This is how you recreate the polarizer effect in Lightroom

Polarizing filters are one of the basic (and, if you ask me, most useful) filters you can use. And when you start learning about it, one of the first things you’ll learn is that its effect can’t be recreated in post. But is it really the case? Well, this is just partially true. While there certainly are some features that you can’t make up for in post, you can recreate the look of the polarizing filter. In his recent video, Christian Möhrle shows you how to do it in Lightroom.

What can you recreate?

Polarizing filters can significantly reduce glare and reflections from non-metallic surfaces like glass, water, and foliage. This is especially useful for capturing clear images in bright conditions or when shooting through reflective surfaces. This is one of those things that you just can’t achieve in post. So, in situations I described, you may want to stick with the filter.

However, polarizing filters can also help colors appear more vibrant and saturated. This is particularly noticeable in scenes with blue skies, water, or foliage. They also darken blue skies, creating a more dramatic and contrasting effect. They reduce the amount of diffused light that enters the camera, increasing contrast in your images. And these are the effects that you can recreate in post and the ones Christian demonstrates.

The process

In his video, Christian uses one of his images to demonstrate the process of editing for “the polarizer look.” You can even download the raw file and follow along if you like. I’ll break it down here, but make sure to watch the video to actually see what he’s doing.

Basic adjustments

• Profile: Change the color profile from “Adobe Color” to “Adobe Standard” for more control.
• White balance: Increase temperature to warm up the shot.
• Exposure: Increase the exposure slightly to brighten the image.
• Whites: Increase whites significantly to add punch and push the histogram.
• Highlights: Decrease highlights to emulate the polarization effect and make clouds more visible.
• Texture: Increase texture slightly to sharpen the image.
• Dehaze: Decrease slightly to add a bit more clarity.
• Vibrance: Increase vibrance to make colors pop.

Polarization effect

• Masking: Use color range masks in Lightroom to target specific areas of the blue sky.
• Exposure and blacks: Decrease both to darken the selected areas and create the polarization effect.
• Stacking: Create multiple color range masks to achieve a more natural gradient.
• Linear gradient: Add a linear gradient to further enhance contrast and cloud definition.

Color Grading

• Color mixer: Increase saturation for orange, yellow, and green tones.
• Luminance: Decrease blue luminance to darken the sky and increase yellow and green luminance to brighten the landscape.
• Calibration: Adjust green hue and blue saturation.

Sharpening

• Details tab: Increase detail and decrease radius.
• Masking: Apply a mask to sharpen the subject in the center.

Christian ends the editing process in Photoshop for the final touch, cleaning up the distractions. Of course, depending on the scene you’re editing, you don’t need to do it. I suggest practicing this tutorial on the image he provides – and then playing with your own photos to achieve this look of a polarizing filter. Still, when you want to reduce glare and reflections – I suggest you bring the actual filter to the shoot.

[Make your Photos POP with THIS Awesome Effect! – Lightroom Tutorial | Christian Möhrle – The Phlog Photography]

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