[Photography] How to Create Your Own Lightroom Presets (2021)

The post How to Create Your Own Lightroom Presets (2021) appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Andrew S. Gibson.

How can you create and save presets in Lightroom?

In this article, I’m going to take you through the simple process, step by step. By the time you’re done, you’ll be able to confidently make presets of your own – and I’ll even show you how to make and apply import presets for high-quality, lightning-fast edits.

Let’s dive right in.

When should you create and apply Lightroom presets?

There are mundane edits in Lightroom that you should carry out on almost every photo.

And you can save time by creating presets that perform these jobs automatically upon import. That way, you don’t have to do editing later.

In other words: I highly recommend you apply presets to pretty much every photo you take.

(You can also apply presets during the editing process, but you’ll want to use these more sparingly.)

The fact is that RAW photos need edits to look good. And presets will help you do those edits faster than a standard editing workflow. Look at this unedited RAW file:

A straight-out-of-camera RAW file from an EOS 5D Mark II. This is the sort of image you’ll see when you import images into Lightroom without applying a Develop preset.

And look at it after applying a simple preset:

The same photo, but with the Profile set to Landscape, lens corrections applied, chromatic aberrations removed, and white balance set to Auto. This is what you would see after importing the photo into Lightroom if you applied an import preset similar to the one I show you how to make in this article. The biggest benefit is that it saves you time.

That’s what I’m going to teach you how to do in the next section:

Create a simple preset that you can apply upon importing. But note that you can use these instructions to create a preset of any type, whether you plan to apply it on import or not.

How to prepare a useful Lightroom preset: step by step

Now let’s take a look at the simple instructions for making a useful Lightroom preset:

Step 1: Open a photo in the Develop module

Start by selecting the photo you plan to use as your preset base. Open it in the Lightroom Develop module.

Hit the Reset button to zero out any existing settings:

(You may find it helpful to make a Virtual Copy of the photo first so you don’t undo any edits you have already made.)

Step 2: Set your Profile in the Basic panel

Next, you’ll need to pick a Profile. Think of this as a starting point or base layer, on top of which you’ll make all your edits.

So head up to the Basic panel and click to open the Profile fly-out menu:

Lightroom’s default Profile is Adobe Color, and this is where I often leave my photos – but if you’re a frequent landscape photographer, you might try Adobe Landscape, portrait photographers might try Adobe Portrait, and black and white photographers might try Adobe Monochrome. Really, it’s all about experimenting. Test out a few options and see what you like!

Remember that you can always change these settings after applying the preset if you decide they don’t work for a particular shot.

(Also, note that your Profile options may vary depending on your camera, so if you can’t find one of the options I suggested, don’t worry; you probably have other cool Profiles to try out instead.)

If you shoot a number of different genres or in a number of different styles, or if you simply like several profiles, you might consider creating a preset for each one!

Step 3: Apply profile corrections and remove chromatic aberration

Most shots suffer from slight issues due to lens aberrations. The specifics depend on your lens, which is why Lightroom comes with profiles for a huge number of lenses:

Just a few of the many lens profiles included in Lightroom.

So head down to the Lens Corrections panel and check Enable Profile Corrections:

If Lightroom offers a profile matching your lens’s make and model – and it almost certainly will! – the profile corrections will be applied automatically.

I’d also recommend checking Remove Chromatic Aberration, which will get rid of unwanted fringing and is always a good idea.

Step 4: Make sure the Basic panel is ready to go

Now it’s time to look at the Basic panel. Make sure the white balance is set to As Shot:

And make sure all the other sliders are zeroed:

If you’re a fan of Lightroom’s automatic settings, you can hit the Auto button. This will automatically set the exposure, contrast, highlights, shadows, whites, and blacks, along with the vibrance and saturation. I don’t do this myself, but if it’s helpful to you, then go ahead and try it!

