How can I create a matte, slightly desaturated look while keeping colors vibrant in Lightroom or Photoshop?
Asked 3/27/2016
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2 answers
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I’m trying to recreate a style where photos look faded or flat overall, but individual colors still feel rich and noticeable. In the examples I’m referencing, whites look more gray than pure white, contrast is low, and skin tones stay warm and tanned rather than washed out. The images aren’t especially bright, but reds, greens, and blues still stand out.
I’ve experimented with curves and desaturation in Lightroom and Photoshop, but I’m not getting the same result. What adjustments typically create this kind of matte, low-contrast, desaturated-yet-vibrant look?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
10y ago
2 Answers
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The "faded look" in your examples appears to me like a reduction in exposure (see how the whites actually look gray in the first picture) combined with a reduction in contrast (achievable via an inverted S-curve), and finally an increase in saturation and/or vibrance. Also the first picture in particular looks as if clarity was increased to boost the face contours while maintaining the overall flat look.
Originally by user50108. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user50108
10y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
A look like this is usually built from a few combined adjustments rather than one effect:
- Lower exposure slightly so the image feels moodier and the whites don’t stay pure white.
- Reduce overall contrast for the flatter look.
- Use a curves adjustment to lift the blacks and soften the highlights—often described as an inverted or reduced S-curve. This creates the matte/faded effect.
- Add back color with saturation and/or vibrance so specific colors still pop even though the tonal contrast is lower.
- If needed, increase clarity a bit, especially on faces, to keep contours and texture defined while the overall image stays flat.
So the recipe is essentially: darker exposure + lower contrast + matte curve + selective color boost. Warm, tanned skin tones usually come from preserving warmth while avoiding too much global desaturation.
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