Robert Herb Photography Blog

Exposure comes after White Balance because reliable color makes tonal decisions easier to judge. When an underwater photograph appears dark, flat, blue, or green, the natural inclination is often to reach for the Exposure slider. You may raise Exposure, open Shadows, reduce Highlights, and adjust Whites and Blacks until the image starts to look brighter, more balanced, and closer to what you remember seeing underwater. Only after that do you correct White Balance. Then the image changes. The color of the water shifts, contrast changes, and areas that once seemed too dark may now look acceptable, while highlights that seemed safe may now appear too bright. This often sends you back to the tonal sliders, making adjustments you thought were already finished. This does not mean you used the wrong Lightroom tools. It means you used the right tools in the wrong order. In The Consistent Underwater Edit workflow , Exposure is Step Two, after White Balance. White Balance needs to come ...

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...

  Exposure decisions become more accurate after white balance is corrected, especially underwater, where color loss can make an image look darker than it really is. Before You Brighten the Photo, Fix What the Water Took Away One of the most common mistakes that underwater photographers make when editing their photos in Lightroom is reaching for the Exposure slider too quickly, before properly assessing the image.  I understand why this happens.  After a dive, you import your photos and immediately notice that familiar underwater look: a predominant blue tone, dullness, flatness, and darkness that wasn’t as apparent when you were underwater. The reef seemed vibrant and colorful, the turtle looked stunning, and the diver appeared clear and well-defined. Yet, on the screen, everything feels muted, lacking the vibrancy and life you remember.  So the natural reaction is: “This photo is too dark.” Then the slider battle begins. You raise Exposure. You open Shadows. ...