[Photography] dPS Weekly Photo Challenge – Flight

The post dPS Weekly Photo Challenge – Flight appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Sime.

‘Flight’ is your theme this week – as usual, many ways to interpret this one! A bird, a plane…. Superman… ok, got a little carried away there!

Show us ‘Flight’ and make sure you tag your photo here in the comments or shared on social media with the tags #dPSWeeklyChallenge and #dPSFlight

Quick one today, no mess, no fuss – go and make photographs!

Have a great weekend.

The post dPS Weekly Photo Challenge – Flight appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Sime.

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[Photography] Cyanotype Photography: A Comprehensive Guide

The post Cyanotype Photography: A Comprehensive Guide appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Ana Mireles.

Are you looking to try cyanotype photography but don’t know where to start? Keep on reading.

Cyanotype photography has a long history, and it’s currently experiencing a strong comeback. There are many professional artists and even hobbyists using cyanotype to do some amazing things – so don’t think that, just because it’s old, it’s no longer relevant.

In this article, I’ll show you how to make cyanotypes at home with a basic setup and a few dollars’ worth of materials. Then I’ll give you some tips and tricks to help you explore and find your own creative path.

Let’s get started!

What is cyanotype photography?

The principles that guide photography have been around for many centuries. The camera obscura allowed people to project an image since at least 1600; the problem was that scientists and artists didn’t know how to permanently fix that projection onto a surface.

The first successful commercial photography process was the daguerreotype. Its discovery was followed by the release of myriad other techniques, including the cyanotype.

The cyanotype was discovered in 1842 by Sir John Herschel. The light-sensitive emulsion he created reacts to UVA radiation and creates cyan-blue prints – hence the name.

Cyanotype photography became more broadly known a year later when it was published in a book called Photogenic Manipulation: Containing Plain Instructions in the Theory and Practice of the Arts of Photography.

And while the process’s use has waxed and waned, it’s still a popular printing method for artists and amateurs because it’s inexpensive and easy to do.

Why should you do cyanotype photography?

The main reason to create cyanotypes is that you like the hands-on artistic process, or you’re at least curious to see how it’s done. However, if you’re looking for the advantages of cyanotype photography, here are a few to consider:

• You can do it at home
• You don’t need any high-tech equipment
• You can print on many different materials
• The chemicals are inexpensive and easy to find
• It allows you to do cameraless photography
• You can mix it with other media such as collage or painting

How to do cyanotype photography: step by step

In this section, I give you a rundown of the basic cyanotype process.

Step 1: Grab your materials

Happily, cyanotype photography doesn’t require expensive materials or equipment. Here’s a list of the basic items you’ll need:

• Cyanotype chemicals. Depending on where you live, you can find these at a local photography shop. Otherwise, you can find them online. Some photography websites have multiple options (e.g., B&H). However, if you don’t live in the US, the shipping might be rather expensive, in which case I’d recommend purchasing a kit on Amazon. I use the Jacquard Cyanotype Sensitizer Set, myself.
• Watercolor paper. You can actually do cyanotype photography on many materials. I recommend starting off with watercolor paper because it’s inexpensive and easy to find and handle.
• Brush. You’ll need a brush to coat the paper with the cyanotype chemicals. Feel free to experiment with a roller, sponge, cloth, or any other material to get different textures and finishes.
• Water and containers. These are to prepare the formula with the chemicals you bought.
• Something to print. You can do cyanotype photography using anything you like. For this tutorial, I’ll do botanical cameraless images, so I’ll need flowers and leaves. However, you can use other objects or digital negatives.
• Glass. The glass helps the materials stay in place while you expose your cyanotype print.
• Clamps. These hold the glass so you can move your piece to a sunny area for easy exposure.

Step 2: Prepare the formula and coat the paper

To prepare the formula, you’ll need to follow the instructions provided by the manufacturer of the product you bought. You should do this in a place with dim lighting.

In the case of the Jacquard Cyanotype Sensitizer Set, the instructions are printed on the back. You can also download them as a PDF on their website. Here’s how my kit works:

1. First, fill both bottles with water. (Room temperature water from the faucet works well.) Shake the bottles and leave them to rest for 24 hrs.
2. Mix the product from bottles A and B in equal parts. It’s important that you only mix the part that you’ll need; once the bottles are mixed, they’re only good for 2 to 4 hours. In my experience, mixing 10 mL of each bottle is good for six A4 watercolor paper sheets.

