(Newswire.net — September 5, 2020) — Did you know that over 132,000 Americans do photography?
If you aspire to become a great photographer, you must have the right tools for the job. But when you have no prior experience, you’ll feel confused about what to pick. You’re likely to end up with subpar tools that do more harm than good.
Don’t feel discouraged yet.
In this guide, you’ll learn how Adobe Lightroom presets work. Read on and find out how this can help enhance your image quality:
What is an Adobe Lightroom Preset?
At its core, these are preset settings in editing images. When you use Lightroom to enhance your photos, you move sliders to modify settings. Some of these include:
- Color saturation
- Contrast
- Brightness
In some cases, you’ll get a specific setting combination you like. With that, you can save these as a preset. Later on, you can apply these presets and let Lightroom adjust it to the settings you saved.
The best part is that you can make and save your custom presets in Lightroom. You also have the means of buying preset groups to get a specific image look. For example, you can use a Wedding Preset Collection to make images more romantic.
Benefits of Using Lightroom Presets
Photographers have a median salary of $39,356. That’s why when you use Adobe Lightroom, knowing its full functionalities guarantees a bigger return on your investment. Here are some things that make presets a worthwhile investment of time:
1. It Hastens Batch Editing
Are you editing a number of similar photographs? For example, you might have an image group taken on a warm, sunny day near the ocean. If so, having presets allow you to apply it to each photograph.
Take note, this isn’t going to ensure all images become perfect. But, the primary benefit is the reduced number of edits necessary for each. This will contribute a lot if you’re in a time-crunch when working with an impatient client.
2. It Enables Consistent Themes
Using the example above, having a photo group taken from the same location means getting the same image attributes. With a preset, you can apply the same tonal theme and style with ease. This will resonate through all the images within that same group.
Sure, you must continue customizing some photos as necessary. Regardless, the same general theme will apply, tying everything up together. It means consistency, even when it means sharing a similar level of saturation or red hues.
3. It Drastically Simplifies the Editing Process
For most experienced photographers, spending hours to enhance images can take a toll, both physically and mentally. That’s why having a preset is a must if you plan to edit lots of photos together. It will save lots of your time since it will do the majority of work for you.
Some images need no further editing with presets. In the event that they do, it usually takes a lot less effort to accomplish a few hours’-worth of work. It’s convenient and allows you to get more rest.
4. It Helps Customize Image Styles
After applying the preset, you still have the means of editing them. That’s why some specific images will have a custom style applied. It’s especially when you’re shooting using burst mode since you’ll have multiple shots of some photos.
Each of these will have a slight variation after applying the preset. But with a brush tool, you can customize parts of the image to your liking. This makes images stand out without taking a lot out of you.
5. It Allows Experimentation for Different Image Looks
Consistency is a great trait to have as a photographer. But, variety is as important. That’s why having presets allow you to get a feel of various times of the day and alternative lighting. You can also have some for the appropriate sceneries.
For example, some Lightroom mobile presets are for sunrise or sunset. Some are for the sunny beaches during the daytime or dim forest environments. These variants are applicable to any image, so changing the preset means getting a different mood for the images.
6. It’s Affordable
Presets are affordable, even when buying them online. They’re worth the money since it saves you a lot of time and effort. Take note, you can make your presets and sell them to other photographers too.
How to Use Presets
Whether you made or downloaded them, presets are usable whenever you want. To start, open your image and go to the Develop module. You’ll find the Presets column on the left underneath the Navigator section.
Here, you’ll see a category title list. Pick what you want to see the presets stored in that category. Hover your mouse over a preset without clicking to preview what it looks like.
After deciding on the right preset, click on it to apply to the current image.
To remove the preset, use the Undo Preset command found in the Edit Menu. An alternative is to use the Reset button located in the bottom right corner. Doing this returns the photo to its original look, meaning any prior edits will disappear.
How to Install Presets
Installing new presets is easy since all you need is the preset import feature. To start, open Lightroom and go to the Develop Module. On the Presets panel, click the plus icon in the top right corner.
A popup menu will appear, where you’ll click Import Presets. A dialog box will appear, allowing you to pick the presets you’ll import. Hold down the shift key while clicking on both the first and last preset within the group.
After finishing the import, the Presets panel will show the new category titles. If you aren’t comfortable with its current name, right-click the folder to rename it.
Learn Lightroom Today!
These are things you must know about Lightroom presets. If you haven’t used this before, now is the time. That way, you’ll have an easier time editing your photos.
Did this guide help? Are you looking for more tips and tricks to improve your photos and marketing materials? If so, we encourage you to read our other posts and learn more.