Robert Herb Photography Blog

  An AI-generated image that best represents this blog posting. Creating a strong sense of depth in underwater photography is notoriously tricky and presents unique challenges for photographers. Whether diving in the clear, vibrant waters of Roatan, rich with marine life, or exploring a mysterious shipwreck in the South Pacific, you may find that everything looks flat and two-dimensional. This loss of depth perception is a common issue, as the magical blur that typically separates a subject from its background—something we often achieve topside with fast lenses—simply doesn't happen as readily below the surface.    In underwater photography, achieving the breathtaking depth of field that brings the subject to life can require careful planning and specific equipment. The hues of the ocean can further complicate this, often washing out colors and detail, leading to a lack of contrast. However, advancements in technology have introduced innovative solutions to overcome thes...

An AI-generated image that illustrates the use of Adobe Lightroom tools to find the balance between Noise Reduction and Sharpness. If you've ever taken underwater photos in murky conditions, you know the challenge: your images are often riddled with noise, yet reducing it too much can rob them of their sharpness. With its latest AI-powered tools, finding the right balance is an art that Adobe Lightroom helps us master. In this guide, I’ll walk you through how to strike the perfect balance between noise reduction and sharpness using five real-world underwater scenarios. Why Does Noise vs. Sharpness Matter? High ISO settings are often necessary when shooting in challenging conditions, such as low-light environments or murky waters, particularly underwater photography. However, while these settings can help capture the scene, they frequently introduce noise, manifesting as unwanted graininess that can detract from the overall image quality. To address this issue, photographers oft...

An AI-generated image that represents the use of Radial Filters in Adobe Lightroom. During a recent presentation I did for a group of divers that I was able to dive with and take underwater pictures of, I was asked how I was able to make my photographs "POP" ? Since they were on the same dives and took many of the same pictures of a subject, they were very impressed with the difference in my photos versus theirs. As I usually say to my audiences, it is no longer about who has the best camera or gear; it's all about processing images that make a real difference in pictures. With post-processing tools like Adobe Lightroom , you get the tools that will take average underwater photographs and allow the user to turn them into "WOW" pictures. Below are just some tools that will allow the user to take an average underwater photograph and turn it into something you can be proud of. Composition truly matters in underwater photography! How an image is framed and how you ...

This AI-generated image shows an example of how  DoF can be used to highlight the foreground and blur the background. In underwater photography, depth of field (DoF) is crucial for compositional effectiveness. It enables photographers to isolate subjects, like a reluctant seahorse amidst a vibrant seagrass backdrop, or to highlight the curious expression of a turtle in a colorful reef environment. However, achieving the desired DoF in-camera can present challenges due to movement, lighting variations, and water conditions, which often need to align favorably. Fortunately, post-processing techniques in Adobe Lightroom provide practical tools to enhance or even replicate the depth of field, allowing photographers to achieve a more professional and polished appearance in their images. This detailed guide provides insights on utilizing Lightroom's features to adjust the depth of field while preserving a natural underwater aesthetic. Each tool will be discussed in depth, including how...