Also, if you shoot a mix of color and black and white, consider creating one preset for color photos and a second preset for black and white shots. Simply set the Treatment to Black and White:

Creating a preset in Lightroom

Now it’s time to actually make a Lightroom preset. The process is extremely simple:

Step 1: Click the Create Preset option

Make sure you’re in the Develop module, then click the Plus icon next to the Presets panel:

And select Create Preset:

Step 2: Determine which settings should be a part of your preset

The New Develop Preset window should come up:

Give your preset a name and select a folder to save it in:

Then select the settings you’d like to save as your preset. Hitting Check All works fine if you’re creating the preset I discussed above – though if you’ve decided to create a more targeted editing preset, you may want to only check certain boxes.

Step 3: Hit Create

Finally, once you’re ready to save your preset, press Create:

And that’s it! It’s a simple process that doesn’t take very long and can save you a lot of time when importing or editing your photos.

Applying presets upon import

To apply the preset you just created upon importing your photos, launch the Import window:

Then head over to the Apply During Import panel and set the Develop Settings menu to the appropriate preset:

(This is where creating several presets helps saves time, as you can pick the best preset for the photos you are importing.)

Then, when you click the Import button, Lightroom applies the settings from your selected preset!

Adding copyright info

While you’re in the Import window, it’s worth setting up another preset to automatically add copyright information to photo metadata upon import.

So go to the Metadata menu in the Apply During Import panel and select New.

Lightroom will open the New Metadata Preset window, where you can add information such as your name and copyright details:

So give the preset a name, then click the Check Filled button (so the relevant boxes are checked as you go along):

Under IPTC Copyright, set Copyright Status to Copyrighted and fill in the other fields appropriately (my entries are shown below).

Under IPTC Creator, add your name, website, email address, and any other appropriate details. Personally, I leave out my address – I move around a lot so it’s constantly changing (plus identity theft is a risk).

Click Done when you’re finished. Then, when you import photos, simply select the preset from the Metadata menu:

How to create your own Lightroom presets: your turn

Hopefully, you’re now ready to create Lightroom presets of your own (and you have some ideas for useful presets).

That way, you can save time and speed up your workflow!

Now over to you:

What kind of presets do you plan to create? How do you plan to use them on your photos? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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The Mastering Lightroom Collection

My Mastering Lightroom ebooks will help you get the most out of Lightroom. They cover every aspect of the software – from the Library module to creating beautiful images in the Develop module. Click the link to learn more or buy!

The post How to Create Your Own Lightroom Presets (2021) appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Andrew S. Gibson.

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[Photography] Rule of Thirds in Photography: The Essential Guide

The post Rule of Thirds in Photography: The Essential Guide appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Darren Rowse.

The rule of thirds is perhaps the most well-known “rule” of photographic composition. Use it carefully, and you’ll take some truly stunning images.

But what actually is the rule of thirds? Is it really that helpful? And when can you break the rule for a great result?

In this article, you’ll discover everything you need to know about the rule of thirds. And by the time you leave, you’ll know how to use it like a pro.

Let’s dive right in.

What is the rule of thirds?

The rule of thirds is a compositional guideline that breaks an image down into thirds (both horizontally and vertically) so you have nine pieces and four gridlines. According to the rule, by positioning key elements along the gridlines, you’ll end up with better compositions.

Here is a visualization of the rule of thirds:

And to follow the rule, simply use the gridlines to position essential compositional elements.

So when shooting a flower, you would place its stem along the right or left vertical gridline:

And when shooting a sunset, you would place the horizon line along the top or bottom horizontal gridline.

(Note that your camera may actually offer a grid overlay, which you can activate in the menu; that way, you don’t have to imagine the rule of thirds. Instead, you can see it as you look through the viewfinder!)

The rule of thirds also identifies four power points at the center of each gridline intersection:

Here, you can position points of interest, such as a head (when shooting a portrait), a flower (when shooting a still life), or the eye of a pet, as shown in the image below:

As you can see, using the rule of thirds isn’t actually complicated. That’s what makes it so powerful – it’s a simple way to improve your compositions, and it requires literally zero art training or photographic experience.

I will say right up front, though:

Rules are meant to be broken, and just because you ignore the rule of thirds doesn’t mean that your composition is uninteresting or bland or otherwise bad. Despite its name, the rule of thirds is a guideline, not a hard-and-fast rule. You can absolutely create beautiful compositions without using the rule of thirds.

