I. Understanding the Goal: What is a "Soft Portrait"?
A soft portrait typically aims for the following:
* Reduced Sharpness: To minimize harsh details and skin imperfections.
* Gentle Lighting: Avoiding harsh shadows and strong highlights.
* Smooth Skin Tones: Even and flattering skin rendering.
* Subtle Colors: Muted and desaturated tones can contribute to a softer feel.
* Diffuse Highlights: Softened and blended highlights for a dreamy look.
II. Lightroom 4 Adjustments:
1. Basic Panel:
* Exposure: Adjust for proper brightness. Typically a slight increase is preferable for portraits. Be careful not to blow out highlights.
* Contrast: Reduce contrast. A lower contrast setting (e.g., -20 to -40) will help to smooth out the image and reduce harshness.
* Highlights: Reduce Highlights (-20 to -50 or more). This brings back detail in blown-out areas and creates a softer look.
* Shadows: Increase Shadows (+20 to +50 or more). This opens up the shadows, reducing contrast and revealing details.
* Whites: Slightly adjust Whites if needed to refine overall brightness, but be cautious of clipping.
* Blacks: Slightly adjust Blacks if needed to set the darkest point, but avoid crushing blacks.
* Clarity: Reduce Clarity. This is one of the most important steps. A negative clarity value (-10 to -30 or even more) softens the image considerably. Go too far, and it will look blurry.
* Vibrance/Saturation: Adjust these depending on the skin tones. Slightly increasing Vibrance can make colors pop without over-saturating. Reduce Saturation slightly if colors appear too intense.
2. Tone Curve Panel:
* Subtle S-Curve: A very gentle S-curve (or even a flat curve) can add depth and contrast without being harsh. Pull down slightly on the upper part of the curve to soften highlights and lift the shadows on the lower part.
3. HSL / Color Panel:
* Hue: Make subtle adjustments to skin tone colors. You might slightly shift oranges and yellows to be more flattering.
* Saturation: Reduce saturation slightly in the oranges and yellows to create more even skin tones.
* Luminance: Increase luminance in oranges and yellows to brighten the skin.
4. Detail Panel:
* Sharpening: Reduce Sharpening! The default sharpening settings are often too high. Reduce Amount significantly (e.g., 0-20). You can also increase the Radius slightly for a smoother look.
* Noise Reduction: Increase Luminance Noise Reduction. This is crucial for smoothing skin and reducing grain. Start with a small amount (e.g., 10-20) and increase as needed. Be careful not to overdo it, as it can make the image look plastic. Color Noise Reduction is usually a good idea to bump up a little (e.g. 10-20).
5. Camera Calibration Panel (if using a RAW file):
* Experiment with the Red, Green, and Blue Primary Hue and Saturation sliders. Subtle adjustments here can have a big impact on skin tones and overall color. Often, slightly desaturating the blues and reds can help.
III. Creating the Preset:
1. Develop Panel: Make sure you are in the Develop Module.
2. Presets Panel: On the left side of the screen, find the "Presets" panel. If it's not visible, go to Window > Panels > Presets.
3. Create New Preset: Click the "+" (plus) button at the top of the Presets panel, or go to Develop > New Preset.
4. Preset Name: Give your preset a descriptive name, such as "Soft Portrait" or "Dreamy Portrait."
5. Group: Choose a group to save the preset in. You can create a new group (e.g., "My Portrait Presets").
6. Check the Settings: *Carefully* select which settings you want to include in the preset. Here's a suggested list, but adjust according to your specific changes:
* Basic Tone: Include Exposure, Contrast, Highlights, Shadows, Whites, Blacks, Clarity, Vibrance, Saturation.
* Tone Curve: Include Point Curve (if you adjusted it).
* HSL / Color: Include Hue, Saturation, Luminance (make sure the individual color channels you adjusted are selected).
* Detail: Include Sharpening Amount, Radius, Detail, Masking, and Noise Reduction (Luminance and Color).
* Camera Calibration: Include Profile and all adjustments you made in this panel.
* Important Note: *Do NOT* include "Local Adjustments." These are specific to the image you're currently editing and won't apply universally. Also, think carefully about including things like Exposure, as this is highly image-dependent. You might want to leave it unchecked and adjust it manually after applying the preset. Similar logic applies to White Balance.
7. Create: Click "Create."
IV. Using and Refining the Preset:
1. Apply the Preset: Select another portrait image. In the Presets panel, click on the preset you just created.
2. Refine: The preset will apply the settings. Now, *critically evaluate* the result. Every image is different, so you'll almost certainly need to make further adjustments to:
* Exposure: The most common adjustment.
* White Balance: Adjust to correct color casts.
* Noise Reduction: Add or reduce depending on the image.
* Local Adjustments (Adjustment Brush/Graduated Filter/Radial Filter): Use these to selectively refine areas like skin, eyes, or background. Consider using the Adjustment Brush to selectively smooth skin after applying the preset.
3. Iterate: As you use your preset, you might find that certain settings need tweaking. To update the preset:
* Apply the preset.
* Make the necessary adjustments.
* Right-click on the preset name in the Presets panel.
* Choose "Update with Current Settings."
* Select the settings you want to update.
Tips for Success:
* Start Subtle: It's better to err on the side of less is more. You can always increase settings, but over-processed images are difficult to fix.
* Focus on Skin Tones: Pay close attention to how the preset affects skin tones. Aim for a natural and healthy look.
* Use Local Adjustments: Don't rely solely on the preset. Use the Adjustment Brush, Graduated Filter, and Radial Filter to target specific areas for further refinement.
* Practice: The best way to create great presets is to experiment and practice. Don't be afraid to try different settings and see what works.
* Consider the Source Image: The quality of the original image is important. A well-lit and properly exposed photo will always be easier to edit. Start with good capture.
By following these steps, you can create a versatile "soft portrait" preset in Lightroom 4 that will help you achieve beautiful and flattering results. Remember that a preset is just a starting point; you'll always need to fine-tune the settings to match the individual characteristics of each image. Good luck!