How I Edit a Landscape Photo in Lightroom: Step-by-Step Guide

Landscape photography is all about capturing the beauty of nature. However, sometimes, the photo we capture must reflect the landscape’s true beauty. That’s where the transformative power of post-processing in Adobe Lightroom comes in. Lightroom is a powerful tool that can help you bring out the best in your landscape shots, empowering you to create stunning images. In this step-by-step guide, I’ll show you how to harness this power and edit a landscape photo in Lightroom.

Step 1: Import Your Photo

Open Lightroom and select “Import” to bring your photo into the program. Once your image is imported, you can start editing.

Step 2: Adjust the White Balance

The first step to editing a landscape photo is to adjust the white balance. This is important because it affects the overall colour of your photo. To adjust the white balance, go to the “Develop” module and select the “White Balance” tool. You can use the dropper tool to click on a neutral photo area or manually adjust the temperature and tint sliders until you get the desired colour.

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Landscape Editing tip in Lightroom

Landscape editing is easy in Lightroom. Just a few adjustments in Lightroom, then you have a perfect landscape image!

Step 3: Adjust the Exposure

Next, you need to adjust the exposure, which controls the brightness of your photo. To change the exposure, go to the “Develop” module and select the “Basic” tab. You can use the exposure slider to increase or decrease the brightness of your photo. Be careful not to overexpose or underexpose your image, as this can result in a loss of detail.

Step 4: Adjust the Contrast

Contrast is the difference between the light and dark areas of your photo. To adjust the contrast, go to the “Develop” module and select the “Basic” tab. You can use the contrast slider to increase or decrease the contrast. Be careful to do it sparingly, as this can result in a loss of detail in the shadows or highlights.

Step 5: Adjust the Highlights and Shadows

The highlights are the bright areas of your photo, while the shadows are the dark areas. To adjust the highlights and shadows, go to the “Develop” module and select the “Basic” tab. You can use the highlight and shadow sliders to recover detail in your photo’s bright or dark areas.

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Edit a Landscape photo in Lightroom

After a simple Shadows adjustment in Lightroom/Photoshop, the details are back!

Step 6: Adjust the Clarity

Clarity is the amount of detail in your photo. To adjust the clarity, go to the “Develop” module and select the “Basic” tab. You can use the clarity slider to increase or decrease the amount of detail in your photo. Be careful to do it sparingly, as this can result in losing natural-looking detail.

Step 7: Adjust the Vibrance and Saturation

Vibrance and saturation are both related to the colour of your photo. Vibrance affects the intensity of the less-saturated colours, while saturation affects the intensity of all colours. To adjust the vibrance and saturation, go to the “Develop” module and select the “Basic” tab. You can use the vibrance and saturation sliders to adjust the colour of your photo.

Step 8: Apply Sharpening

Sharpening enhances the details in your photo. To apply sharpening, go to the “Develop” module and select the “Detail” tab. You can use the sharpening sliders to adjust the amount, radius, and detail of the sharpening effect.

Step 9: Crop and Straighten

Finally, crop and straighten your photo. Go to the “Crop” tool in the “Develop” module to do this. You can use the crop overlay to select the area you want to keep in your photo, and you can use the straightening tool to straighten any crooked lines in your image.

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If you’re looking to take your Lightroom skills to the next level, consider the value of private lessons from Omnilargess. Our experienced instructor will work one-on-one with you, providing personalized guidance to help you master Lightroom and achieve your photography goals. This support can be invaluable in honing your skills and enhancing your understanding of Lightroom’s capabilities. Contact us today to learn more!
 

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