By removing the contrast, you can see how the whole image appears when you darken it. The reason I suggest doing this after adjusting whites is so that you don’t over-darken the image. Step 2: Darken The ExposureĪfter adjusting my bright areas of the image is when I’ll actually grab the Exposure slider in the Basics panel and start darkening the image. In this image, you can see the difference in the brightest spots as they’ve been muted down to almost a gray. Generally speaking, you don’t have to pull the Highlights and Lights sliders all the way to the left, do it gradually and see what looks best on your image. You can see the changes reflected on the actual curve. Although you can grab the Tone Curve chart and play with the diagonal line, it’s much easier to use the sliders. In the Tone Curve, locate the Highlights and Lights sliders and start pulling them down. If you find that there are still some bright spots left in your image, you can scroll down to the Tone Curve panel in order to adjust these. The reason you do this is that you want to make sure the brightest part of your image does not contrast with the darkest parts of the image. In the Basic panel, locate the Highlights and Whites sliders and pull them down to -100. When in the Develop module in Lightroom, the first thing I suggest doing is immediately muting your whites.

An image that looks rather bright and vibrant, it’ll be a great contrasting example of how much the mood changes with the forthcoming edit! Step 1: Mute Your Whites Landscapes, humans with modest or solemn facial expressions, and architecture do great with this sort of editing style.įor today’s tutorial, I’ll be using this photograph. Choosing The Right PhotoĪlthough many photos thrive well with a dark and moody edit, the image you use should make sense.Ĭhoosing images based on subject matter that works for a dark and moody look is ideal. Instead, use my adjustments as a guideline for your image. Your photos may require something different than mine. Note: don’t base your edits on the slider values you see in my screenshots. So, open your desired image, and let’s get to work! Once the darkness is properly added in, you will want to start playing with the hue, saturation, and luminance panel to make sure your photo’s colors fall into alignment with this moody look. Much of the dark and moody look relies on proper adjustment of your photo’s whites, blacks, highlights, shadows, and overall exposure.

Moody preset lightroom