Achieving a soft photo effect can add a dreamy and romantic feel to your images. With the use of editing tools like Lightroom, it is possible to achieve this look with just a few simple adjustments. This article will discuss 7 key steps for getting a soft photo effect in Lightroom. 

Click here to read how to achieve a soft photo effect using lens filters.

If you want to the final result on a photo I recently edited, read through to the end.

Reduce Clarity and Sharpness 

Reducing the Clarity and Sharpness sliders in Lightroom helps to create a soft and dreamy look in your photos. The Clarity slider affects the midtone contrast, making the image appear sharper or softer. By reducing the Clarity slider, the midtone contrast will decrease and the photo will look less sharp and more hazy.

The Sharpness slider affects the sharpness of the photo's edges and details. Reducing the Sharpness slider will also decrease the photo's overall sharpness and contribute to a softer look. Experiment with adjusting these two sliders together to find the ideal balance for a soft photo effect. 

Increase Dehaze and/or Shadows 

Increasing the Dehaze and Shadows sliders can add a smooth and dreamy look to a photo in Lightroom. The Dehaze slider adjusts the amount of haze in a photo, adding or removing a soft look to the image. Increasing the Dehaze slider will make the photo look softer and dreamier by reducing the amount of contrast and making the photo appear hazy.

The Shadows slider affects the overall exposure of the photo and can also be used to achieve a softer look. Increasing the Shadows slider will brighten up the darker parts of the image, making it look more balanced and less contrasty. Experiment with adjusting these two sliders together to find the ideal balance for a soft photo effect.  For instance, dragging the Highlights slider to -25 and the Shadows slider to +25 can brighten up the shadows and darken the highlights, creating a softer look.

Apply a Radial or Adjustment Brush with a Soft Light setting 

Applying a Radial or Adjustment Brush with a Soft Light setting in Lightroom can help you achieve a soft photo effect.

The Radial and Adjustment Brush tools allow you to make selective adjustments to specific areas of the photo, while the Soft Light setting applies a softening effect to the adjustment.

To use the Radial or Adjustment Brush, select the tool, paint over the area you want to adjust, and then adjust the Clarity, Sharpness, and other settings to your desired level. To apply the Soft Light setting, go to the Effect dropdown menu and select Soft Light. This will apply a softening effect to the adjustment, making the area you painted over look softer and more dreamy.

Apply a tone curve adjustment 

Applying a Tone Curve adjustment in Lightroom can help you get that soft photo effect. The Tone Curve allows you to adjust the tonal range of the image by creating custom tonal mapping. To achieve a soft photo effect, you can adjust the Tone Curve to reduce contrast and make the image appear less sharp.

To do this, go to the Tone Curve panel, and adjust the curve to make it shallower, effectively reducing the contrast in the photo. For example, you can make the highlights and shadows flatter, reducing the contrast between them and making the photograph appear softer to the eye. You can also adjust individual colour channels for a more nuanced effect.

Reduce the contrast 

Reducing contrast in Lightroom is a key step in achieving a soft photo effect. By reducing the overall contrast of the image, the details in the photo will become less pronounced, and the photo will appear softer and more dreamy.

To reduce contrast in Lightroom, go to the Light panel and adjust the Contrast slider to the left. You can also use the Tone Curve, as described in point 4, to adjust the contrast in a more nuanced way. Experiment with different levels of contrast reduction to find the ideal balance for a soft photo effect. 

Adjust the Highlights and Whites sliders 

Adjusting the Highlights and Whites sliders in Lightroom can also contribute to a soft photo effect. The Highlights slider affects the brightest parts of the image, and by reducing the Highlights slider, you can make the brightest parts of the photo appear less pronounced and create a softer look. T

he Whites slider affects the overall brightness of the image, and by reducing the Whites slider, you can lower the overall brightness of the photo and create a softer, more dreamy look.

To adjust the Highlights and Whites sliders, go to the Light panel and experiment with different levels of adjustment to find the ideal balance for a soft photo effect. 

Adjust the Vibrance and Saturation sliders 

Adjusting the Vibrance and Saturation sliders in Lightroom can also help achieve a soft photo effect. The Vibrance slider affects the saturation of the less-saturated colors in the image, while the Saturation slider affects the overall saturation of the image.

By reducing both of these sliders, the colors in the photo will become less intense and the photo will appear softer and more muted.

To adjust the Vibrance and Saturation sliders, go to the Color panel and experiment with different levels of adjustment to find the ideal balance for a soft photo effect. Keep in mind that reducing saturation too much can result in a flat and dull-looking photo, so be careful not to over-adjust these sliders. 

With these 7 steps, you can quickly and easily achieve a soft photo effect in Lightroom. By adjusting settings like Dehaze, Shadows, Tone Curve, Contrast, and Saturation, you can create a soft and dreamy look that adds a romantic and sentimental touch to your images. Remember to experiment with different levels of adjustment to find the ideal balance for your photos, and don’t be afraid to get creative with your editing. 

Soft photo effect in Lightroom

Your soft light photo edits

I’d love to see the photos that you have edited based on the steps outlined above. Tag my Instagram account @jgrnstn when you post them so I can see your work!