From Dull to WOW: A Real Underwater Edit Breakdown in Lightroom Classic

A real-world underwater edit transformation, showing how a flat blue RAW file can become a vibrant, balanced image using a step-by-step Lightroom Classic workflow.

📘 Start here: The Complete Guide to Editing Underwater Photos in Lightroom
👉
https://robertherb.blogspot.com/2026/03/editing-underwater-photos-lightroom-guide.html

A complete start-to-finish case study using the Back-to-Basics workflow

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Introduction: Why Your Underwater Photos Don’t Match What You Saw

If you’ve ever surfaced from an incredible dive, loaded your images into Lightroom, and thought:

“That’s not what it looked like underwater…”

You’re not alone.

What you experienced was vibrant, full of color, depth, and life.
What your camera captured was flat, blue, and lacking impact.

That gap is exactly why post-processing matters.

In this post, I’m going to walk you through a real underwater image edit from start to finish, using the exact workflow I’ve been teaching throughout the Back-to-Basics series.

This is not guesswork.
This is not moving sliders until something “looks good.”

This is a repeatable system that transforms images from dull to WOW.

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Lightroom Classic vs Lightroom (Cloud) – Quick Note

In this walkthrough, I’m using Lightroom Classic (latest version), which remains the most powerful and complete workflow tool for serious underwater photographers.

If you’re using Lightroom (cloud) or Lightroom Mobile, the same principles apply, but some tools and layouts may differ slightly.

The key is not the platform.
It’s the order and intent of the edit.

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The Case Study Image: Starting Point

Let’s set the scene.

• Location: Roatan reef

• Depth: Approximately 40 feet

• Subject: Diver moving through a coral structure

• Lighting: Natural ambient light with slight haze

What the RAW File Looks Like

The original RAW image straight out of the camera. Notice the strong blue cast, low contrast, and lack of color separation typical in underwater photography.

“If your images look like this straight out of the camera, you’re not doing anything wrong. This is exactly what underwater RAW files are supposed to look like. The magic happens in the edit.”

• Strong blue/green color cast

• Muted coral tones

• Low contrast

• Reduced clarity from water haze

• Subject blending into the background

This is a very typical underwater RAW image.

And it’s exactly where the real work begins.

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The Back-to-Basics Workflow (Always Follow This Order)

If you’ve been following the series, this will look familiar.

If not, this is the foundation:

1. White Balance

2. Exposure

3. Presence

4. Color

5. Masking

6. Final Adjustments

Order is everything.
When you follow the correct sequence, each step builds on the previous one.

Let’s walk through the exact edit, step by step.

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Step 1: White Balance – The Foundation

After correcting white balance, natural reds and oranges begin to return, and the heavy blue cast is reduced, revealing a more realistic underwater scene.

What’s Happening Underwater

At depth, red light disappears first. By 40 feet, your image is dominated by blue tones.

In Lightroom Classic (Develop Module)

Go to the Basic Panel:

• Temp: Increase significantly (+1200 to +2500)

• Tint: Add magenta (+10 to +25)

What You’ll See

• Reds and oranges return

• Skin tones normalize

• Coral begins to look natural again

Pro Insight

White Balance is not a tweak.
It’s the foundation.

If this step is off, everything else will be a struggle.

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Common Mistake

Trying to fix color using Saturation instead of White Balance.

This creates unrealistic, overprocessed images.

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Step 2: Exposure – Rebuilding Light

After correcting white balance, exposure adjustments restore balanced light across the image. Highlights and shadows are controlled, bringing back depth and detail without pushing the image to a final, fully processed look. Step 2 Result.

Now that color is corrected, we fix the light.

Basic Panel Adjustments

• Exposure: +0.3 to +0.7

• Highlights: -30 to -60

• Shadows: +30 to +60

• Whites: slight increase

• Blacks: slight decrease

Goal

Balanced tonal range, not brightness.

Use the Histogram

This is your most reliable guide.

• Avoid clipping highlights

• Avoid crushing shadows

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Pro Insight

Exposure is not about making the image brighter.

It’s about restoring what the camera couldn’t capture correctly underwater.

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Step 3: Presence – Restoring Depth and Detail

After exposure is balanced, subtle use of Texture, Clarity, and Dehaze restores depth and definition without making the water look unnatural. Step 3 Result

Now we begin to add structure back into the image.

Presence Sliders (Basic Panel)

• Texture: +10 to +20

• Clarity: +10 to +20

• Dehaze: +10 to +25

What This Does

• Enhances micro-detail

• Cuts through underwater haze

• Adds depth to the water column

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Important Rule

Small adjustments here go a long way.

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Common Mistake

Overusing Dehaze and Clarity:

• Creates halos

• Makes water look unnatural

• Adds harsh edges

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Step 4: Color – Controlled Enhancement

Now that the image is balanced, we refine the color.

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Vibrance vs Saturation

• Vibrance: +15 to +25

• Saturation: minimal or zero

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HSL Panel (Color Mixer)

Focus adjustments on:

• Reds: increase saturation and luminance

• Oranges: refine coral tones

• Blues: slightly reduce luminance for depth

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Point Color (Latest Lightroom Classic Feature)

Use Point Color to:

• Target specific hues precisely

• Adjust without affecting the entire image

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🔹 Important Rule

Color correction is not about increasing overall saturation.

It’s about targeted color control.

• Adjust specific colors, not the entire image

• Focus on restoring reds and oranges first

• Maintain natural blue water tones

• Avoid pushing colors beyond what you actually saw underwater

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Using the Color Mixer, targeted adjustments to reds, oranges, and blues restore natural underwater color, bringing the scene to life without oversaturation.

