How to Create a Haze Effect in Lightroom

How to Add Haze in Lightroom

Thanks to Photoshop and Lightroom, images can be processed in various ways: clean, urban, matte, high contrast, etc. 

One of my favorite processing formats is the hazy look.  It’s perfect for beach photos as well as images taken on a winter day, at sunrise, or on a rainy day.  Sometimes the haze is there when the image is captured in-camera, but if not, it can also be ADDED IN LIGHTROOM during post-processing.

The Dehaze Tool was added to Lightroom a few years ago, and I am so glad they did.  Not only is it a handy tool to have for when you want to remove haze from an image, but also because you can use it to ADD haze to your images.

Using the Lightroom Dehaze Tool – to Add Haze

To use this effect, go to the Basic Panel, which is the top panel you will find on the right-hand side of the Develop Module.  Click on the Dehaze Slider toward the bottom of the panel, and move it toward the left (into the negative).  Note the changes it makes to your images, and stop when you have reached the amount of haze you want to add.

After adding haze, you may find that your subjects look a little more “washed out” than you want them.  Since haze is a “global change,” meaning added to the entirety of an image, it can NOT be erased from a subject’s face. 

With some trial and error, you can use an adjustment brush to bring back some color and contrast to their face using an adjustment brush.

The quick fix I like to use is to add in some saturation and vibrance from the Basic Panel.  Usually, I NEVER recommend using the saturation adjustment on pictures with people because it can make their skin orange.  However, in this case, adding just a bit of saturation and vibrance will brighten the colors in your image without removing the haze you just added.

Unedited Image

Here is my unedited, straight-out-of-camera (SOOC) image:

Edited Image

Here is the same image with subtle haze added in Lightroom:

Using Lightroom Presets to Add Haze

Using presets to add haze in Lightroom is a great option, especially if you want to save time in your editing workflow.

If this is YOU, I highly recommend Pretty Preset & Actions Luminous Preset Collection for Lightroom, which adds haze, sunflare, bokeh, and other gorgeous light enhancements so QUICKLY AND EASILY!

If you prefer to edit in Photoshop, the Fog & Rain Overlays and Actions Collection is a fantastic option to add amazing haze effects, fog, rain, and even lightning to your photos!

Do you have any questions or comments about How to Add Haze to Your Images in Lightroom?  Leave us a comment below – we would love to hear from you!  And PLEASE SHARE our tutorial using the social sharing buttons (we really appreciate it!)