1. Start with a Neutral Base:
* Import your portrait into Lightroom 4.
* Reset all settings. If you've previously adjusted the image, click the "Reset" button in the Develop module. This ensures you're starting from a clean slate.
2. Basic Panel Adjustments:
* Temperature: Adjust the temperature slightly towards warmer tones (more yellow) to enhance skin tones. Typically, a value between +5 to +15 works well. Experiment to find what looks best.
* Tint: Adjust the tint towards magenta slightly. This can counteract green casts in the skin. A value of +2 to +7 is usually sufficient.
* Exposure: Adjust the exposure to brighten the overall image, but be careful not to overexpose highlights. Aim for a slightly brighter feel. Generally, +0.10 to +0.50 stops.
* Contrast: Lower the contrast to reduce harsh shadows and highlights, creating a softer feel. Try -15 to -30.
* Highlights: Reduce highlights significantly to recover detail in bright areas and further soften the image. -40 to -70 is a good starting point.
* Shadows: Increase shadows to brighten the darker areas and add more detail. +20 to +40.
* Whites: Increase whites slightly to add some brightness without clipping highlights. +5 to +15.
* Blacks: Lower blacks slightly to add a subtle depth. -5 to -15.
3. Tone Curve Adjustments (Subtle S-Curve):
* Go to the Tone Curve panel.
* Create a subtle S-curve. This boosts highlights and deepens shadows slightly, but keep it very gentle.
* Click on the diagonal line to create two points.
* Pull the point in the upper right quadrant up slightly to brighten highlights.
* Pull the point in the lower left quadrant down slightly to deepen shadows.
* Important: Keep the curve very shallow. A strong S-curve will add too much contrast.
4. HSL/Color Adjustments (Skin Tones):
* Go to the HSL / Color panel.
* Select the Luminance tab.
* Adjust the Orange and Yellow sliders to brighten skin tones. A subtle increase can add a healthy glow. Try +5 to +15.
* Select the Saturation tab.
* Slightly desaturate the Orange and Yellow colors. This can help to even out skin tones and reduce any harshness. -5 to -10.
* Select the Hue tab.
* Adjust the Orange slightly towards red to warm the skin. +2 to +5
* Adjust the Yellow slightly towards orange to warm the skin. -2 to -5
5. Detail Panel (Sharpening and Noise Reduction):
* Sharpening: Reduce the amount of sharpening significantly to soften the image. A value of 20-30 is often appropriate, and use a higher Masking value (around 60-80) to prevent sharpening of areas like skin. Over-sharpening will work against the soft effect.
* Noise Reduction (Luminance): Increase luminance noise reduction to smooth out skin and reduce grain. Start with a value of 10-20 and adjust until you achieve the desired smoothness. Be careful not to overdo it, as it can make the image look artificial.
6. Lens Corrections Panel (If Applicable):
* Profile Corrections: Enable "Remove Chromatic Aberration" and "Enable Profile Corrections" (if available for your lens) to correct lens distortions.
7. Effects Panel (Vignetting - Optional):
* Amount: You can add a very subtle negative vignette to draw attention to the subject. Try a value of -5 to -15.
* Midpoint: Adjust the midpoint to control the area affected by the vignette.
* Roundness: Adjust the roundness to create a more pleasing shape to the vignette.
8. Saving the Preset:
* In the Develop module, click the "+" button in the Presets panel on the left.
* Name your preset something descriptive like "Soft Portrait."
* Important: In the "New Develop Preset" dialog box, check the boxes next to all the settings you adjusted (Exposure, Contrast, Tone Curve, etc.). This ensures that the preset applies all the settings you've configured.
* Click "Create."
Tips and Considerations:
* Experimentation is key: These settings are a starting point. The ideal values will vary depending on the specific image, lighting conditions, and your personal preference.
* Pay attention to skin tones: Focus on achieving natural-looking skin tones that are soft and flattering.
* Subtlety is important: The goal is to create a soft and gentle effect, not an overly processed look.
* Use local adjustments (Adjustment Brush/Graduated Filter): For more precise control, use the Adjustment Brush or Graduated Filter to apply selective softening to specific areas, such as the skin or background.
* Opacity: Consider using a layer or adjustment layer in Photoshop after exporting from Lightroom to add an overall diffused look using a soft light blend mode and reduced opacity. This can take the "softness" even further.
* Practice: The more you use and adjust the preset, the better you'll become at fine-tuning it to achieve the perfect look for your portraits.
By following these steps, you can create a custom "Soft Portrait" preset in Lightroom 4 that will help you achieve beautiful and flattering results. Remember to experiment and adjust the settings to suit your specific images and preferences. Good luck!