Presets and filters are a way to save time, nothing more. Buying a preset package is applying someone else’s vision to your art. The more I learn about presets and filters, the more I have decided that I need to create my own.
The concept of applying a filter or preset and turning a raw photo into something magical is very tempting, so I bought a bundle and tried… and was overwhelmed with the number of presets to try out, and frustrated that very few added any significant improvement to my photos. For me it was a waste of money, and the time to sift through the dozens of presets takes longer than the edits themselves.
let me show you
before
after
how did I do it??
It isn’t exactly elementary, my dear Watson. After spending some time online and watching a bunch of tutorials, I was ready to give it a go.
If you learn one thing that you can apply, it is time well spent. That’s my theory, anyway… but, sometimes, it’s just spinning my wheels.
The worst case is that you use the AUTO button, and that’s pretty good – it lets you know what you have, but I can do better.
the process
The goal was to create a preset that I can apply to many pictures in the future to save editing time. So, I layered the adjustments, saving as I went.
1. crop
I started with a composition I liked. My preference is 4:3 ratio, and I use the rule of thirds almost always. The horizon line is on the upper third line. In this case Jessie’s gaze is leading to the right, so I left some room on that side of the image. Then I created some virtual copies to play with. I did not save the crop as part of the preset. My plan is to compose the image, then apply the preset.
2. basic changes
These are changes I frequently make when editing, and it was a starting point. RAW files seem dark to me so I lightened the exposure; I like vivid colors, so I increased the vibrance and saturation. This is the first layer that is supposed to apply to many photos, so I kept it simple.
3. calibration
I played with the major color hues and saturation to get them where I liked them. This is where the art comes in – everyone is going to choose these values differently. Just play with it for a while until you like it. Slide the adjustment levers to the extreme, then back to center to see which direction you want to go, then. It takes some time. There really wasn’t much difference after the calibration, but it was a step I took…
4. HSL/Color
This is fine-tuning the calibration. It involves Hue, Saturation, and Luminance. Again, this is more an art, and there is no wrong answer. I was most concerned about getting the color values, because the next step created the drama.
5. Gradient Filters
I added three filters: sky; sea; and sand, in that order. Start by getting the sky right; pull the filter from the top to the horizon and set the feathering. On a beach scene, there is usually a clear horizon to start with which makes things easier. Next, I do the same thing from the bottom to the horizon to adjust the water. Lastly, to adjust the sand, I pulled from the bottom to the surf line, trying to line it up with the crashing waves as closely, as possible.
I tweaked it a bit, but that is the preset! It’s called Liz/Jupiter Beach Day Surf. The thing is that I live here, so the odds of me needing a very similar preset again are very strong. Time will tell… I wanted to go take pictures today and test it out, but I thought it was more important to document the process, so I will remember when I want to create the next one.
6. SAVE IT
On the Presets menu on the lefthand tool bar, there is a ‘+’ pull down menu with the option to CREATE PRESET. You will be prompted to give it a name, and I recommend you also create a GROUP. I was saving as I made adjustments, so to update the preset, you highlight the preset, and UPDATE WITH CURRENT SETTINGS.
When I use the preset, I will have to line up the filters on the horizon and surf line, and voilà!
what else I learned…
Sometimes You Don’t Need Anything ~ #nofilter
I took this yesterday. It’s the RAW file with absolutely no adjustments, (except spot removal due to a dirty sensor). This is the optimal solution, get it right in camera, but sometimes the perfect light, diffused by Sahara dust is unavailable.
How to Auto Mask
After I applied the preset the white caps were completely washed out, so I used this awesome trick that I learned from Signature Edits: Auto Mask Lightroom Tutorial. It takes 13 minutes to learn how to quickly select an area by color, rather than trying to paint in the adjustment brush. I selected the white and played with the exposure and whites to get the detail back in the surf.
How to Adjust Whites and Blacks
I picked up a short cut from Kelby One on how to adjust the whites and blacks by holding down the OPTION key on Mac and pressing the slider everything goes black, and you slide until spots of color start appearing. The demonstration is at 1:24 seconds in the video, so you can watch it in less than a minute.
How I found the Tutorials
PhotoBlog: 51 Best FREE Lightroom Tutorials to Enhance Your Photos in 2020 I found this on a google search, and watch about five of them, but there are obviously lots more. I’ll save it for another day.