Once you have your solution, use a brush or a roller to coat the paper.

Step 3: Let the paper dry

After you’ve coated the paper with your solution, you need to let it dry. The process can take varying times depending on the materials and the weather. In my case, it took about half an hour.

Remember that you need to keep your paper away from sunlight during this process. If you don’t have a dark room or heavy curtains, you can always work in the evening and leave the materials to dry overnight.

Note: When you first apply the chemicals, they’ll be light green. They then become darker and bluer as they dry.

Step 4: Compose your image

Once your paper is dry, go ahead and start arranging the objects you want to print in your cyanotype.

Keep in mind that the areas you leave empty will be fully exposed (i.e., blue). Whatever you cover with an object will turn out white, and objects with some level of transparency will turn the paper a shade of blue.

Once you have your composition, place a piece of glass on top of the paper to keep everything in place. You can use clamps to ensure the paper is well-pressed against the glass.

Just be careful to avoid putting the clamp on top of a coated area. Otherwise, it won’t get exposed and you’ll have a mark ruining your cyanotype.

Step 5: Expose your image

Once your composition is ready, expose your cyanotype to the sunlight. The amount of time required will depend on the weather. On a sunny day, a cyanotype may take only five minutes to expose, but on heavily overcast days, you may have to wait far longer.

You’ll need to experiment a bit until you get more familiar with the process under different weather conditions, though you can use this survey from Alternative Photography as a starting point.

And when you’re just starting out, be sure to pay attention to the way the color of your cyanotype photograph changes as it gets exposed. Once it looks oxidized with some brownish tones, you’ll know it’s ready.

Pro tip: It’s important that you don’t move the objects while you’re exposing the cyanotype. Movement will result in blurry edges!

Step 6: Wash your print

Now that your cyanotype is exposed, it’s time to rinse the chemicals off your print. Just put the paper under running water for a few minutes until it looks clean.

If you don’t wash your print properly, the residual chemicals will continue developing when exposed to sunlight. (This will be mainly noticeable in the areas that weren’t previously exposed – instead of keeping the color of the paper, they will turn a light blue.)

That’s it. Leave your cyanotype to dry, and you’re done!

Cyanotype photography tips

Once you’ve enjoyed a few cyanotype photography attempts, here are more tips to help you improve and produce creative results!

1. Check the UV index

UV rays aren’t exclusive to bright summer days. Even when it’s cloudy outside, there’s UVA radiation, which is the reason dermatologists recommend using sunscreen every day.

So before doing cyanotype photography, don’t just check the weather forecast. Also look at the UV index – because the more UV light, the faster your images will expose. Generally, faster is better, though you can also use longer exposures to produce creative effects:

2. Try long exposures

When the UV index is low, you can experiment with long-exposure cyanotypes. Set up your initial composition, let it expose for a bit, then move existing elements or add new ones halfway through.

You’ll end up with some elements that are more defined than others. They’ll also have different tones due to the different exposure times, which can look very cool!

3. Do a step test

If you want to know the precise exposure time you’ll need for your cyanotype, you can always do a step test. The idea is to prepare paper using the process discussed above (or cut a strip from your existing cyanotype paper), then trace lines about one inch apart from one another. Start by covering most of the paper, then reveal one of the segments every minute.

Keep in mind that this is helpful only if the light is constant – if, for example, you use UV lights instead of sunlight, or if the exposure is short and the weather is stable.

4. Experiment with the coating and materials

Cyanotype photography is an artisanal process, which means that you should experiment with everything. For instance, the paper doesn’t need to be evenly coated from edge to edge, and you can leave visible brushstrokes to add visual interest to the edges. Also, try coating the paper using different objects (such as cloths, sponges, etc.).

Additionally, I encourage you to print on different materials. By changing the type of paper, you’ll get very different results, and if you want a completely different look, go ahead and print cyanotypes on wood, fabrics, leather, glass, clay, etc.

5. Tone your prints

Cyanotype photography has a very characteristic blue tone; you can change this, however, by toning your prints.

For example, you can use washing soda to turn the blue to a yellow, or you can use tea to give your prints a brown tone.

Cyanotype photography: final words

As you can see, cyanotype photography involves a very simple process, but it’s full of possibilities! And while it takes some practice to get great results, it’s a lot of fun.

