“exposing for moody greens”
how to edit your photos in a “moody green” style using adobe lightroom. (Free link to “moody green PRESET” in post)
Moody photography has the power to capture emotion and portray feelings in a way that makes it a great photographic tool for telling a story. It can be used to evoke AND capture a certain “mood”. “Mood” is all about conveying the emotion behind a moment or scene. the ability to draw the viewer into your images is vital. WE THINK THIS IS why this style of photography has become so popular - it allows us to connect with images in a more profound way, AND still preservE our individual style of editing or way of seeing the world.
We searched a bit online for guidance and tips on how we could edit images in a “moody” style and found a lot of tips both on Youtube and other websites, but the importance of correct exposure for a “Moody edit” was something we didn’t see too much about. Here we have gathered a few tips and thoughts about “exposing for mood” and the editing process. Free Lightroom Preset link can be found in the bottom of the post.
“Exposing for mood” in camera
When I first tried some methods I found online some time ago, the results was not as expected. When applying a preset the photographer often has a style or a certain way of exposing so that the preset will harmonise with his/her style of editing or exposure. This was one of the first issues I came across when I was trying to replicate this style.
Not all scenes or light will give a moody feel. Cloudy and misty weather with an even spread of light or even poor lighting conditions is often a good starting point. Under exposing without “crushing” the blacks also gave a much more easy file in edit.
These images were taken at Ringve Botanical Garden in Trondheim. The weather was cloudy with an occasional rain shower. By using the “Moody Green” preset linked in this post you can easily achieve the same results.
Entire project can be seen on Béhance.
Histogram
The histogram shows the tonal values in the image above are concentrated the left side (dark side). By slightly under exposing the images you will have an easier time in post processing.
Editing in Adobe Lightroom
It is in Lightroom the real “magic” happens. Achieving the “moody” look is much easier than you think. The “Moody Green” preset can be used as a starting point for your own edit. Tweaking the sliders, especially the “Exposure” slider is important to make the preset match your exposure. Take a look at the histogram while adjusting the slider and place the majority of tones on the darker side of the histogram as shown on the image above.
Before and after using the preset