Robert Herb Photography Blog

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...

Final cleanup is the step that turns a good underwater edit into a finished photograph by removing distractions, protecting the subject, cleaning the edges, and keeping the image natural. How to polish an underwater photo in Lightroom without making it look fake If you have been following this From Dull to WOW series, we have already worked through some of the biggest problems underwater photographers face in Lightroom. We have looked at color recovery. We have looked at white balance. We have looked at exposure. We have examined how to restore detail, depth, and dimension in a flat underwater scene. In From Dull to WOW #5 , we focused on rebuilding a flat underwater photo by restoring tonal depth, Presence, color, subject separation, masking, and final adjustments. That post also introduced the idea that even after the image looks much better, there may still be small distractions pulling the viewer’s eye away from the subject. That is where this next step begins. Because sometimes t...

Editing Cell Phone Underwater Photos in Lightroom Mobile: A Complete Workflow First, I extend my sincere gratitude to some of my dive friends who generously allowed me to collaborate with them on this project. Their assistance was invaluable in creating this comprehensive guide. It's important to note that I do not currently own or use a smartphone specifically for underwater photography, which means I had to seek external help and insights to ensure the accuracy and usefulness of this post.   Underwater photography has long been regarded as a challenging and complex endeavor. The unique environment presents numerous obstacles, including shifting and often unpredictable light conditions, the pervasive dominance of blue and green hues, and the unexpected behavior of marine life, all of which can make capturing vibrant, engaging images challenging. Even highly experienced divers can come back from a dive with photos that appear dull or lifeless due to these environmental factors. His...