Beginner's Guide: Choosing and Using Presets in Photography Editing
Understanding Presets
Photography presets are predefined adjustments to image settings that help photographers quickly achieve consistent looks across their images. Think of them as filters tailored specifically to the characteristics and nuances of photographic images.
Why Use Presets?
Consistency: Maintain a cohesive style across your portfolio.
Efficiency: Significantly reduce editing time by streamlining workflow.
Learning Tool: Understand editing principles by analyzing preset adjustments.
Choosing the Right Presets
Identify Your Style
Before diving into preset choices, think about the photographic style you're drawn to:
Vintage: Warm tones and subtle grain.
Bright & Airy: Increased brightness, reduced shadows.
Moody & Cinematic: Rich contrast, deeper tones.
Natural & Timeless: Subtle enhancements, true-to-life colors.
Choose presets that align closely with your visual storytelling goals.
How Presets Work
Presets adjust specific editing settings in your software, such as:
Exposure
Contrast
White balance
Color grading
Clarity and sharpness
Tone curves
Applying a preset doesn't end the editing process—it’s your starting point, not your final edit.
Important Tips for Using Presets
Choose the Right Base Image: Presets are most effective when applied to images taken under similar lighting and exposure conditions.
Fine-tune Adjustments: After applying a preset, always fine-tune exposure, contrast, highlights, and shadows to match your specific image.
Understand Limitations: Presets won't fix poorly exposed or poorly composed images. Capture the best image possible in-camera first.
Less is Often More: Use presets subtly—avoid extreme adjustments that might compromise image quality or authenticity.
Stay Consistent: Stick to a few carefully chosen presets to maintain brand consistency, but don't hesitate to experiment to refine your look.
Recommended Workflow
Import and organize images.
Choose images with similar lighting.
Apply your chosen preset.
Adjust exposure, contrast, and color balance as needed.
Save or export final edited images.
Final Thoughts
Presets can significantly enhance your photography workflow, helping you efficiently achieve your desired aesthetic. Remember, they're a starting point—your creative vision and adjustments are what ultimately transform a preset-applied image into something uniquely your own.
Ready to start exploring presets? Here are some of my favorites for capturing authentic Western stories:
Happy editing!