How do i add depth to over-edited travel photos without a gritty look?

[Nora_L]

I was going through some old travel shots from a few years ago and realized I’d completely overdone the clarity slider back then. Now those photos just look harsh and kind of gritty. I’m trying to re-edit them with a lighter touch, but I’m stuck on how to actually add depth back without that crunchy look. Has anyone else wrestled with fixing their own over-processed work from a phase they’d rather forget?

[MatthewYT]

I totally get the sting of looking back and thinking the clarity slider went too far. I did a similar phase and those crunchy edges still nag at me. Maybe you try dialing back the global contrast and just lift the shadows a touch to reintroduce depth.

[NicholasHL]

Try selective tweaks rather than a blanket fix. Pull down highlights a touch and lift shadows in local areas, then add a hint of warmth in midtones to coax depth back while keeping the look soft instead of crunchy.

[Emily_G]

I wonder if chasing extra clarity sometimes steals the mood you were in when you took the shot. Do you miss the rough edge that made it feel alive?

[MilaMG]

Maybe the answer is to treat those photos as a record of a moment not a polished image set. A touch of film grain or a subtle vignette can create texture and depth without pretending the scene was never rough.

[Jack32]

One friend says skip the tech talk and ask what the scene meant to you back then rather than how it should look now.

[Timothy14]

If you want a practical nudge try a light clarity pass followed by a gentle color grade and a tiny bit of texture addition to simulate layers you saw with your eyes not in the histogram.