Also keep in mind that it’s just one composition technique among many. There are plenty other “rules” and guidelines worth considering, such as symmetry, the rule of odds, triangular compositions, and more.

At the same time, the rule of thirds is an excellent way to get started with composition. It consistently produces great results, and even professional photographers use it all the time in their work. Plus, as a wise person once told me: if you intend to break a rule, you should always learn it first. That way, you can make sure you break it as effectively as possible.

Why is the rule of thirds useful?

Now that you know how to follow the rule of thirds, it’s important to understand why it matters and what exactly it can do for your photos.

Really, the rule of thirds is about two things:

1. Balance
2. Dynamism (movement)

First, by positioning key elements at rule of thirds intersections or gridlines, your photo becomes more balanced. Your key elements create visual interest in a third of the composition, while also balancing out the empty space in the remaining two-thirds. This looks great and feels right to the viewer.

Second, compositions that include key elements smack-dab in the center of the frame often feel very static and boring. There’s nowhere for the viewer’s eye to wander; instead, the viewer looks at the shot, sees the subject at its center, then leaves.

But the rule of thirds encourages dynamism, where the viewer sees a key element off to the side, then takes a visual journey throughout the rest of the image.

In other words:

A rule of thirds composition provides a more engaging photographic experience.

Also, the rule of thirds draws on the way humans naturally view images. Studies show that people’s eyes usually go to one of the intersection points rather than the center of the shot – so the rule of thirds works with this natural way of viewing an image.

When to use the rule (with examples)

By now, you should know that the rule of thirds is useful pretty much all of the time. As long as you have distinct compositional elements to work with, you should consider applying the rule.

For instance, in landscape photography, you can position the horizon along the top horizontal gridline:

Also note how another key compositional element – the structure on stilts – is positioned at the upper-right power point of the frame. Thanks to this, the whole shot feels balanced and dynamic.

In portrait photography, you generally want to position the subject’s body along a rule of thirds gridline:

And it’s also a good idea to place the head of your subject at one of the intersection points (and the eyes, which are a natural point of focus for a portrait). In the photo below, the tie and flower also offer a secondary area of interest, and they’re aligned with a second intersection point:

In wildlife photography, you can align the subject’s head (and eye) with a power point:

And in flower photography, subjects look great when the stem follows a rule of thirds gridline and the petals sit atop a power point:

Quick tips for working with the rule of thirds

While it’s easy to use the rule of thirds in your compositions, it may take a little time and practice for the rule to become second nature.

Try to get in the habit of asking two questions for every photo you take:

• What are your points of interest (i.e., the areas of the photo that stand out and that you want to emphasize)?
• Where are you intentionally placing those points?

That way, you can determine your points of interest, then you can immediately place them along a rule of thirds gridline or power point.

And your composition ends up beautifully balanced.

Make sense?

Also, if you fail to use the rule of thirds in a shot, it’s not the end of the world. After all, you can always crop your photos later on! (Just make sure to keep the gridlines in mind when editing.)

By the way, if you want to start practicing the rule of thirds immediately, you can always pull up old photos and do some test cropping. See what impact it has on your photos; you might be impressed by the results.

Breaking the rules: should you do it?

As I explained above, it is possible to break the rule of thirds and end up with beautiful photos.

In fact, sometimes you can end up with an even stronger composition by ignoring the rule. So while I encourage you to learn the rule of thirds, once it’s ingrained, experiment with breaking it.

One of my favorite times to break the rule of thirds is when photographing symmetrical subjects. If you’re photographing a succulent or flower from above, the symmetry looks even more striking when perfectly centered in the frame:

This shot of a corridor is also roughly symmetrical, which increases the composition’s intensity:

And note that an image can both break and follow the rule of thirds at the same time. For instance, while the image above is mostly symmetrical, a key element (the man playing his cello) is positioned at an intersection point.

Bottom line:

Learn the rule of thirds. Then break it. And above all, have fun!

Final words

Now that you’ve finished this article, you know all about the rule of thirds, when to use it, and when to think about breaking it.

So start practicing! And watch as your compositions improve.

The post Rule of Thirds in Photography: The Essential Guide appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Darren Rowse.

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