Want to create this edit with me? In today's Lightroom breakdown, I'm going to walk you through the step-by-step process I used to edit this romantic wedding photo. This photo was taken at sunset with pretty harsh sunlight. Let’s work on it together!
First, I started by analyzing the composition. I clicked on the crop tool to bring up the composition grids, which helps me make sure my lines are straight and I'm using good compositional techniques. I ended up cropping the image a bit tighter, bringing the subject closer to the intersecting grid lines to create a more compelling frame.
Next, I experimented with some of my custom Lightroom presets. I knew I wanted a moody, low-contrast look to match the harsh sunset lighting, so I went with my "Moody 02 Low Contrast" preset as a starting point. From there, I started fine-tuning the color and contrast.
I warmed up the color temperature to really emphasize those golden, romantic tones.
Then I played with the highlights, shadows and blacks to balance out the contrast.
One thing I noticed was that the warmer color temperature was making the skin tones look a bit too orange, so I made a subtle adjustment in the HSL panel to dial back the saturation of the orange tones just a bit.
This helped maintain that golden quality without going overboard on the skin. Finally, I added a light sharpening touch, but used the masking tool to ensure the sharpening was only applied to the subject and not the blurry background. This keeps the focus right where I want it.
I'm really happy with how this turned out, with that moody, romantic vibe. I'd love to see what you come up with, so feel free to tag me if you edit this image and share your version. Can't wait to see your creativity!
Gear Breakdown:
Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mark IV
Lens: Canon EF 85mm f/1.4L IS USM
Aperture: f/1.4
Shutter Speed: 1/2000
ISO: 100
