Robert Herb Photography Blog

Back to Basics – Part 5A: Entering Lightroom's Develop Module Entering Lightroom’s Develop Module marks the shift from organization to intentional underwater photo editing. If Parts 1–4 of the Back-to-Basics series were about preparation, then Part 5 is about transformation. By the time you get to the Develop Module, most of the tough decisions should already be sorted out. You should have selected the most suitable images to retain, minimized distractions, and organized your catalog effectively. At this stage, you are no longer dealing with technical challenges. Instead, it is about making creative choices that bring your vision to life. The Develop Module is where underwater photographs become expressive and lifelike. It is the stage at which colors become vivid, contrast is refined to enhance the image, and the photo's mood is established. At the same time, many underwater photographers feel overwhelmed here because there is so much to learn and adapt to. With pati...

Back to Basics - Part 4F The Complete Lightroom Foundation Recap Everything you need is in place before you touch the Develop Module When your photos deserve better than chaos As an Oceanic Explorer, you're no stranger to that sense of awe and discovery. After returning from an incredible dive trip, you eagerly import your photos into Lightroom, ready to relive those underwater moments. However, as the number of files grows, things can quickly become overwhelming. Without a clear organizational system, your editing process can start to feel like guesswork, making it harder to bring out the true beauty of your images. Having a structured approach can transform this chaos into a creative flow, helping you refine your photos efficiently and enjoyably. That is precisely why this Back-to-Basics series exists. Part 4F is the reset point. Before we move into the Develop Module, this post brings everything together, connects the ...

Back to Basics - Part 4E: Smart Collections and Automation Tools in Lightroom Classic (2025 Edition) By Robert Herb Photography Part of the Back to Basics Lightroom Classic Series (2025 Edition) Introduction: Let Lightroom Do the Heavy Lifting You have reached the final part of the Library Module section in the Back to Basics series. Up to now, you have: Set up Lightroom correctly (Part 4A) Created a clean folder and collection structure (Part 4B) Added underwater-specific metadata and keywords (Part 4C) Culled quickly and consistently using Flags, Stars, and advanced Library tools (Part 4D) Now we take the final step and turn Lightroom into an automated organizing machine. Smart Collections and supporting automation tools  let Lightroom Classic automatically sort, group, filter, and prepare your underwater images based on the work you have already done. Once these systems are in place, you spend less time managing photos and more time editing, diving, t...

Loupe, Compare, Survey, Stacks, Filters (2025 Edition) By Robert Herb Photography | For Oceanic Explorers | Updated for Adobe 2025 Ecosystem Version References (Verified November 2025) All examples in this post are based on the current Adobe ecosystem: Lightroom Classic v15.0.1 Lightroom (Cloud Desktop) v9.0 Lightroom Mobile v11.0+ Photoshop v27.1 Adobe Camera Raw (ACR) v18.0 Your exact version numbers may be slightly newer by the time you read this; however, the tools and shortcuts described here will still follow the same structure and layout. 1. Introduction – From Organized To Fast Welcome back, Oceanic Explorers. By now you have: Set up catalogs, backups, and folder structures in Part 1 . Tuned Lightroom for your underwater work in Part 4A – Setup for Success . Built a solid Library workflow in Part 4B – Mastering the Library Module using flags, stars, color labels, and the Who / What / Where keyword meth...