Dehaze

Use Dehaze to clear up a flat, hazy horizon or bring back detail in the clouds. It’s particularly useful when you can barely make anything out in the sky. Go easy, though. Before you know it, all you’ve done is make the sky very dark.

In Lightroom Classic, open the Basic panel and find the Presence section. Dehaze sits alongside Texture and Clarity. Move the slider a little to the right and see what happens: the haze fades, while contrast and color increase. Then decide whether to go any further.

To adjust just the sky, go to Masking and choose Select Sky. You can also use a Linear Gradient over the sky. Then adjust Dehaze within that mask. That lets you bring back detail in the clouds without applying the same adjustment to the rest of your photo.

The common mistake is pushing it too far. The sky becomes unnaturally dark, a color cast can appear, often blue, and noise becomes more visible. The edges can also darken, as though you’ve added a vignette. If you see that happening, pull the slider back a little. It doesn’t have to go all the way to the end.

If you’re after a soft, misty atmosphere, move the slider to the left, into negative values. Take your time here too, and see how much suits your photo.

Presets tend to use this adjustment sparingly, if at all. The right amount varies from photo to photo. Apply your preset first, then adjust Dehaze yourself. A misty horizon needs something different from a clear sky.