Seascape Photo Editing (Start to Finish)
Before & After
Before and after seascape edit using Lightroom and Photoshop.
About This Edit
This seascape image was captured on the Oregon coast during sunset. In this start-to-finish edit, I walk through my current Lightroom and Photoshop workflow for transforming the image from a flat RAW capture into the final result.
The edit includes RAW adjustments in Lightroom, while most of the heavy lifting was done in Photoshop through color refinement, contrast adjustments, sharpening, dodging and burning, luminosity masking, glow, and final finishing touches. Rather than showing a “right” or “wrong” way to edit, this video demonstrates the workflow I personally use for landscape photography and have refined over time to be both fast and effective.
The goal of this edit was to brighten darker areas, recover detail in the sky, add depth and contrast, improve the foreground water flow, and refine color while still keeping the final result natural and believable.
Watch the Full Edit
Key Editing Takeaways
The image was exposed for the sky, so lifting shadows and balancing highlights was an important part of the RAW edit.
Most of the refinement happened in Photoshop through luminosity masking, dodging and burning, contrast adjustments, and local color refinements.
Selective dodging helped add more depth and visual interest to the foreground water flow.
Glow and sharpening were applied subtly at the end of the workflow to add finishing polish while keeping the image natural.
Photoshop Actions Used
I used several of my custom Photoshop actions throughout this edit to speed up and simplify parts of my workflow, including auto curves, dodge and burn layers, glow, sharpening, and luminosity masking.
