Lightroom presets come with a wide range of acceptors. Some think they are an abomination to a skill and craft learned and should never be used, while others delight in the look they give their images. It’s not just black and white as such, and using them or not is up to the individual, but one thing that’s unmistakable is the time it takes to create them.
Problem?
So is there really a problem with them as the title of the article suggests? No, there’s nothing wrong with them, except perhaps the time and knowledge needed to create them. Each preset is made to work within a set of parameters based on color, tone, texture, lighting, curves, etc. It’s an art form in itself, creating them and guaranteed that they work with said parameters on the range of images they have been created for. I like to use them in sequence to tell a story visually.
One size fits all
As you may already know, based on these editing parameters, they are not a common retouch and there they can work well on some images, for others they look very good. terrible. Sure, after applying you can adjust the sliders to suit your image, but it knows what you want to adjust to make it work, or knows that whatever you adjust with a certain preset that won’t work with your image upon skill and understanding. based.
Although taken on the same day under the same conditions a few minutes apart, now pushed to 200% still doesn’t work. In fact, for me, none of the presets work with these images. I’m quite happy with the initial edits, as I feel they fit the image better. What mood and emotions do you want to portray?
The choice to use or not to use a preset is an individual’s prerogative, and knowing how much is too much depends on personal preference. It can take time to understand and create them. It’s a skill worth the time investment, as it can expand your knowledge from an editing perspective and increase your skill base in general. Adobe added a new feature in its latest update that can simplify the creation process for you, giving you more time to explore the range of possibilities with them.
Update Adobe presets
Adobe has tackled the fully applied approach of the presets and has included a quantity slider to adjust the intensity of any preset. Initially, the preset is applied at 100% and you can adjust it to suit your image, from 0 to overripe, but at least it’s there. If you like the effect but don’t know where to start adjusting it to suit your image, this one slider will allow you to make subtle adjustments to all the edits made. This feature will allow new users of Lightroom to better understand how they work and what was used in the preset creation process, and can encourage them to create their own.
Incidentally, there is also a slider in the raw image to increase or decrease the intensity of the preset. I’m not sure if this is always there, as when I add the preset it’s in Lightroom, but I know that when Adobe updates Lightroom, there’s usually a few features in the camera raw that are updated at the same time. at the time.
Inference
If you’re new to presets and want to dive into the world of creating them for yourself, add one and adjust the slider to your visual taste, then check out all the editing panels to see where the adjustments were made. Reverse engineering something is also a good way to understand the creation process.
What are your thoughts on using presets? Are you in the disgusting camp or are you quite liberal in your attitude towards them? I would love to know.
