How to salvage a dark or blurry photo with Adobe Lightroom

While you may not be able to completely restore a dim or blurry image, here is a short and a long way to make the flaws less obvious, using Adobe Lightroom

Adobe Lightroom comes with an advanced menu of tools that will help you cover up photographic flaws [File] | Photo Credit: Reuters

Our smartphones and DSLR cameras make it possible to capture dozens if not hundreds of shots of a single subject in order to select that one perfect image.

However, there are times when our devices fail us or we find ourselves restoring old photos shot on more basic cameras.

In these cases, one can expect to see distracting shadows, blurred details, out-of-focus subjects, or uneven lighting. While our phones often come with in-built image editors that can fix such flaws with just a tap, these features are highly device-specific and may not deliver the precise results you can achieve by using professional photo-editing software such as Adobe Lightroom.

Whether you want to sharpen a family selfie captured on a tablet camera or brighten up your grandparents’ childhood photos, Adobe Lightroom comes with an advanced menu of tools that will help you cover up photographic flaws while preserving the essence of the original picture.

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How to edit your photo with Adobe Lightroom (the short way)

Download Adobe Lightroom on your smartphone - not your desktop - and create a free account

Upload the image you want to edit on the platform

When it is uploaded and you are taken to the editing space, tap the ‘Auto+’ button on the bottom left

The image will be automatically enhanced by the system, with light/colour/texture-based edits completed in just a second

You can now make your own adjustments until the image is to your liking

If you are happy with the automatically edited image, tap the three dots on the top right corner and select ‘Save copy to device’

How to edit your photo with Adobe Lightroom (the long way)

Download Adobe Lightroom on your smartphone - not your desktop - and create a free account

Upload the image you want to edit on the platform

When it is uploaded and you are taken to the editing space, tap on ‘Edit’ and then ‘Light’

If your problem is an image that is dim overall, select the ‘Exposure’ slider. Move the point to the right to brighten the image

If the issue with your image is a few awkward shadows in an otherwise bright photo, select ‘Shadows’ and move the sliding point to the right

If your image has both extremely light and dark objects, but you want to achieve a flatter or softer look, select ‘Contrast’ and move the point to the left. Conversely, if your image is hazy and you want stronger outlines, move the sliding point in the other direction for more boldness

If your bright colours look black or muddied, select ‘Blacks’ and move the point to the right to clean up your colours

In order to make the image sharper, select ‘Effects’ on the bottom menu bar and then increase the texture until the blurred details become more visible. While you can do the same thing with the clarity and dehaze settings, this may darken your image again

Tap on ‘Detail’ on the bottom menu bar and then increase the sharpness of the image, as well as the detail. This will not completely fix the blurriness but will give the overall image more intricate elements so that it looks more focused

You can long press the image to compare the before and after effects

If you are happy with the edited image, tap the three dots on the top right corner and select ‘Save copy to device’

Disclaimer: There are occasions when it is not permitted to edit your photos or digitally alter them. For example, if you are submitting photos to the police, media, court, or insurance companies, do not alter the image in any way and always submit an unedited original.