I highly recommend looking for local alternative photography groups; that way, you can find folks who share your passion. You can discuss techniques and get inspired by the works of others.

And if you can’t find anything locally, you can always connect with cyanotype photographers online. Actually, I recommend doing that anyway. I mean, why limit yourself to your area when there are cyanotype artists and enthusiasts worldwide?

You can follow hashtags like #cyanotype, #cyanotypeprint, #cyanotypeprocess, and #wetcyano on Instagram, and you can find helpful and friendly groups on Facebook.

Now over to you:

Do you know of any cyanotype groups that readers can join? Share them in the comments! Also, let us know about your experiences and experiments in cyanotype photography. We’d love to hear from you.

The post Cyanotype Photography: A Comprehensive Guide appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Ana Mireles.

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[Photography] Telephoto Photography: A Comprehensive Guide (+ Examples)

The post Telephoto Photography: A Comprehensive Guide (+ Examples) appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jim Goldstein.

What is a telephoto lens? And how can you use one to create gorgeous images?

Capturing beautiful telephoto photography might seem hard, but it’s actually pretty easy – once you know a few tricks. I’ve been photographing with a telephoto lens for years, and over time, I’ve developed plenty of techniques that can elevate your shots to the next level.

Now, in this article, I aim to make you a telephoto expert. I explain:

• What a telephoto lens actually is
• The best telephoto lenses you can buy in 2023
• How to keep your telephoto shots sharp
• Much more!

So if you’re ready to have plenty of telephoto fun, then let’s dive right in, starting with…

What is a telephoto lens?

A telephoto lens essentially crops the world – so that the perspective you get when using the lens is tighter than the perspective you get with your naked eye.

You may be familiar with the standard 50mm focal length, which closely matches the field of view offered by the human eye. Telephoto lenses, therefore, feature a focal length that’s longer than 50mm, most commonly in the area of 70-300mm. Lenses longer than 300mm are designated as super telephoto, which is a subcategory of telephoto glass generally used by wildlife and bird photographers.

Because telephoto lenses are designed to get you a close view of your subject, they tend to be big and heavy. This presents a variety of problems, including increased camera shake and reduced portability. On the other hand, if you need to get a detailed shot of a distant element, a telephoto lens is often the best way to get it done, as I discuss in the next section:

When should you use a telephoto lens?

Telephoto lenses are handy in a variety of situations. I’d recommend bringing one out whenever:

• You want to capture a detailed shot of a bird, animal, or distant sports player
• You want to create a tight headshot
• You want to capture abstract shots of a distant landscape feature
• You want to create a beautiful background blur effect
• You want to highlight specific architectural features of a building

Basically, if your goal is to get closer to your subject, then a telephoto lens is a solid solution. (Sometimes it’s better to physically move closer – but in scenarios where this isn’t possible, your telephoto lens is the way to go.)

Of course, telephoto lenses do come with some serious drawbacks, as I mentioned above. Because they’re so big and heavy, it’s best to avoid using a telephoto lens when you’re attempting to shoot discreetly (e.g., on the street). It can also be a good idea to leave your telephoto lens at home when shooting in low-light scenarios; long, heavy lenses can exacerbate camera shake issues, leading to blurry photos. And if your goal is to capture an expansive landscape or cityscape scene, you’d be better served using a wide-angle lens.

Also note that different telephoto lenses do have different purposes. A short telephoto lens is best for larger, less skittish subjects (e.g., people portraits); a medium telephoto lens is best for larger subjects photographed from a distance (e.g., athletes, architecture, and landscape features); and a super telephoto lens is best for tiny and/or extremely skittish subjects, such as birds.

The best telephoto lenses in 2023

Every major camera manufacturer offers several outstanding telephoto lenses to choose from. Here’s a brief overview to help you out.

For Canon

Canon photographers should consider the incredible EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS III USM; sure, it’s big and bulky, but if you want to capture a variety of telephoto shots in nearly any lighting scenario, it’ll get the job done. Canon mirrorless users should also check out the RF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM, which is another incredible (though very pricey) option. And if you plan to shoot slower subjects (e.g., landscapes) using a tripod, I’d recommend purchasing the EF 70-200mm f/4L IS II USM or (for mirrorless photographers) the RF 70-200mm f/4L IS USM instead.

