results, then softened skin with the Adjustment Brush.

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