Adjusting your Lightroom Presets

When using Lightroom presets, adjustments are often necessary to fine-tune the look and ensure it suits each individual photo. Presets can provide a great starting point, but to achieve the best results, you’ll typically need to make specific adjustments depending on the image. Here’s a detailed explanation with examples:

1. Exposure Adjustment

Why: Presets may not account for the exposure of your specific image. Some photos may be underexposed (too dark) or overexposed (too bright), and applying a preset might exaggerate these issues.
How: Use the Exposure slider to brighten or darken your image. If the photo looks too dark after applying a preset, increase the exposure. If it looks too bright, decrease the exposure.

Example: You apply a preset designed for bright, airy photos to an image that is slightly underexposed. After applying the preset, you find the photo is still too dark. You can increase the exposure by +0.5 to +1.0 stops to achieve the desired brightness.

2. White Balance Adjustment

Why: White balance controls the overall color temperature and tint of an image. Presets might shift the white balance, making the image too warm (yellow/orange) or too cool (blue).
How: Use the Temperature and Tint sliders to correct the white balance. If your image looks too warm after applying the preset, reduce the temperature. If it looks too cool, increase the temperature.

Example: You apply a preset that gives your photo a warm, sunset-like glow, but your original image was shot under cool lighting. The photo now looks overly yellow. You can decrease the temperature to bring back some of the cooler tones.

3. Contrast Adjustment

Why: Presets may increase or decrease contrast to create a specific look, but this might not suit every image. Too much contrast can cause loss of detail in shadows and highlights, while too little contrast can make an image look flat.
How: Adjust the Contrast slider to fine-tune the image. Increasing contrast can make the image pop, while decreasing it can create a softer, more muted look.

Example: After applying a high-contrast preset, you notice that the shadows in your image are too deep, losing detail. You reduce the contrast slightly to bring back some shadow detail while maintaining the overall look.

4. Highlights and Shadows Adjustment

Why: These sliders help recover details in the brightest (highlights) and darkest (shadows) parts of your image. A preset might push these too far, leading to loss of detail.
How: Use the Highlights slider to recover blown-out areas (e.g., bright skies), and the Shadows slider to bring out details in dark areas.

Example: After applying a preset, you find that the sky in your landscape photo is too bright and lacks detail. Lowering the Highlights slider can help recover the sky’s detail. Similarly, if the preset makes the shadows too dark, increasing the Shadows slider can reveal more information in those areas.

5. Saturation and Vibrance Adjustment

Why: Presets often alter color saturation to achieve a certain look. If the colors look too muted or too vibrant, you’ll need to adjust these settings.
How: Adjust Saturation to increase or decrease the intensity of all colors, and use Vibrance to target less saturated colors without affecting the already vibrant ones.

Example: A preset enhances the colors in your photo but makes the reds too intense. You can reduce the Saturation slider slightly or adjust the individual Red saturation in the HSL (Hue, Saturation, Luminance) panel.

6. Clarity, Texture, and Dehaze Adjustment

Why: These sliders add or reduce detail and contrast in the mid-tones. A preset might overdo these effects, making the image look unnatural.
How: Use the Clarity slider for midtone contrast, Texture for fine details, and Dehaze to reduce haze or add it for an atmospheric effect.

Example: A preset increases Clarity and Texture to give the photo a gritty, detailed look, but on a portrait, this might make skin textures too harsh. Lower the Clarity and Texture to soften the skin while retaining the detail elsewhere.

7. Crop and Straighten

Why: Presets don’t affect composition, so you might need to crop or straighten your image after applying a preset to improve its overall appearance.
How: Use the Crop tool to adjust the framing and the Angle slider or Straighten Tool to ensure the horizon or vertical lines are level.

Example: After applying a preset, you notice that the horizon in your landscape photo is slightly tilted. Use the Crop tool to straighten the image and adjust the framing to improve the composition.

8. Sharpening and Noise Reduction

Why: Some presets might apply sharpening or noise reduction by default, but these settings often need to be tailored to the specific image, especially depending on its resolution and the amount of noise present.
How: Fine-tune the Sharpening and Noise Reduction sliders in the Detail panel to ensure the image is sharp without being overly noisy or artificial.

Example: A preset adds too much sharpening, causing unwanted artifacts in a high-ISO image. Lower the sharpening and increase the Noise Reduction to create a cleaner, more natural look.

9. Lens Corrections

Why: Presets may not include lens correction settings, which are crucial for correcting distortion, chromatic aberration, and vignetting.
How: Enable Lens Corrections in the Lens Correction panel to automatically correct any distortion or aberration caused by the lens used.

Example: After applying a preset, you notice that the image has a slight vignette and barrel distortion from the lens. Enabling Lens Corrections will automatically fix these issues.

10. Final Touches

Why: After making the above adjustments, you might want to apply final touches to perfect the look.
How: Revisit settings like Vignette for creative effects, Split Toning for color grading, or Calibration for subtle color shifts.

Example: You might want to add a slight vignette to draw attention to the subject or adjust the overall color balance in the Calibration panel for a more cohesive look.

Conclusion

When using presets, think of them as a foundation rather than a final solution. They can save time and provide consistency, but the adjustments you make will ensure that each photo looks its best. The key is to evaluate your image after applying a preset and make the necessary tweaks to enhance it further.