Finally, if your goal is to capture wildlife or birds, the Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM lens is long, sharp, and very durable.

For Nikon

Nikon DSLR photographers would do well to consider the amazing AF-S 70-200mm f/2.8G ED VR II, which is perfect for low-light events photography, concerts, and sports. The Nikon mirrorless alternative is also outstanding: the Z 70-200mm f/2.8 S.

Nikon does offer a very nice 70-200mm f/4G ED VR model, though it’s tough to find new. And Nikon bird and wildlife shooters should consider the AF-S FX 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR (while mirrorless photographers may wish to look at the Z 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 VR S).

For Sony

Sony’s lens lineup isn’t quite as impressive as Canon’s or Nikon’s, but there are still several excellent telephoto options to choose from, including the FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS II lens – for fast-action and low-light photography – and the FE 70-200mm f/4 G OSS – for folks looking to do more deliberate landscape and architectural shooting.

If you’re looking for a super-telephoto lens, consider the FE 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 GM OSS, or even the FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS, which will do a great job of getting you close to the action.

9 tips for beautiful telephoto photography

In this section, I offer a handful of tips to get your telephoto shots looking sharp, well-composed, and refined.

1. Use a tripod for the sharpest telephoto photography

Telephoto lenses are heavy, which means they’re prone to camera shake, plus they’re long, so they magnify any shake that does occur.

That’s why I always recommend you use a tripod with your telephoto lens if possible. Yes, tripods can be inconvenient and can limit flexibility, but they’ll keep your setup in a stable position while you shoot, and your files will turn out significantly sharper.

If you’d prefer not to work with a tripod, you might also consider a monopod, which is lighter, more mobile, and will still increase stability.

(By the way, a tripod or monopod has health benefits, too: It’ll save your back and arms from major fatigue and pain!)

2. Use a shutter release

If you do put your telephoto setup on a tripod, then you’re free to fire away…

…but I’d urge you to purchase a shutter release, which lets you fire off shots without actually touching your camera body.

Why is a shutter release so important? The simple act of pressing the shutter button will cause camera shake, and as I explained in the previous section, camera shake and telephoto lenses do not go well together. A shutter release will let you set up your camera, dial in the right settings, and then engage the shutter without causing extra vibrations.

Of course, there are times when a shutter release isn’t feasible. If you’re photographing fast-moving sports or birds in flight, you’ll want to ditch the shutter release and use your finger instead. But in other situations (e.g., when doing landscape photography), a shutter release will be a big help.

Also, if you use a DSLR, either activate the mirror lock-up setting or set your camera to Live View before taking a shot. When you hit the shutter button on a DSLR, the camera mirror flips up to expose the sensor, and this can create vibrations of its own – but mirror lock-up and Live View both flip the mirror in advance, preventing any loss of sharpness.

3. Bring the near and far together

Telephoto lenses offer a unique optical effect:

They flatten scenes, even those scenes that technically have great depth. And when used correctly, this can create some stunning results.

For instance, you can take two subjects, such as a person in the foreground and a mountain in the background, and make them appear on a similar plane. Or you can take a tree in the foreground and a moon in the background, smash them together (thanks to the telephoto effect), and get a shot like this one:

Do you see what I mean about the compressive telephoto effect? The tree and the moon look like they’re practically next to one another, and this gives a very graphic, striking result.

Of course, a telephoto effect isn’t always what you want – sometimes you might want to emphasize depth, and for that, a wide-angle lens is your friend – but I highly recommend you embrace telephoto compression and see what you can achieve.

4. Tightly frame your subject

Telephoto lenses let you get close to your subject. And you should use this capability to generate lots of impact.

Obviously, you can use a telephoto lens to get close to wildlife and show gorgeous details, like this shot (taken at 1200mm):

And by tightly framing the sea otter, I was able to create a more compelling, intimate composition.

But I recommend you go beyond tightly cropped wildlife shots. Try to crop tight with everything just to see what you get; go for tight buildings, tight people, tight landscapes, and more.

Tight crops aren’t always good, and there are times when it’s better to pull back a bit to show the subject in its environment. But a tight composition is a great place to start, especially if your subject includes lots of interesting details.

5. Isolate your subject

Here’s another telephoto photography composition tip:

Whenever possible, use your telephoto lens to hone in on and isolate subjects of interest from their surroundings.

