Common Lightroom Mistakes Undermining Photo Quality

Summary

Lightroom's flexibility can lead to common editing mistakes that degrade image quality. Over-reliance on the Clarity slider can make photos appear crunchy and over-processed, especially on skin tones. Crushing blacks too much results in lost detail and flat images. Neglecting built-in lens corrections for distortion, vignetting, and chromatic aberration leaves free image quality on the table. Incorrect white balance, often left at camera defaults, can make skin tones appear unhealthy, and using the White Balance Selector or developing an eye for color casts is crucial.

Key points

• Avoid excessive Clarity, which creates crunchy images and exaggerated textures.
• Do not crush blacks to the point of losing all shadow detail.
• Always apply lens corrections for distortion, vignetting, and chromatic aberration.
• Correct white balance using the eyedropper tool or by developing an eye for color casts.