The Lightroom Preset from Heaven
June 26th, 2009 by ariana
Some months back I stumbled upon a free Lightroom preset pack from the Presets Heaven blog called PH the Weddings. There is one preset in that package called “PH fantasy wedding” that the author created for images of brides and grooms on the beach. I use it on EVERYTHING!
Seriously, everything.
In fact, when I try to deliberately NOT use it and see what I come up with on my own, I later compare it to what this preset can do and I always ditch mine in favor of the preset version! It’s like image editing crack, once you’ve seen it you just CAN’T go back to the dull version after. I’m sure I’ll OD at some point a few years or a few months or even a few hours from now and wonder why I liked so much, but right now I’m just plain addicted.. see for yourself:
First versions are SOOC (straight out of camera), second are edited with the PH Fantasy Dress preset:
For those of you using Lightroom, you can download the preset pack for free from Presets Heaven. If you aren’t using Lightroom, my apologies. But remember, adobe has 30 free trials of all their software.
Have a fabulous weekend everyone!
You might also like
|
|
|
|
|
Which one do you find you use the most????
You mean which one in the set or which one in general? The answer to both is the Fantasy Dress preset :)
You’re right– the afters are so great and alive! I think I need to bite the bullet and at least download the trial version of Lightroom. Hope you are doing well!!
that’s a fabulous preset! I need to go download lightroom
I need some crack!!!!!!!!! :)
So what exactly is lightroom? I have photo shop, but it doesn’t have lightroom, do I buy it seperately?
What an amazing difference. Funny that the product is marketed towards weddings. And the names sound like Barbie stuff. But love what it does to your images.
I hope you’re doing well too. This weekend I am buying baby stuff. Can’t wait!
Pretty… it seems to intensify colors and highlights, and give the whole image a glow. I also like what it does to the catchlights… makes the eyes look amazing. Too bad for me, I don’t have PS or Lightroom… :(
LOL Rachel, Lightroom is an editing and organization program in one. The big advantage of it over photoshop alone is that you can batch edit photos by “synching” the changes you make to one photo with the others in a shoot or series. It uses “presets” instead of actions. I did a tutorial here:
http://www.becoming-mom.net/2009/04/24/photoshop-friday-a-peek-into-lightroom/
Now that you are doing client shoots you really should get it, it will speed up your workflow immensly. Watch the the tutorials that I link to in that post to get a basic understanding of how it works and what it can do and prepare to be amazed :)
JB, have fun shopping!
Kimberly, what do you edit with? Elements?
These look amazing! I have to say that your blog has inspired me to get Lightroom. I’m still sampling with the free trial, and am a complete amateur, but I absolutely LOVE it so far (even if I am just “playing”). I just downloaded these, but how do you apply them? I opened the file and it’s just a bunch of text (?).
I’m sorry if this is a dumb question :)
Thanks for the recommendation! I’ll load up those Presets once I get my LR setup in place again (had to do a full install of Windows to fix some issues). It’s odd that the preset is targeted towards beach photography (which often is pretty intense light) and it lightens up the skin tones so much (almost turns to white on a few of the images). Unless it’s targeted to sunset type settings (low light/dark skin tones) vs. midday heavy/harse light (washed out skin tones).
Krista, so glad you were inspired! To install presets, you need to just drop them in the user presets folder. To find it get to the presets storage folder going to Lightroom Preferences (Settings) then to the preset tab. Click the button that says “Show Lightroom Presets Folder” and drag the presets in there.
Shane, I am surprised too! But this preset adds a ton of blue (which counteracts the yellow my camera seems so fond of!) which must really make the ocean pop. But yeah, I agree about the skintones.. The glowing white thing is so unnatural but also so striking. Can easily go over the top though!
The SOCC versions are actually pretty perfect as they are… Hope you’re doing well and have a great weekend!
My editing is very limited… I use Picasa. I went to buy Elements yesterday at Costco, only to discover that the $30 instant rebate is only online, not in-store. (eyes rolling). So I’m waiting until the next time they have the discount in the store… I’ve seen it a couple of times in the past. :)
I might have to just get this, or at least the trial. We are having so much fun with our SLR to the tune of 600 pictures in 3 weeks!
Hey, Ari – not sure if you’ve checked out this site yet – but there are lots of free cool actions and presets and stuff. I don’t even know how to use/load them, or if my limewire-lifted version of photoshop will even know what to do with them – but YOU might find this site pretty cool:
http://coffeeteaphotography.blogspot.com/2007/09/coffeeshop-free-actions-and-presets.html
Ariana- how do you get the .lrtemplate into the program. I cannot find a way to import or is there a folder to put them in to make them accessible from Lightroom? I have just downloaded the 30 day trial yesterday.
Thanks, Ariana, that worked! I’m starting to play with them now. I’m sure they won’t turn out as nice as yours though :)
@Fareh, read comment 11 from me, gives you the instructions :)
@Alicia, I have seen that site but not their LR presets, will have to play, thank you!!
So I am loving these so far, but am finding it is washing out my skin tones a ton!! what do you find the fastest easiest way to fix it?
also can you stack presets in lightroom like you can in photoshop…It seems like of some them apply to eachother, but with others there is no difference.
Christina, yes, they do wash them out. I usually do two things, one is bring the exposure down a bit and two, you can bring down the highlights. You can also go in and reduce the luminance in the reds, orange and yellows which will bring some color back into the skin if you need to.
You definitely can layer presets, but the changes will cancel each other out if the second preset contains a change to the same thing that the first preset had.. so for example if your first preset had no vignette but your second one does, you will end up with a vignette but not vice versa.
I hope that makes sense!
thanks!! yes I started playing with the highlights and exposure and that has helped. I will try playing with the luminance o the individual exposures…hadn’t done that yet!
That totally makes sense now, which explains why some would stick and others wouldn’t. I am new to this whole lightroom thing, but have used photoshop for years. I do like it and love how you can “synchronize” groups of photos..genius! They just need to bring in layers ;o)