Yes, you can capture isolated images of birds and other animals, which is great – but you can also isolate individual features of the landscape, as I did for this waterfall shot:

In fact, some of the most compelling landscape shots involve careful isolation, which is often best done at a telephoto focal length.

Don’t be afraid to include other relevant landscape features, of course, but before you go wide, ask yourself: What is essential to this composition? What do I care about? What do I want to show?

Often, by zooming in with a telephoto lens, you can get a simple – and stunning! – photo.

6. Embrace a shallow depth of field for a complementary background

Telephoto and super-telephoto lenses get you very close to the subject, and this decreases the depth of field.

In other words, when you’re shooting at 400mm, 500mm, and 600mm, you’ll have a razor-thin plane of focus to work with while the rest of the scene will be rendered as a blur.

And fortunately, thanks to the compressive effect of telephoto lenses (discussed above), the background blur tends to look really, really good. It’ll help your subject stand out, plus it can look gorgeous all on its own.

Note that, for the best bokeh effect, you’ll need to ensure there is a significant distance between the subject and the background. You should also dial in a wide aperture, somewhere between f/2.8 and f/6.3 (at least for most situations).

Check out the monkey shot below; do you see how the background has been blurred into oblivion so my subject is emphasized?

 

7. Try some telephoto macro photography

Did you know that telephoto lenses are amazing for macro photography, especially when combined with extension tubes?

You see, telephoto lenses offer great background bokeh (as I explained above), as well as compression, which means that you can isolate macro subjects without needing to get down in the dirt. The biggest issue is that they can’t always focus close enough, but that’s why you should invest in a handful of extension tubes, which let you get closer to the subject without reducing optical quality.

These clusters of flowers are smaller than a US quarter, yet I was able to photograph them at 420mm:

Note that telephoto lenses and true macro lenses have their benefits and drawbacks, so don’t feel like you should ditch your macro lens in favor of a telephoto lens or the other way around. Macro lenses let you get up close and personal with your subjects, and you can create interesting compositions by getting down on the ground with flowers, grasses, and the like.

But telephoto lenses offer flexibility, plus you get a nice background, so if you already own a telephoto lens, why not give it a shot?

8. Pan when photographing action

Panning is the practice of carefully following a moving subject with your camera (as opposed to leaving your camera stationary and waiting for the subject to venture into the frame).

And when you’re taking telephoto action pictures, I recommend you pan constantly.

For one, panning will ensure you nail focus as consistently as possible. It’ll also get you the sharpest shots because your lens will “stop” subject movement by staying in sync.

And panning can also give rise to a very cool effect, especially if you drop your shutter speed to around 1/60s and below. The subject will remain sharp – but the background will blur (as will any independently moving parts on your subject, like the legs of a running deer). Not everyone loves the slow-shutter panning effect, but it can look so artistic, and it’s a great way to keep shooting when the light is low.

9. Experiment with astrophotography

With a long-enough lens, your camera will become a low-power telescope, and you can capture images of the moon, the stars, and various planets.

No, your photos won’t be in the same class as astrophotography shots taken with a telescope, but you’ll certainly get eye-catching photos, especially if you restrict yourself to larger subjects such as the moon.

Before you get started, make sure you definitely have a stable tripod that can handle the weight of your entire telephoto setup, as well as a cable release (see the previous sections!).

I’d also recommend you set up in an area where there is little light pollution; that way, you can capture the most detail.

Note that the slightest vibration is enough to blur an astrophotography shot, so take special care to avoid this (use your camera’s mirror lock-up, and if your camera offers an electronic shutter, make sure it’s activated!).

For optimal drama, shoot with a high-resolution sensor and crop down in post-production (while maintaining jaw-dropping detail!). That’s how I captured this moon photo:

Telephoto photography tips: final words

Well, there you have it:

Your ultimate guide to telephoto lens photography. Make sure you carefully read each section and pay special attention to the tips. You’ll be capturing outstanding shots in no time at all!

Now over to you:

What do you like to shoot with your telephoto lens? Do you have any telephoto tips I missed? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

The post Telephoto Photography: A Comprehensive Guide (+ Examples) appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jim Goldstein.

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[Photography] 10 Best Street Photography Presets (for Lightroom)

The post 10 Best Street Photography Presets (for Lightroom) appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Kevin Landwer-Johan.

