Dark photos can be a bit disappointing. They may look dull, lifeless, and lacking in contrast. However, there are some simple techniques you can use in Lightroom to bring those dark photos back to life and add a touch of warmth to them.

What is Warm Light?

Warm light is often associated with sunlight, sunsets, and fireplaces. It has a yellow or orange hue that can create a sense of warmth, comfort, and nostalgia.

How to Add Warm Light to Dark Photos in Lightroom

• Increase Exposure: Adjusting the exposure slider will brighten the overall image, which can make it less dark. However, it may also make the image look too bright and washed out.
• Adjust White Balance: White balance refers to the color temperature of an image. Images with a cool white balance may appear blue or purple, while images with a warm white balance may appear yellow or orange. To add warmth to a dark image, you can adjust the white balance towards the warmer end of the spectrum.
• Increase Contrast: Contrast is the difference between the lightest and darkest areas of an image. Increasing the contrast can make the image look more dynamic and add depth to it.
• Use the Highlights and Shadows Sliders: The highlights and shadows sliders allow you to selectively adjust the brightness of the brightest and darkest areas of an image. You can use these sliders to brighten the highlights and darken the shadows, which can help to create a more dramatic and warm-looking image.
• Use the Vibrance and Saturation Sliders: Vibrance and saturation control the intensity of the colors in an image. By increasing the vibrance, you can make the colors in the image more vivid without affecting the overall brightness. Saturation, on the other hand, affects the overall brightness of the colors.
• Use the Gradual Filter: The gradual filter allows you to apply a gradient effect to an image. You can use this tool to create a warm glow on the horizon, for example.
• Use the Adjustment Brush: The adjustment brush allows you to apply local adjustments to specific areas of an image. You can use this tool to selectively brighten or warm up certain areas of the image, such as a person’s face.

Additional Tips

• Experiment with different values for the sliders to find what works best for your photo.
• Don’t overdo it! Too much warmth can make your photo look unnatural and artificial.
• Use a reference image of a scene with warm light to help you achieve the desired effect.
• Save your edits as a preset so you can easily apply the same adjustments to other photos in the future.

With a little practice, you’ll be able to add warm light to your dark photos like a pro. So go ahead and give it a try!