Winter scenes often look stunning in person but can appear flat and unremarkable in post-processing. Snow creates a high-key, low-contrast effect that lacks depth and dimension. Adding atmosphere and subtle contrast can make the image more engaging without overprocessing it.
Coming to you from Eastern Shore Photo Instruction, this practical video walks through enhancing a snow-covered scene in Lightroom. The first adjustments focus on exposure and contrast, but without overdoing it. Whites need careful handling to avoid losing detail, while blacks and clarity are slightly reduced to soften the image. Vibrance and saturation are also pulled back, keeping a near-monochrome look without fully converting to black and white. A simple crop refines the composition before moving on to more advanced adjustments.
Fog and atmospheric layers add separation and mood. A linear gradient at the bottom creates a misty effect using the dehaze and clarity sliders. Raising the black point in the tone curve further enhances the fog. A radial gradient on the side adds another layer of softness, mimicking natural haze drifting into the frame. These layers build depth, making the scene look more realistic rather than artificially processed. Adjustments remain flexible, using the amount slider to fine-tune each effect.
The sky gets additional treatment to balance out the composition. A linear gradient darkens the upper portion of the frame, but a subtraction mask ensures the transition stays smooth. The effect can be subtle or dramatic, depending on whether the goal is to create a gloomy, overcast mood or a softer atmospheric haze. Small refinements, like selective clarity boosts on trees or buildings, help important elements stand out while maintaining an overall misty feel.
Creative control extends to adding custom fog patches. By applying a heavy dehaze adjustment over the whole image and then painting back specific areas, natural-looking fog can be introduced selectively. This technique avoids the uniform, artificial look of global adjustments while allowing precise placement of atmospheric elements. The final tweaks adjust contrast and exposure to bring everything together. Check out the video above for the full rundown from Mickey.