If you want to improve your street photography after you’ve pressed the shutter button, then you’ll undoubtedly be interested in the best Lightroom street photography presets. After all, it’s one thing to capture the decisive moment when you’re out in the street with your camera, and it’s another thing entirely to edit each shot so your final files look precisely the way you envisioned.

Often, that extra bit of refinement or pop comes with the help of a favorite Lightroom preset. Presets allow us to control the look and feel of our photos so others can understand how we felt about the scenes as we photographed them.

Lightroom presets are extremely popular, and there are a huge number of options to choose from. Whether you’re just starting out or have had some experience with presets in the past, picking the best ones can be challenging. Therefore, we’ve compiled a list of our favorite presets, which will help you transform your RAW street photography snaps into images with depth and character – so long as you apply them well.

I’ve included a few presets that you can download (for free) and import into Lightroom. I’ve also made good use of some of the prepackaged presets that come as part of your Lightroom subscription. That way, you can see how easy it is to improve your street photos with a single click.

So without further ado, let’s take a look at the best street photography presets in 2023!

1. Classic – B&W Presets

In the Lightroom Develop module, you can find some wonderful black-and-white presets to apply to your street shots. Once you’ve picked a photo to edit, find the Classic – B&W Presets section in the Presets dropdown menu.

You should see a handful of black-and-white presets, and the one that works best will depend on your specific image. I’d recommend hovering over each of the presets as you observe the highlights and shadows of your shot. See what looks good, and don’t be afraid to tweak the editing sliders further once you’ve selected a preset.

Here’s my original image:

I decided to use the B&W Look 5 preset. Here is the result:

I like the effect it has on this street scene with a spirit house. Although I think the colors in this image work well together, I wanted to experiment with a monochrome effect, and I appreciate how B&W Look 5 manages the shadows and highlights while drawing attention to the woman’s face.

2. Cross Process

The cross-process look is old school. When using film, you need to make sure that it’s processed with the correct chemicals – but if you want to get unusual results, you can process color negative film in chemicals for color transparency film (or vice versa).

Cross-processing results are often unpredictable and can vary from film type to film type. So by applying a cross-process Lightroom preset, you know you’ll get some eye-catching color shifts! To find Lightroom’s cross-process options, go to the Preset panel, then select Classic – Color Presets. You should see three cross-process options: Cross Process 1, Cross Process 2, and Cross Process 3.

Below, I’ve put the cross-process presets to the test. Here’s my original image:

And here’s my image after applying a cross-process preset:

I like the color adjustments – the bright yellows and reds are toned down. I also love how this preset treated the stainless steel. Note that I manually tweaked the preset slightly to enhance the appearance of the colors.

3. Cool Shadows and Warm Highlights

The Cool Shadows and Warm Highlights preset is an outstanding choice for most forms of street photography; in fact, because it’s so universally applicable, you can use it to edit all kinds of different street shots and give a group of images a more unified appearance. (When you consistently use the same few presets, it can lend your photographic portfolio a stylized look and feel.)

You can find the preset in the Lightroom Preset panel under the Creative tab. Here’s my sample (before) photo:

And here’s the image after applying the Cool Shadows and Warm Highlights preset:

As you can see, the presets made the shadows cooler, and their bluish-green tones contrast nicely with the added warmth in the highlights. The warmer highlights even look good in the bright green of the umbrella.

4. Vivid

Some Lightroom presets can give your street photos an intense look, but the best ones tend to be more subtle. That’s why I recommend trying Vivid (in the Color section of the Lightroom Preset panel); it applies a little pop to photos without taking them too far.

Check out this simple image of a manikin:

And see the result after the preset has been applied:

I like how the preset lifted the colors and gently opened up the shadows. It’s also helped balance the contrast in the highlight areas. 

I’ve noticed a common trend in photo editing where the details are pulled out in both shadow and highlight areas. While such an approach can emphasize lots of detail, it also makes photos look unnatural. Just because it’s possible to exploit the shadows and highlights in this manner does not mean you need to do it frequently. It’s a bit like driving your car as fast as you can everywhere you go; it’s not always going to work out well. Instead, try using a subtle preset that keeps the image looking natural.

5. Cool Light

When your image contains lots of contrast, you might be tempted to use a preset that radically alters the colors and tones. In my experience, however, this is unnecessary. When an image already contains drama, you can make the most of it by applying a more subtle edit.

