Robert Herb Photography Blog

Presence strengthens definition, separation, and perceived detail once White Balance and Exposure are already established. You have corrected the White Balance and worked through the Exposure, which already improves the underwater photograph.  However, it might still feel a little flat or lacking in depth.  Many photographers instinctively reach for Clarity or Dehaze tools at this stage, pushing sliders to add more punch to the image.  While this can sometimes produce a pleasing effect initially, it often leads to unintended consequences: the water may appear overly dark, the reef can look harsh and crunchy, backscatter becomes more noticeable, fine details get exaggerated and turn harsh, and colors become overly intense and unnatural.  Although these adjustments might give the image more impact at first, they do not necessarily make it better overall.  That’s why Presence is placed third in The Consistent Underwater Editing System.  White Balance → Exposur...

Exposure comes after White Balance because reliable color makes tonal decisions easier to judge. When an underwater photograph appears dark, flat, blue, or green, the natural inclination is often to reach for the Exposure slider. You may raise Exposure, open Shadows, reduce Highlights, and adjust Whites and Blacks until the image starts to look brighter, more balanced, and closer to what you remember seeing underwater. Only after that do you correct White Balance. Then the image changes. The color of the water shifts, contrast changes, and areas that once seemed too dark may now look acceptable, while highlights that seemed safe may now appear too bright. This often sends you back to the tonal sliders, making adjustments you thought were already finished. This does not mean you used the wrong Lightroom tools. It means you used the right tools in the wrong order. In The Consistent Underwater Edit workflow , Exposure is Step Two, after White Balance. White Balance needs to come ...