1. Understanding the Goal:
* Soft Skin: Reduce harsh textures and blemishes while maintaining some detail.
* Dreamy/Romantic Vibe: Gentle highlights, muted contrasts, and perhaps a slight color shift.
* Subject Isolation: Subtle separation of the subject from the background.
2. Starting Point: A Good Photo
* Choose a portrait with good lighting as a base. Overly dark or blown-out photos will be harder to work with.
3. Lightroom Development Settings:
Here's a breakdown of the settings to adjust, and why:
* Basic Panel:
* Temperature: A slight warmth (towards yellow) can be flattering. Experiment with +2 to +5. Adjust based on skin tone.
* Tint: Avoid a strong magenta or green cast. Adjust subtly to neutralize skin tones (usually towards the opposite of what you naturally see).
* Exposure: Adjust to achieve a good overall brightness. Be careful not to overexpose, especially highlights.
* Contrast: Reduce the contrast significantly. This is a key element in creating the "soft" look. Try -20 to -40. This softens transitions and reduces harsh shadows.
* Highlights: Decrease the Highlights. This will help recover details in bright areas and contribute to the softer look. Try -20 to -40.
* Shadows: Increase the Shadows. This brightens the darker areas, further reducing contrast and adding to the softness. Try +20 to +40.
* Whites: Adjust to taste. You may want to decrease the Whites slightly to prevent clipping.
* Blacks: Adjust to taste. You may want to increase the Blacks slightly to lift the blacks and further reduce contrast. A slight increase here can also add a subtle "matte" effect.
* Clarity: This is *crucial*. Reduce Clarity dramatically! Clarity enhances mid-tone contrast and texture, so reducing it softens the image. Try -20 to -50. Go even lower if you want a very dreamy look.
* Vibrance: Increase Vibrance slightly. This adds color without over-saturating skin tones. +5 to +15 is a good starting point.
* Saturation: Use cautiously. A slight increase can be okay, but too much will look unnatural. Maybe +0 to +5.
* Tone Curve Panel:
* The Tone Curve is very powerful for controlling contrast. You can create a subtle "S" curve for a little more contrast, or a "flat" curve to further reduce contrast. A slight flattening in the highlights is often a good approach:
* Point Curve: Start with the "Medium Contrast" preset and then gently adjust the curve, pulling the highlights down a bit and lifting the shadows a touch. The goal is a very gentle "S" curve or even almost a straight line.
* Parametric Curve: Similar to the Point Curve, but using sliders. You can lower the "Highlights" region and raise the "Shadows" region.
* HSL / Color Panel:
* Luminance:
* Orange: Increase the Orange luminance. This brightens skin tones. +5 to +15.
* Red: Increase Red luminance slightly, especially for lip color.
* Saturation:
* Orange: Reduce the Orange saturation *slightly* if skin tones are too orange.
* Yellow: Reduce Yellow saturation, as it can contribute to yellow skin tones.
* Hue:
* Subtle shifts can correct skin tone problems. Experiment gently.
* Split Toning Panel (Optional):
* Adding subtle colors to the highlights and shadows can enhance the mood.
* Highlights: A very slight warm tone (orange/yellowish). Low saturation (2-5).
* Shadows: A very slight cool tone (blue/purple). Low saturation (2-5).
* Balance: Adjust the balance between highlights and shadows. A negative balance will favor the shadow color.
* Detail Panel:
* Sharpening: Reduce Sharpening. The default amount in Lightroom is often too high for soft portraits. Reduce the Amount to around 0-20. You can also increase the Masking slider to protect smooth areas from being sharpened.
* Noise Reduction:
* Luminance Noise Reduction: Increase this slightly to smooth out skin. Start with 5-15 and increase if needed, but don't overdo it as it can make the image look plasticky.
* Color Noise Reduction: Leave this at the default unless you have significant color noise.
* Lens Corrections Panel:
* Enable Profile Corrections: Check the box to correct for lens distortions and vignetting. This is generally a good practice.
* Remove Chromatic Aberration: Check this box as well.
* Effects Panel:
* Vignetting: Adding a subtle vignette can draw the eye towards the subject. Try a slight negative Amount (-5 to -15). Adjust the Midpoint and Roundness sliders to control the shape of the vignette.
* Grain: Avoid adding grain unless you're intentionally going for a vintage look.
4. Saving the Preset:
1. Click the "+" button in the Presets panel (usually on the left side of the Lightroom window).
2. Select "Create Preset..."
3. Preset Name: Give your preset a descriptive name, such as "Soft Portrait v1" or "Dreamy Portrait."
4. Group: Choose a group to save the preset in (e.g., "User Presets" or create a new group).
5. Check All: Initially, check all the boxes to save all the settings.
6. Uncheck: Carefully uncheck any settings you *don't* want to include in the preset. For example, you might want to *uncheck* "Exposure" and "White Balance" if you want the preset to adapt to different lighting conditions without changing the brightness or color temperature. Consider carefully what will be universally helpful vs. what needs to be adjusted per-photo.
7. Click "Create."
5. Using and Refining the Preset:
1. Apply the preset to other portraits.
2. Adjust Individually: Remember that presets are *starting points*. Every photo is different, so you'll likely need to fine-tune the settings *after* applying the preset. Pay particular attention to Exposure, White Balance, and Noise Reduction, as these will vary the most from photo to photo.
3. Iterate: Don't be afraid to adjust your preset and save a new version (e.g., "Soft Portrait v2") as you learn what works best for you.
Key Considerations and Tips:
* Skin Tones: Always pay close attention to skin tones. They should look natural and healthy. Use the HSL panel to adjust them as needed.
* Over-Processing: Be careful not to over-process the image. Too much noise reduction or Clarity reduction can make the skin look plastic or unnatural.
* Lighting: The quality of the original lighting has a huge impact. Presets work best with well-lit photos.
* Specific Lens: If you consistently use a specific lens for portraits, you might create a version of the preset that includes lens corrections for that particular lens.
* Backup: Always back up your presets in case of computer problems.
* Batch Processing: Be very careful when applying a preset to a large batch of photos. It's always better to review and adjust each photo individually.
By following these steps and experimenting with the settings, you can create a beautiful "Soft Portrait" preset that will enhance your portraits and give them a professional, polished look in Lightroom 4. Remember to adjust the settings to suit your individual style and the specific characteristics of each photo. Good luck!