Robert Herb Photography Blog

A flat blue underwater image transformed into a dynamic, depth-filled scene using Lightroom’s tonal separation and masking workflow. 🐠 The Problem: “Everything Looks Blue… and Boring.” A typical unedited underwater photo where everything blends together, with little contrast, color, or subject separation. If you’ve been shooting underwater for any length of time, you’ve probably encountered this common issue: The scene appeared absolutely stunning during the dive, with layers of vibrant reef, diverse fish, and the mesmerizing depth of water. Beautiful rays of light piercing through the water added to the magic. But once you open the image in Lightroom, it often falls flat: 👉 It looks flat blue, lacking vibrancy. 👉 There’s no clear separation between elements. 👉 It lacks depth, feeling two-dimensional instead of three. 👉 And it certainly doesn’t evoke that “WOW” reaction. This blue-and-boring problem is one I see quite frequently, especially among...