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Pro Insight

This is where most underwater photos finally come to life.

Not because they are brighter, but because the color now feels natural and believable.

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Common Mistake

Applying global saturation increases across the entire image.

This destroys natural color balance.

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Step 5: Masking – Where the Image Comes to Life

Before-and-after masking adjustments in Lightroom selectively enhance the subject while maintaining natural background tones and depth.

Up to this point, every adjustment has affected the entire image.

Now, we take control.

Masking allows you to guide the viewer’s eye by enhancing your subject without overprocessing the background.

This is where a good image becomes a compelling one.

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Start with Subject Selection

Use Lightroom’s AI Masking:

• Select Subject

• Refine the mask if needed

Then apply subtle adjustments:

• Exposure: +0.2 to +0.4

• Clarity: +5 to +10

• Texture: +5

You’re not trying to make the subject brighter.
You’re trying to make it stand out naturally.

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Balance the Background

Create a second mask for the background:

• Slightly reduce Exposure (–0.2)

• Lower Clarity or Dehaze just a touch

This creates separation and depth without looking artificial.

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Enhance Directional Light

Use a Radial Gradient if needed:

• Place it over your subject

• Feather generously

• Add a slight exposure lift

This mimics how light naturally falls underwater.

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Pro Insight

Masking is not about making parts of the image “pop.”

It’s about controlling attention.

If the viewer instantly knows where to look, you’ve done it right.

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Common Mistake

Over-masking.

Bright subjects, dark backgrounds, and heavy clarity create an artificial “cut-out” look.

If your edit feels obvious, it’s too much.

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Step 6: Final Adjustments – Polishing the Image

Now we refine and finalize.

Final edited underwater image after full Lightroom workflow, showing balanced color, controlled contrast, and natural depth that transforms a flat capture into a compelling photograph.

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This is the difference between adjusting a photo… and truly editing it.

Up to this point, we’ve built the foundation.

Now we finish the image with precision.

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Final Refinements

Detail Panel

• Sharpening: ~40

• Masking: High (hold Alt/Option to isolate edges)

Apply sharpening only where it matters, edges and subject detail.
Avoid sharpening open water, this introduces noise and reduces clarity.

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Noise Reduction

• Use AI Denoise if needed

Especially for:

• Deeper dives

• Higher ISO images

• Shadow-heavy scenes

Keep it controlled. Too much noise reduction softens important detail.

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Lens Corrections

• Enable Profile Corrections

• Remove Chromatic Aberration

This ensures clean edges and accurate geometry, especially important for wide-angle reef scenes.

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Crop & Composition

• Straighten horizon

• Improve framing

• Remove distractions

At this stage, composition is about refinement, not rescue.

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What You Should Be Seeing Now

Take a moment and look at your final image:

• The subject stands out naturally

• Colors are vibrant but believable

• The water retains depth

• Nothing feels overprocessed

That’s the goal.

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Pro Insight

Great underwater edits are not dramatic.

They are controlled.

Small adjustments, applied in the correct order, create the biggest difference.

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Common Mistake

Over-polishing.

Too much sharpening, too much clarity, too much noise reduction.

If the image starts to feel “crunchy” or artificial, you’ve gone too far.

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🌊 Final Thought

The goal is not to make your photos look edited.

The goal is to make them look the way you remember the dive.

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Before vs After: The Transformation

A complete transformation from dull to WOW. This before-and-after comparison shows how a flat, blue RAW file can be turned into a vibrant, balanced underwater image using a structured Lightroom workflow.

Before

• Flat

• Blue-heavy

• Low contrast

• No subject separation

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After

• Balanced color

• Defined subject

• Strong depth

• Natural, realistic tones

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This is the difference between capturing a moment and presenting it.

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Common Mistakes to Avoid

1. Skipping White Balance

2. Editing out of order

3. Overusing Dehaze

4. Over-saturating colors

5. Ignoring masking

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Practical Takeaways

• Always start with White Balance

• Build exposure carefully

• Use Presence tools with restraint

• Enhance color selectively

• Use masking to create depth

• Finish with subtle refinements

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How This Fits Into the Back-to-Basics Series

This post brings together everything we’ve covered:

• White Balance fundamentals

• Exposure control

• Presence tools

• Color refinement

• Masking techniques

This is the real-world application of the full workflow system.

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Internal Linking Suggestions

Link to:

• Back to Basics – Part 5A: White Balance

• Back to Basics – Part 5B: Exposure & Tone

• Back to Basics – Part 5C: Presence & Detail

• Back to Basics – Part 5D: Color

• Back to Basics – Part 5F: Masking

• Back to Basics – Part 5G: Complete Workflow

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Call to Action

Want to speed up your editing and get consistent results?

Download my free guide:

“10 Lightroom Fixes Every Underwater Photographer Should Know.”
👉 https://info.robertherb.com/lm-2-blog

📘 New here: Start with the full workflow: The Complete Guide to Editing Underwater Photos in Lightroom
👉
https://robertherb.blogspot.com/2026/03/editing-underwater-photos-lightroom-guide.html

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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 us dive deeper into the art and craft of capturing the marine world. I would welcome any comments or suggestions.

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.

I look forward to your feedback and suggestions. 

Sincerely, 

Bob Herb

Robert Herb Robert Herb Photography +1 (714) 594-9262‬  |  +504 9784-0024  |  www.RobertHerb.com Bob@robertherb.com  |  Roatán, HN or Aliso Viejo, CA (USA)