If you have started to take your first steps in photo editing with Lightroom, it is very possible that the Lightroom presets have reached your ears.
Although the world of editing sometimes overwhelms us a bit at the beginning and it may seem that the subject of presets is reserved for expert photographers, I have good news for you. The presets are as easy to use as touching a button and, in addition, they will not only allow you to achieve spectacular effects in your photos, but they will also help you learn in an indirect way.
Also, it is very easy to find and download free Lightroom presets for your photos, so if you are interested in this topic, follow me because in this article we will see in detail what Lightroom presets are, how to download them for free and a lot more.
Shall we continue?
WHAT ARE LIGHTROOM PRESETS?
Presets are a series of preset adjustments that allow you to speed up your workflow when editing a photo.
Explained in another way, we can say that the presets are a series of recorded or preset actions that are applied to the image that we have selected.
The program itself has presets that you can use, but you can also find free presets and, of course, paid ones as well.
PRESETS THAT LIGHTROOM INCLUDES
As I have already told you, within the Lightroom program itself you have presets that you can use without having to install any from outside the program.
You will find them under the name “Presets” in the “Develop” module. Within these settings you will find a list of different presets that you can display depending on the type of photo you want to edit: portraits, landscape, architecture, black and white, vintage, etc.
It is as simple as clicking on the one that interests you and you will see the effect applied immediately. In Lightroom alone you have over 200 presets to use. Each of them is also editable, which allows you to adapt them to all the photos on which you apply them.
HOW TO GET FREE LIGHTROOM PRESETS
But beyond those offered by the program itself, the truth is that there are many presets that you can use. Many professional photographers offer their own packs, usually for a fee, but you can also find free Lightroom presets.
If you wonder where to get free presets for Lightroom, here are a few. When it comes to downloading these free presets, I recommend that you be picky and download only the ones that you really like and know that you are going to use.
If you download a lot of presets, Lightroom will slow down and with so much choice sometimes it becomes a problem.
If you want to download get Lightroom presets for free, here are several good options:
- 12 Free Lightroom Presets: A sample that with few presets you can have more than enough. Here are 12 presets with very different but visually appealing finishes.
- creative tacos:Organized by theme, on this website you will find a lot of presets organized by theme.
- Preset pro:Quality presets with purchase and free options.
- Free Presets:An entire web page dedicated to offering Lightroom presets. You have many free options, although some are paid.
- Behance:Another website where you will find many free presets for Lightroom.
- On1:Black and white and color presets for free download.
HOW TO DOWNLOAD AND INSTALL LIGHTROOM PRESETS
You have already taken a look at the different links and have decided to download some of those presets. Now it's time to add them to Lightroom so you can enjoy them whenever you want. Doing it is very simple, let's see it step by step:
- Open Lightroom, and go to File located at the top. Inside you will find several tabs. Go to Import Develop Profiles and Presets.
- Then go to your downloads, search for your or your presets and click Import .
- They will automatically appear in the Lightroom Presets where you have all the others.
- Another option is to do it from the Presets located on the left panel within the Develop module . From the + symbol you will find the option to Import Presets.
- To delete a preset, you just have to right click->Delete.
WHAT ARE THE BEST PRESETS FOR LIGHTROOM
The best presets for Lightroom are those that fit the style you intend to give your photos. Personally, I think that overall this series of presets should add atmosphere but still keep editing realistic.
The best presets are those that manage to evoke an extra sensation in the viewer but at the same time allow us to enjoy the original image.
Do not look for exaggerated presets, with too much contrast or a very unrealistic white balance, and remember that you can (and surely should) adjust each preset to your image, because the adjustments it offers you will not always coincide 100% with the exposure of your photo , etc.
TIPS TO GET THE MOST OUT OF LIGHTROOM PRESETS
- Research what kind of photos you like and why. Analyze the style of your developing and try to establish a base to find presets that satisfy your style.
- Do not download like crazy or you will be overwhelmed by the amount and in the end you will not take advantage of any.
- Experiment with different presets, don't be afraid to import, but then make up your mind to remove the ones you don't like so you don't end up with hundreds of options.
- Organize your favorite presets in folders. You just have to add one in the section of presets.
- Look for presets for all the types of photography you do: landscape, portrait, city, etc., and keep only those that feel like yours for each of the categories.
- The presets have to be edited, don't be afraid to do it or you will never be satisfied with the result ? .
FILTERS VS PRESETS. THEY ARE THE SAME?
Although sometimes we look for the presets as Lightroom filters, the truth is that they are not the same. The main difference between a filter and a preset is that, with the latter, you can modify all the parameters and settings and they are also non-destructive.
On the contrary, of the filters we can only control the intensity with which they are applied and few other variables. Therefore, the result is usually worse, less adaptable to each of our images, and offers poorer quality results.
Therefore, they are not the same and it is always more advisable to work our images with presets, even the ones we want for our social networks or similar.
HOW TO CREATE YOUR OWN PRESETS
If you want to really control the editing of your photos and also do it fast and with your own style, you have to learn how to create your own presets ? .
In this article we explain how to create your own presets in a very simple way and step by step.
FREE LIGHTROOM PRESETS FOR MOBILE
If you prefer to use the presets directly on your mobile phone for your Lightroom mobile version, you can also find free download options like these:
- Lightroom mobile presets by Creative tacos
- stack psd
HOW TO INSTALL LIGHTROOM PRESETS ON YOUR MOBILE:
If you have already chosen your presets, now is the time to install them. Here is a video where he explains how to do it without having to go through a computer:
PAID LIGHTROOM PRESETS
Of course, you have payment options, usually more complete and designed to more than cover most of the situations that you will find in photography.
Here are a few options:
- 100 Photographer Blog Presets
- Studio Envato
- presetpro
- Shutter Pulse
- Sleeklens
What did you think of this article? I encourage you to take a look at the free presets, to download the ones you like the most, to try without fear, to touch them all and little by little you will find the right key, with that style that you love but that is not always easy to find him the first time.
