Robert Herb Photography Blog

Correcting White Balance first creates a reliable color foundation for every editing decision that follows. Most underwater photographers understand that White Balance is important.  However, simply knowing that it matters is not the same as truly understanding  why it should be addressed first .  This is often where many underwater editing workflows fall apart, which is why understanding the rationale behind proper White Balance is essential for achieving the best results. You open an image in Lightroom or Lightroom Classic. The water looks too blue or too green. The subject looks dull. Maybe the image feels dark and flat. So you start moving sliders. You increase Exposure. You add Contrast. You push Dehaze. You increase Vibrance or Saturation. You create a mask around the subject. And after several minutes of editing, the image still does not look right. The problem may not be that you used the wrong tools. The problem may be that you used them in the wrong order. In Th...

Better underwater edits start with a repeatable system. The Consistent Underwater Editing System follows six steps: White Balance, Exposure, Presence, Color, Masking, and Final Adjustments. Most underwater photographers do not struggle because they are missing some magical Lightroom slider that will instantly fix their images.  Instead, they struggle because they lack a repeatable editing system they can rely on.  When they open an underwater photo, they often notice it looks flat, with a bluish or greenish hue, hazy, or dull. In response, they start making adjustments in various areas, such as White Balance. They might tweak the Exposure a bit, increase Vibrance, add some Clarity, apply a mask, boost Saturation, or try different combinations.  Sometimes the image starts working; other times, it still doesn't look quite right. This inconsistency is what makes underwater editing particularly frustrating. One image might come together quickly, looking natural and vibrant, w...

Final adjustments are the last step in the underwater Lightroom workflow. They polish a strong edit, but they do not repair problems that should have been fixed earlier. Every underwater photographer knows the feeling. You have worked through an image in Lightroom. You corrected the white balance. You adjusted the exposure. You added presence carefully. You refined the color. You used masking to solve specific local problems. The image is close. But something still feels unfinished. The water may feel a little heavy or murky. The subject may need a bit more separation from the background. The crop may not feel quite right. A few distractions may still pull your eye away from the main subject. You may also notice a few remaining distractions, including backscatter, that need one last careful review. But if those distractions still require real cleanup, that is usually a sign to return to masking or local cleanup, not to push global final adjustments harder. The photo is better than wher...

Masking works best after the global underwater Lightroom workflow is complete. Use it to solve specific local problems, not to rebuild the entire photo. Masking is one of the most powerful and versatile tools in Lightroom, offering photographers a wide range of creative possibilities.  However, it’s also surprisingly easy to overuse, especially for underwater photographers who often work with complex and vibrant scenes.  Once you realize that Lightroom can select specific subjects, isolate parts of the background, darken or brighten particular areas, add detail to a fish, soften water effects, or guide the viewer’s eye through the image, it becomes tempting to apply masks everywhere.  But here’s an important point to keep in mind: if the overall image is still flawed or not quite right, masking alone won’t fix those fundamental issues.  Overusing masks can actually complicate your edit, making it look heavier or less natural. It might even obscure the actual problem ...