Robert Herb Photography Blog

An AI-generated image that best represents this blog post . 🌊 Explore more tips at: info.robertherb.com/lm-2-blog Have you ever come up for air after a dive and eagerly reviewed your underwater photos, only to find yourself thinking, "This shot had so much potential… if only I could manage the highlights or enhance the shadows"? If this resonates with you, you're certainly not in this alone. Underwater photography encompasses its own unique set of challenges, particularly when it comes to Exposure. Photographers often grapple with issues such as glaring sunbeams that wash out details and shadowy reef crevices that appear almost entirely black in images. Fortunately, with the recent updates to Adobe Lightroom, specifically versions Classic 14.2 and Mobile, AI Masks are game-changing tools designed to tackle these common exposure dilemmas. These innovative features allow us to make adjustments with remarkable accuracy and efficiency. In the following post, I'll share m...

  An AI-generated image that best represents this blog's content . Have you ever surfaced from a twilight dive or an exciting deep wreck shoot, only to discover that your favorite photo is now marred by grainy noise? If you have, you’re certainly not alone! Many underwater photographers face this challenge. As you plunge deeper into the ocean, the available light diminishes quickly, making it necessary to increase your ISO settings. To capture those mesmerizing marine creatures in motion without motion blur, you might find yourself pushing your ISO to 1600, 3200, or even higher! Unfortunately, while this can result in breathtakingly sharp subjects, it often comes with the downside of unsightly digital noise. But take heart! Thanks to Adobe Lightroom’s innovative  AI Denoise feature, available in Lightroom Classic 14.2 and the Lightroom (Cloud) mobile version 9.3 and above,  our approach to tackling noise in underwater photography has undergone a fantastic transformation. ...

An AI-generated image that best represents this blog post. Editing underwater images can often feel like an intricate dance, filled with nuances that demand our attention. One of the most time-consuming aspects of this art is performing repetitive local adjustments. Whether you are trying to enhance the visibility of a diver, rectify the challenges posed by murky water, or isolate the stunning colors of vibrant coral reefs, these edits can become quite laborious, mainly when they must be applied to a large batch of images—think 30, 50, or even 100 images per dive. This repetitive process can significantly impact your workflow, leading to frustration and fatigue.   Fortunately, with the recent updates in Adobe Lightroom Classic v14.1 and v14.2, we have been introduced to a revolutionary time-saving feature: Batch Masking with AI Recalculation. This exciting advancement empowers photographers to streamline their editing process, enabling quicker adjustments across multiple images wit...

An AI-generated image that best represents this blog post . Have you ever surfaced from an exhilarating dive, eager to relive the underwater adventure, only to be disappointed with the dull, bluish tint in your photographs? That feeling of letdown can be all too familiar, especially when the stunning reds, vibrant oranges, and sunny yellows you witnessed seem lost in translation. Rest assured, you’re not alone in this experience, Oceanic Explorer! Even the most advanced cameras can struggle to accurately capture the vibrant colors of the underwater world. The culprit? Water absorbs light to alter the colors we see, making it challenging to replicate that stunning, true-to-life appearance in our images. This is where mastering white balance in Lightroom becomes essential, particularly with the cutting-edge AI tools introduced in 2025. By adjusting the white balance effectively, you can transform your images and bring those lively colors back to life. In this updated guide, I’m excited t...