Creating a Signature Editing Style for Underwater Photography (2025 Refresh)
Underwater photographers often tell me, “I want my images to feel like mine.” That desire is the foundation of a signature editing style - creating a consistent visual look that instantly identifies your work, no matter the dive site, camera, or lighting conditions. Developing this unique style is both an art and a science, requiring a combination of technical skill and creative vision.
Thanks to the latest updates in Adobe Lightroom Classic (v14.5), Lightroom (v8.5), Lightroom Mobile (v9.5), and Camera Raw (v17.5), photographers now have access to some of the most advanced tools to craft and maintain their artistic identity. Features like AI Mask-aware presets enable quick, intelligent adjustments. At the same time, precise tools like Point Color targeting allow you to selectively enhance specific hues, giving you more control over your imagery.
Moreover, customizable Profile Adjustments help you create a consistent look across various file types - whether you're working with high-resolution RAW files, JPEGs, or even images captured directly inside smartphone housings. This flexibility means your signature style can be preserved no matter how you choose to shoot or share your work.
Building your underwater signature isn't just about mastering a few tools; it's about understanding how these tools can work together to reflect your personal vision. By establishing a reliable workflow and experimenting with different presets and adjustments, you'll be able to develop a distinctive style that makes your photographs stand out - creating a recognizable, cohesive body of work that truly feels like yours.
Let’s dive into the essential steps for building - and maintaining - your underwater signature, unlocking new creative possibilities every time you explore beneath the waves.
Why a Signature Style Matters
The ocean is wonderfully unpredictable. One moment, you might be swimming in crystal-clear blue waters illuminated by golden sunlight, experiencing perfect visibility and vibrant marine life. The next, you could find yourself submerged in murky green waters or exploring shadowed wrecks, each offering its own unique adventure. When it comes to your photography portfolio, it's important to maintain a consistent editing approach. This consistency helps your collection look cohesive and professional, preventing it from appearing disjointed or haphazard. By understanding the characteristics of different underwater conditions and applying thoughtful edits, you can showcase your work in a way that highlights the beauty and diversity of the ocean, while still maintaining a unified style.
A signature style:
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Saves editing time with repeatable workflows.
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Builds your brand identity so viewers recognize your work instantly.
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Brings confidence—no matter the gear or water quality.
Step 1: Define Your Look with Profiles
Profiles are your starting point—the baseline mood before sliders or masks.
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Tropical Reef Scenes
Shooting on a shallow reef in Roatan, your RAW file might look muted compared to reality. By applying a custom profile that lifts reds and warms midtones, you restore that Caribbean vibrancy without over-saturating. -
Wreck Interiors
For wreck dives, a desaturated, cinematic profile helps control the overwhelming blue-green cast while preserving shadows in beams and rusted metal. This moody baseline makes your work instantly identifiable.
Profiles act like the “signature spice blend” of your editing kitchen—they flavor every shot consistently.
Step 2: Add Consistency with AI-Powered Presets
Lightroom now allows presets that include AI Masking, meaning you can bake in selective adjustments like “brighten fish subjects” or “enhance water backgrounds.”
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Diver Portraits at Depth
Create a preset that uses Select People to auto-detect divers, correcting skin tones while darkening water backgrounds. No more alien-green divers - even at 60 feet. -
Schooling Fish in Blue Water
Build a preset that enhances contrast and texture on fish via Select Subject while using Select Water to smooth backgrounds. Your style becomes synonymous with crisp schools of jackfish against clean blue water.
These presets don’t just save time; they carry your artistic identity across entire dive series.
Step 3: Fine-Tune with Point Color
The Point Color tool lets you surgically target tiny hue shifts.
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Blotchy Reds on Sponges
Sponges often render with uneven reds leaning toward magenta. Point Color allows you to click directly on the blotch, correct hue and luminance, and unify the red. -
Cyan Overcast in Water Columns
Reef shots often suffer from cyan casts. Instead of shifting the entire blue channel, Point Color targets mid-cyan only, preserving deeper blue shadows for natural realism.
Point Color is essential for maintaining a stable palette across dive conditions.
Step 4: Local Adjustments to Anchor Your Style
Your style isn’t just global - it’s local. AI masks like Select Subject and Select Water ensure your subjects stay vibrant while your water retains atmosphere.
