Simple Trick To Get Depth In Your Landscape Photos

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There is a simple trick to getting more depth from your landscape photos - view the image in black and white. When you do your basic processing - exposure, contrast, black point, white point - all of that… do that work on a monochrome image. The distractions of color are temporarily out of your way and you can concentrate on the tone, getting rich deep shadows and crisp highlights.

Step 1 - Switch To A Monochrome View

Before starting your processing, switch to a monochrome view of your photo. You can do this in Lightroom with the Adobe Monochrome camera profile (the V keyboard shortcut). In other tools, you can take the Saturation slider to zero.

Step 2 - Basic Processing & Tone Curve

Next, adjust your basic settings of exposure, contract, blacks, whites, highlights, and shadows. Without the distraction of color, your eyes focus on the pure tones of the photo. Texture and depth are more easily judged. As needed, apply a tone curve to enrich shadows and brighten highlights. Some form of a classic S-curve generally works very well.

Add a tone curve adjustment (as necessary)

Step 3 - Switch Back To Color

Once your tones are adjusted, you can switch back to a color image. Choose a color camera profile or return the Saturation slider to its normal setting. Your color photo will already look much better and have a full range of tones. You now have a strong foundation for the rest of your editing work.