You might not think too much about photo editing software when you first become a photographer. But as you become more advanced and develop a unique style, you’ll probably begin taking the post-production phase more seriously. Adobe Lightroom is one of the most popular platforms for photographers to use.

When you use Lightroom, you’ll notice several tools to help you fine-tune your images’ look and feel. Dehaze is one of the most popular choices, and you’ve got plenty of options when using it.

This article will identify numerous situations where you might want to consider using the Dehaze feature in Adobe Lightroom.

1. When Your Camera Had Moisture on the Lens

Photo of a person in a rainy forest

Photography isn’t easy in any condition, but it’s especially challenging if you’re capturing shots in more adverse weather—such as on a rainy day. And in some instances, you might get moisture on your camera lens; if you’ve been out doing photography in colder weather, you could also get mist when you go indoors.

Ideally, you’ll want to avoid these situations by bringing a microfiber cloth. However, moisture on your lens isn’t always avoidable. In such instances, your image is still potentially salvageable in Lightroom.

When using the Dehaze tool, move the slider to the right. If you can’t save your image, use the experience as a learning curve for the next time you go out in rainy weather.

2. When You Took Photos on Sunny Days

Photo of a cityscape on a sunny day

Taking photos on sunny days is trickier than you think, and your job becomes even more challenging if you take photos during times of the day with harsh lighting—such as midday. If you point your camera in the sun’s direction, you might notice that your skies look overblown.

Your sky will often look white because you overexposed your picture. Again, your photo is sometimes impossible to salvage—but it’s still worth trying.

Move the Dehaze slider to the right until you see the clouds return. You might want to consider masking a specific area, as turning the Dehaze up will also impact other parts of your picture.

3. When You Didn’t Use a Lens Hood

A curly-haired ginger woman holding a DSLR and looking over her shoulder behind her.

Regardless of whether you’ve got a prime lens or one that zooms in and out, you will probably receive a lens hood with your purchase. And in many instances, you’ll find that keeping this on is incredibly useful for keeping out unwanted light.

However, lens hoods are sometimes inconvenient to carry. And in some cases, you might have tried to achieve a specific style with your photography that the hood couldn’t warrant. Either way, you might have too much light that you didn’t want.

You’ll want to move the Dehaze filter to the right to remove as much light as possible.

4. Emphasizing Fog or Smog

photo of a city in the fog

Depending on where you live, you might have some beautiful foggy mornings—especially during the autumn and winter months. And while capturing images in foggy conditions is incredibly challenging, the results are often stunning if you can get everything right.

If you live in a large city, you might also have some days when the haze or smog looks particularly picturesque against the soft morning light. You will probably need to wear some form of protection over your mouth and nose to protect yourself from the pollution.

In either situation, you can use the Dehaze tool to emphasize the smoke or clouds. Rather than moving the filter right, drag it to the left until you’re satisfied with the end product.

5. Adding Contrast

Photo of a photographer inside a greenhouse surrounded by plants

If you want to edit your photos in Lightroom after you’ve been out shooting, chances are that you shot with a flat profile. Doing so will enable you to save as many details as possible, giving you more to work with.

As you begin editing your picture, you might notice that the image is too flat for your liking. While you can use the Contrast slider, other tools—such as Dehaze—can help you achieve the desired result.

Try moving the Dehaze slider to the right and see if that does anything to help you add a little contrast to your image. If you’re still unsatisfied, you can play with tools like Blacks, Whites, and the curve graph.

6. If You Used a Camera Profile That Added Too Many Shadows

a man working on his computer

Regardless of the camera manufacturer you used to shoot your shots, you’ll have a wide selection of profiles to use as filters for your images. Each has different circumstances that you might want to use them in, and some will lift shadows and other parts of the picture more than others.

You might have encountered an unfortunate situation where you found a camera profile that works for your picture, but the shadows are a little too high. The Dehaze feature is an excellent option in these instances.

Slide the tool to the right until you’re happy with the results.

7. Adding Clarity to Your Portraits

photo of a person taken in a street

Portrait photography is one of the most versatile genres, and if you’re a beginner, getting the pictures you desire is sometimes incredibly difficult. You might find in some cases that the image is a little too flat, and you’d like to add a little more detail to the person’s face or clothes.

Using Dehaze and Clarity can help you make your image look less one-dimensional. Move the slider to the right until you’re satisfied with how the picture looks.

8. Cleaning Up Photos With a Lot of Artificial Lights

Nighttime scene at a metro stop

Night photography is one of the most exciting genres you can try, but you’ll encounter several challenges when taking pictures after the sun has gone down. Artificial lights are helpful for capturing the shots you desire, but you might also experience unwanted haze in your images as a result of using them.

If you find that your pictures are a little too flat because of artificial lights, Dehaze will help you out. Move the filter to the right; you might need to up the exposure if it’s too dark after doing so.

Dehaze Is One of Lightroom’s Best Tools

If you’re new to photo editing, Dehaze is one of the most important tools you should acquaint yourself with in Lightroom. The feature is incredibly versatile, and you’ll find plenty of ways to add and remove extra haze in your pictures.

These scenarios are just a small selection of the different times you might need to use Dehaze. You can also try it in plenty of other instances, so give it a try and see how it works for you.