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Macro Nudibranchs
Use Select Subject on the nudibranch for clarity, texture, and local saturation. Then, apply Select Background with Lens Blur to soften sand and create dreamy separation. -
Silhouette Shots
For divers framed against sunbursts, Select Water maintains gradient smoothness, while a radial filter emphasizes silhouette edges. Your silhouettes always carry bold drama, regardless of the dive site.
Shortcut: Shift + W opens the Masking Panel instantly.
Step 5: Save, Sync, Repeat
Once you’ve developed a workflow you love:
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Save it as a preset with masks.
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Sync across Lightroom Classic, Lightroom Cloud, and Lightroom Mobile.
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Apply during import or with batch edits for entire dive series.
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Phone Housing Workflow
Imagine capturing reef fish with an iPhone inside a DiveVolk or similar housing. On the boat, you apply your synced preset in Lightroom Mobile. By the time you’re back on land, your shots already carry your signature look - ready to share on Instagram or refine in Classic.
Tool Compatibility Chart
| Tool/Feature | Lightroom Classic (14.5) | Lightroom (8.5) | Lightroom Mobile (9.5) | Camera Raw (17.5) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Custom Profiles | ✔ Full Support (RAW/JPEG/TIFF) | ✔ Full Support | ✔ Full Support | ✔ Full Support |
| AI Mask-Aware Presets | ✔ Create & Apply | ✔ Apply Only | ✔ Apply Only | ✔ Create & Apply |
| Point Color Targeting | ✔ Full Precision | ✔ Full Precision | ✔ Limited (sliders only) | ✔ Full Precision |
| AI Subject/Water Masks | ✔ Full Support | ✔ Full Support | ✔ Full Support | ✔ Full Support |
| Preset Sync Across Devices | ✔ Via Cloud | ✔ Via Cloud | ✔ Via Cloud | ✔ Via Cloud |
File Compatibility
All tools support:
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RAW (DNG, CR3, ARW, NEF, etc.) — maximum editing latitude
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JPEG — supported, but less tonal flexibility
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TIFF/PSD — supported, especially for Photoshop round-trips
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HEIC/HEIF — supported in current Lightroom versions
For best results, always build your style on RAW files.
Final Thoughts: Your Style, Your Identity
Creating a signature editing style goes far beyond simply adjusting presets or sliders; it’s fundamentally about expressing your artistic intention. When you develop a unique style - whether it’s capturing vibrant, high-contrast reef scenes, crafting dreamy, shallow portraits, or creating cinematic-looking wreck images - you foster a more intuitive editing process. This clarity not only enables you to work faster but also boosts your confidence in sharing your work openly, knowing it genuinely reflects your vision. As a result, you’ll find yourself gaining recognition for your distinctive style and artistic voice.
The good news is that Lightroom’s 2025 updates make this process easier than ever, supporting a seamless transition across various camera setups - be it a full-frame DSLR, a compact mirrorless, or even a smartphone in a protective housing. These tools and improvements empower you to focus on the art you love, helping you unlock your creative potential and take your photography to new heights. Embrace these advancements as a positive transformation in your workflow, enabling you to create more meaningful and impactful images with confidence and joy.
So I encourage you:
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Define your look.
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Build it into AI-powered presets.
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Sync it across devices.
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And let your portfolio speak with one clear voice - yours.
✦ Stay inspired at: info.robertherb.com/lm-2-blog
✦ Share your signature edits using #RobertHerbPhotography
✦ Ready to create your editing style with me step-by-step? Reach out at bob@robertherb.com
Until next time, dive smart, shoot sharp, and edit with intention.
— Bob Herb
📷 info.robertherb.com/lm-2-blog
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🧭 What's Next?
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Written by Robert Herb – Empowering underwater photographers to capture and enhance the beauty of our oceans since 1978
Stay tuned for more in-depth insights into underwater photography. Let's dive deeper into the art and craft of capturing the marine world! If you have any comments or suggestions, I'd love to hear them.
Get ready for an exciting underwater photography adventure! For more details on my upcoming online training course, check out my "Training" page at RobertHerb.com or email me at bob@robertherb.com.
Sincerely,
Bob Herb
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