Lightroom Presets
Discussion
I’m being besieged by emails and Facebook ads about preset packages - Serge Ramelli, Kelvin designs, Jake Olsen, Matt Kowloski (?) etc etc. I get the point if one hasn’t got a clue about processing in Lightroom (which I have), but for about £20 I’m tempted to see what all the fuss is about.
Has anyone on here actually bought one of these packages? Are they any good?
Has anyone on here actually bought one of these packages? Are they any good?
my 2c worth
If you think you've been bombarded by them now, just wait until you've bought any. I got some of Serge Ramelli black & white ones which I've used a few times but 90+% of the time just use my own settings etc via Silver Efex or in Lightroom alone. The presets can be interesting just to see some effects and perhaps give some ideas but you're better off creating your own style (imho) than using someone else's. Certainly Serge's are massively overdone unless you like his style and I also don't fall for the "turning crap into amazing photos" or "turn day to night (or vice versa)" that he says you can do. His emails are daily and continually promise you x, y. z and tell you what a star he is. I was getting 2 lots and managed to unsubscribe from one - I need to unsubscribe the other too really but just delete the mails now.
If you think you've been bombarded by them now, just wait until you've bought any. I got some of Serge Ramelli black & white ones which I've used a few times but 90+% of the time just use my own settings etc via Silver Efex or in Lightroom alone. The presets can be interesting just to see some effects and perhaps give some ideas but you're better off creating your own style (imho) than using someone else's. Certainly Serge's are massively overdone unless you like his style and I also don't fall for the "turning crap into amazing photos" or "turn day to night (or vice versa)" that he says you can do. His emails are daily and continually promise you x, y. z and tell you what a star he is. I was getting 2 lots and managed to unsubscribe from one - I need to unsubscribe the other too really but just delete the mails now.
I have made my own presets, a simple clarity and vibrancy boost that I apply on import, along with film simulation. I also have one for vignette.
They are not a short cut to amazing processing, more a way to automate regular actions. Before splashing out on presets, I would look at the film simulations already available in Lightroom.
They are not a short cut to amazing processing, more a way to automate regular actions. Before splashing out on presets, I would look at the film simulations already available in Lightroom.
If you're already competent at LR, and have a good idea of how you want to develop the images, then presets may be more frustrating than helpful.
Of far more use for my preferred landscape images, is the Nik Collection especially Color Efex Pro which when used carefully, does amazing things with local contrast to boost images. I used to use Silver Efex for b&w conversions, but LR's recent addition of B&W built in presets does a fine enough job.
Of far more use for my preferred landscape images, is the Nik Collection especially Color Efex Pro which when used carefully, does amazing things with local contrast to boost images. I used to use Silver Efex for b&w conversions, but LR's recent addition of B&W built in presets does a fine enough job.
From my following guys on Youtube, most say you could use them as a way of learning what you like and as a starting point for developing your own preferences but not to rely on them and think they are the be all and end all.
Better to work on each image individually untill you think it's ok, then leave it overnight and revist and maybe re edit.
TL:DR
Don't bother with them.
Better to work on each image individually untill you think it's ok, then leave it overnight and revist and maybe re edit.
TL:DR
Don't bother with them.
9.3 said:
Has anyone on here actually bought one of these packages? Are they any good?
I use similar things for video editing (called LUTs) which do the same job - apply an effect or colour grading to clips. Colour grading in video is a specialised art and whilst I can do it, the time it takes deems it more efficient to spend £20 on something that a pro-colour grader has done. For Photography, for me, half the pleasure I get from photography is the editing process which is diminished if I'm using these plug-ins to do something that I enjoy doing myself.
Far better to mess around and create your own gradually. I found a sweet spot with my Festival of Speed images in 2017 and ever since every single one of my motorsport images has had the same preset applied before I make any further changes.
You end up with far better consistency if you have your own and therefore you know how it/they work. if for example I then shoot an event in completely different conditions (such as a night race) it's dead simple to tweak the first image based off the preset, then save that as a new preset and boom, a new night motorsport preset with very little drama.
I have tried a few commercial packages and the changes are usually pretty substantial, which makes it really hard to fit what you're trying to achieve. Even worse if they supply 150+ presets in a package as you'll never get a grasp of what works and why.
You end up with far better consistency if you have your own and therefore you know how it/they work. if for example I then shoot an event in completely different conditions (such as a night race) it's dead simple to tweak the first image based off the preset, then save that as a new preset and boom, a new night motorsport preset with very little drama.
I have tried a few commercial packages and the changes are usually pretty substantial, which makes it really hard to fit what you're trying to achieve. Even worse if they supply 150+ presets in a package as you'll never get a grasp of what works and why.
ch37 said:
Even worse if they supply 150+ presets in a package as you'll never get a grasp of what works and why.
Completely agree. With some of the freebie preset packs I tried maybe 5 years ago, some of them were a nightmare to unpick. The sky gone a weird colour? Off the top of my head there are three tools with colour temp+tint, and six different ways of altering colour balances/calibration even before looking at adding a colour to the tools. Where do you start?For funsies, the six ways I thought of are:
- Colour temp and tint
- Vibrance
- HSL
- RGB curves
- Split toning
- Calibration
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