What are Lightroom Presets and why I use them
How are your photo editing skills? What's that you say - you don't spend much (if any) time editing your images, and you don't use presets?
Well, then you're probably not putting out your best work! Post-processing is one of the most critical components of great photography, and presets are a quick way to apply enhancements. If you want to know where to start and how to best leverage your time, this post is for you.
Consider the three photography actions:
composing
shooting
post-processing (editing)
How much time are you spending editing your images? Any professional photographer will tell you that you should take post-processing edits seriously and commit time to that element of your photography. Editing is one of the most crucial steps if you want to produce high-quality images. It's also doesn't have to be as time-consuming as you might think. With just a couple of clicks, presets put you on your way to a professional result - while saving you loads of time.
Where to Begin
If we gave you a roadmap for producing high-quality edits or enhancements, it would take you straight to Adobe's Lightroom and its presets. It is the software of choice for serious and professional photographers.
What is Lightroom
Lightroom is a cloud-based service that allows you to create, edit, organize, store, and share your photos across any device - mobile, web, or desktop.
Lightroom offers access to a community of photographers, allowing you to connect with fellow photographers, explore content, share your favorite edits, and get presets from peers.
Its capabilities are powered and enhanced by Adobe Sensei machine learning, which recognizes people and themes, allows you to search for a photo or create an album.
If you're new to Lightroom, you'll appreciate its in-app tutorials. Also, you can apply presets in Lightroom. (At BeArt, we have a vast catalog of professional-quality presets.)
Lightroom's desktop or laptop access is available by annual subscription. However, the Lightroom Mobile app is free. There are presets available for all three platforms. Subscriptions range in price from $9.99 to $19.99, giving you access to Photoshop and Lightroom.
What is a Lightroom Preset?
Simply put, a preset is a custom filter applied using Adobe Lightroom. You can create your own or, better yet, buy from online specialists, such as BeArt-Presets. Once purchased, you receive a download link. You then open the file, copy it into Lightroom, and voilà! You've installed your new preset.
A preset allows you to create a certain style or aesthetic with a single click while in the develop module. Presets can enhance or apply hues, shadows, colors, contrast, or grain. You can change one image or, this is the best part of using presets, a batch of images, saving you loads of workflow time. Photographers often use specific presets to create and apply a particular style as part of their overall branding.
A preset can be the only enhancement you apply or the foundation for edits. You can add a preset as a starting point, then do some manual modifications as well. At a minimum, a preset can give you a consistent foundation of enhancements from which to build - while still saving you time. So, why you should be using Presets for Lightroom?
Ten Reasons To Use Presets
Easy to Use: If you can master Lightroom, you can easily apply a preset - and vice versa. Presets are easy to use and can help you maximize the benefits of Lightroom.
Timesaver: Presets can be a significant timesaver, whether you're editing one image or 150. Presets simplify your workflow significantly, especially if you're using a preset to edit batches of images. With a single click, you're on your way!
Create consistency: It's not easy to recreate the same effects precisely across a batch of images. Presets allow you to apply consistent edits/enhancements to images.
Batches: You can make edits to a batch of images, saving you time. For example, let's say you are editing wedding pictures and want the lighting or saturation to look the same across multiple photos. You can achieve that by applying a preset across a batch of photos with a single click. This saves you from having to edit images individually, a process that could take hours.
Styles: You can also create specific themes or styles using preset on one image or a batch. Whatever look you want, there's likely a preset for it.
Options: Presets offer you options that you can apply easily. Would you like an image in sepia tone or black and white? Do you want to enhance colors or apply a soft-focus or vintage effect? Presets are often sold in bundles or collections for specific photography genres, themes, or styles. For example, we sell presets that are created with landscapes in mind. The same thing goes for weddings; we offer presets that were designed specifically for wedding portraits. Presets offer the photographer a wide array of options for their edits.
Preview: You don't have to apply the preset to know what it would look like. Just hover over a preset for a preview of how that image would look with that preset applied.
Customizable: One of the ideal factors of presets is that they are customizable. Most photographers see them as a starting point for their post-processing enhancements. It's highly unlikely that you'd ever want to shoot 50 photos, apply a preset, and walk away. Luckily, presets allow for customization.
Affordable: You won't be paying a ton of money to use presets. Presets often come bundled by genre or theme, saving you even more money. We often run specials on our bundles and offer free presets as well. You can stay informed of our promotions by registering on our website to receive our latest news and promotions.
Learning: If you're a new Lightroom user, presets can be a good entry to the software, which can be intimidating with its numerous tools.
Adding Adobe Lightroom Presets
When you purchase your presets from us, we provide clear and detailed Lightroom Presets Installation Instructions. To give you an idea of just how easy it is (about 10-seconds worth of your time!), here are the steps:
Open Lightroom.
From the menu bar, choose File > Click on Import Profiles & Presets Click On The Box Titled: Show Lightroom Presets Folder.
In the Import dialog that appears, browse to the required path and select Lightroom Presets (XMP Files) that you want to import, then click on Import.
Restart Lightroom CC Classic to activate the new Presets for Lightroom.
When Not to Use Lightroom Presets
Lightroom presets can be highly useful in a photographer's cadre of tools. However, there are times when you might want to shy away from using them or, at a minimum, consider them as a starting point for your post-processing edits. The more you learn about using presets, the better you'll become about when to use them and when not to.
Over-Editing: It's never a good idea to over-edit an image, and the same rule applies to using presets. It's best to avoid presets that over-edit. Opt instead for a preset that subtly enhances your photo. Overly edited images are usually obvious. You can cross a point where the image no longer represents your photography skills but reflects your ability to edit heavily.
Remain authentic: Do not use presets to mimic other photographers' work. Remain original with your use of presets. Always be authentic with your edit. Seek inspiration from master photographers but don't use presets to try and mimic their style. Instead, develop your own style or branding using presets.
There is No Universal Fit: Presets aren't one-size-fits-all. Just because a preset work with one image doesn't mean it will work with another. If you think of presets as a filter, it can help you decipher when to apply them to an image or images. For example, a vintage-style preset might not be what you want for your black and white pictures of modern buildings. Instead, you might use a preset that enhances the contrast of light and dark. Another example: a preset created for wedding portraits is probably not the best preset to use for landscape photography.
Conclusion
Experienced photographers commit time to the various elements of their work. That includes editing during post-processing. They also understand the critical role that Lightroom presets can play in the enhancement of their images. Lightroom Presets are easy to use.
They improve and speed up the workflow, saving valuable time. Select presets carefully and be prepared to make some manual edits after applying a preset. You will be well on your way to producing professional-quality work!
