PRESETS AND HOW TO USE THEM CORRECTLY
Since the use of presets in photo editing became popular, many people thought they could edit an image with a single click, largely due to the publicity that was generated at the time promising one-click editing. The reality is that there is no miracle preset that can edit any image in one click. So what is a preset for and how can they improve the editing of a photograph?
Let's start at the beginning…
WHAT IS A PRESET?
The technical definition of preset would be set as a series of adjustments and parameters that are regulated through an editing software to give a specific look to a photograph. To put it in a much more colloquial and simple way: a preset is a development filter that we add to a photograph and with which we achieve a specific look.
Before & After of a picture after editing process using preset “Denatured” from my Dream Collection correctly as a base
How it works is simple: applying one of these presets will modify your image and adapt the values assigned in the file for each of the parameters.
As you can imagine, at this point, presets are not a magic one-click solution that will edit your photo in a second but should be understood and used as a solid starting point in the editing process. The high quality presets are optimised to be used on any photograph and create the basis for a specific look in terms of tones, contrasts, softness...etc.
WHEN DO I NEED TO USE A PRESET?
A preset in photography is used when you want to apply a look to your images quickly and easily so you can basically use presets at anytime, it doesn’t mind if you are a hobby photographer or a professional photographer. presets will make your life easier and your workflow more efficient.
Here are some advantages of using presets:
Quick editing: If you need to process several images at the same time and want to save time, you can apply a preset to all images for consistent editing results.
Consistent style: If you want to maintain a consistent editing style across all your images, you can create or download a preset that reflects your preferred style and apply it to all your photos.
Efficient post-production: Presets are useful when you need to edit a large number of photos in a short amount of time, such as for a photo shoot or special event.
Creative experimentation: Presets can be useful for experimenting with different styles and effects on your images without having to manually adjust every single parameter and they will help you in your path to develop your own editing style.
Presets are truly useful tool, but they should not replace learning photo editing techniques and settings. It is always important to learn and understand how the settings work so that you can customise and adapt the presets to your specific needs.
HOW TO USE PRESETS CORRECTLY?
The best way to use a preset is as a basis for editing either for speed and improved workflow or because you are just starting to edit and don't know all the tools to design your own style.
In either case, it is important that we begin to see them for what they really are: a solid base from which to begin our editing process.
By applying our preset the look of our image will change in terms of colour, softness, contrasts and all this work will already be advanced. Now, it is very likely that in one click, if you did not capture the image with the same parameters and equipment as the photographer who designed it, you will not be able to finish your editing there and, even if you did capture it with the same equipment, you should not finish your editing at that moment as it will be incomplete.
So, what are those parameters that we will have to modify in order to get the most out of the preset?
Temperature: The temperature in the photographs is something very important, it depends on whether we photograph at dawn, in blue hour, in the middle of the day... it will change. Even each camera allows you to set it in a different way, so the first thing you have to do is adjust the temperature slider to set it to the right levels.
Tint: It is widely known that depending on the manufacturer of our camera the photographs will tend to purple or green, so the second step is to adjust the tint to correct this deviation of the manufacturer of our camera.
Exposure: Many of the presets you can get do not modify exposure, so you will have to do it based on the light and power you have in your image. Light is one of the most important parts of photography and colour depends on it, so getting the exposure right both in camera and adjusting it correctly in our editing software will work wonders.
Contrast: the contrast depends directly on the light and the exposure, so when modifying the exposure parameter we will have to adjust the contrast. At the editing level contrast is very powerful to give a softer or stronger look, depending on your taste.
Masking & Cleaning up the image: The great forgotten tool of the editing programs and without which your edits will not get that touch that makes the difference. Play with masks. Always. It will level up your game. Also cleaning up the image in programs like photoshop will help to draw attention to your main subject.
As you can see, presets are tremendously useful tools but we have to know how to use them to extract their full potential. Stop seeing a preset as something miraculous will help you to improve, to experiment and to get the most out of your photos.
I hope that from now on you will enjoy post production and get results that reflect what you want to achieve!