I deliberately exposed this next photo for the highlights; I saw the nice bright light illuminating part of the scene, and I appreciated the heavy shadows. So I set my exposure for the highlights and waited. Within a minute or two, a man pulled his motorcycle onto the sidewalk and caught the sunlight.

The original is nice, but I wanted to add a more subdued feeling to the shot. That’s why I applied Lightroom’s Cool Light preset (found in the Creative options), which lifted both the highlights and shadows while adding a blue tinge to the whole photo that unified the different elements.

6. Vintage Street Photography (by Weedit.Photos)

Sometimes, you might want to give your photos a vintage feel without going monochrome. Black and white certainly lends an old-fashioned look to photos, but sometimes leaving the color intact can work well, especially when you use a good vintage preset. A great option here is the Vintage Street Photography preset you can download from Weedit.Photos.

My original image is complex and colorful:

But the preset makes it even better:

As you can see, the image now has a distinctly older look and feel. By subduing the colors and dulling down the shadow areas, the preset replicates how some photos look when they are older. (Colors and blacks tend to fade and lose contrast, particularly if the photo hasn’t been processed well.)

I deliberately chose an image that had no obvious technology, though the motorcycle might give the game away.

7. Illumination Street Photography (by Weedit.Photos)

The Illumination Street Photography preset comes, once again, from Weedit.Photos, and it’s completely free to download. It’s a great way to unify your shots with subtle color toning, and it can even give photos a slightly cinematic feel.

For this next image – featuring two men talking at a street noodle shop – I wanted to dampen down the colors. The bright shirts and the vibrant hues in the background didn’t match the mood.

So I applied the Illumination preset to balance the colors and contrast. Here’s the result:

8. Urban Cool (by PresetLove)

Some Lightroom presets only adjust image tones, but others alter the main colors in an image (occasionally with spectacular results!). I loved the look of this stylized building contrasted with the mass of messy powerlines, but I thought the scene looked a bit dull:

So I added the Urban Cool preset from PresetLove. It added a nice blue to the midtones in the scene, and the result was much more to my liking:

9. Demarcation Street Photography (by Weedit.Photos)

When I edit my street photos, I aim to keep skin tones looking relatively natural. I’ll tweak brightness and contrast levels but often leave skin tones alone. 

Therefore, I prefer to use presets that don’t adjust skin too heavily. This next street portrait needed a bit of contrast:

So I added the Demarcation Street Photography preset from Weedit.Photos. The woman’s skin tone looks natural, but the preset added a touch of contrast that helps separate the subject from the background:

10. Street (by PresetLove)

Not every photo needs to look subtle and realistic. Sometimes, you may wish to create a more radical look and feel to your shots, and that’s where the Street preset from PresetLove comes in handy.

Take a look at my image prior to adding the preset:

Then, when I add the Street preset, here’s what I get:

As you can see, the preset has adjusted the look of this image quite heavily. The greens have turned to aqua, while the yellows and reds have swung more toward orange. The whole photo vibrates in an odd color space that works nicely with the juxtaposition of the sunflower, the signs, and the CCTV cameras.

The best Lightroom street photography presets: final words

Finding the best Lightroom street photography preset for your image is often a matter of experimenting with lots of options. The more you try, the more you’ll understand what you like, though I certainly hope this list provides you with a good starting point.

Remember: If you scroll your cursor over your Lightroom presets, you’ll see the effect previewed on your image. This can be a great way to quickly determine the right preset to use.

And once you’ve been applying presets for a while, you can try tweaking them to refine the look of each photo you edit. It’s faster than editing photos from scratch, and it also offers extra customizability for the best possible results. (You might even create some presets of your own!)

Now over to you:

Which of these presets do you plan to use? Do you have other favorite presets that we missed? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

What are the most popular Lightroom presets?

The most popular presets are often those related to street, travel, and landscape photography.

How do I edit street photography in Lightroom?

One of the most common ways to edit your street photography in Lightroom is to use one or more presets and then tweak the results as needed.

Is it worth buying presets for Lightroom?

There are many great free presets for Lightroom, which can often get you amazing results. However, preset packs are another great way to expand your preset library, and they’re generally pretty inexpensive, too.

The post 10 Best Street Photography Presets (for Lightroom) appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Kevin Landwer-Johan.

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