Atmospheric Light Effect for Photos with Greater Depth (VIDEO)
We all look forward to those “perfect” days in the field when we’re greeted by beautiful light, eye-catching blue skies with billowing clouds, and an enchanting scene with interesting depth and dimension throughout the frame.
Unfortunately, ideal conditions are a rarity, and sometimes creative post processing can make the difference between an OK shot and something more spectacular. That’s what we’re aiming for in this transformative Lightroom tutorial from German image-editing expert Christian Mohrle whose instructional YouTube channel is a favorite among Shutterbug readers.
The technique involves giving Mother Nature a helping hand by enhancing an image with what Mohrle calls “atmospheric Light” to inject photos with a compelling sense of depth. He does so with an interesting combination of basic global adjustments, selective masking techniques, color grading, and subtle sharpening.
You can give this approach a try while watching the video by first downloading the sample Raw file with a link beneath the video. The basic stuff comes first, as Mohrle changes the profile from Adobe Color to Adobe Standard which immediately lessens contrast and enables him to restore missing details from the darkest shadows.
Other preliminary enhancements includes increasing exposure, bringing down highlights to maintain details in the sky, a quick modification to color temperature, and a slight increase to the blacks for a softer look that facilitates the atmospheric effect that’s next on the agenda.
Now the fun part begins as Mohrle begins his masking by filling the back part of the frame below the horizon with warm natural-looking light. The trick is to do this without affecting the foreground, the large tree in the middle of the frame, and the sky up above. He walks you through every step of the process that’s appropriate for users of all skill levels.
The impressive transformation concludes with a bit more masking and the aforementioned color grading and sharpening. Be sure to check out Mohrle’s globally popular YouTube channel for more post-processing tricks.
We also recommend watching the timely tutorial we posted recently, demonstrating a straightforward Lightroom technique that delivers eye-popping landscape photographs with beautiful fall colors.
