Understanding the Goal:
A soft portrait aims to:
* Soften Skin: Reduce the appearance of blemishes, wrinkles, and texture.
* Smooth Tones: Create gradual transitions between light and shadow.
* Brighten and Lift Shadows: Avoid harsh contrast and open up detail.
* Introduce a Dreamy Look: Subtle color shifts can contribute to this.
Step-by-Step Guide (Lightroom 4):
1. Start with a Well-Exposed Image: Begin with an image that's reasonably well-exposed, as extreme adjustments can degrade quality.
2. Basic Panel Adjustments:
* Exposure: Slightly increase exposure (e.g., +0.20 to +0.50) if needed to brighten the overall image. Adjust to taste based on the specific image.
* Contrast: Reduce contrast significantly (e.g., -20 to -50). This is key to softening the overall feel.
* Highlights: Pull highlights down (e.g., -10 to -40). This prevents blown-out areas and softens bright areas.
* Shadows: Increase shadows (e.g., +10 to +40). This lifts the shadows and reveals more detail in darker areas. This is also important for softening.
* Whites: Adjust gently. A small increase can brighten the overall image, but be careful not to clip highlights. Start with +5 and adjust as needed.
* Blacks: Adjust gently. A small decrease can add a touch of depth without introducing harshness. Start with -5 and adjust as needed.
* Clarity: This is a crucial step. Reduce Clarity significantly (e.g., -20 to -50). This is a primary contributor to the soft, dreamy effect. Note: Don't reduce it *too* much, or the image will look blurry.
* Vibrance: Increase Vibrance slightly (e.g., +5 to +15). This adds subtle color without oversaturating.
* Saturation: Adjust to taste. A slight decrease (e.g., -5 to +5) can sometimes be beneficial if colors are too intense. Generally, leave this closer to zero.
3. Tone Curve Panel:
* The Tone Curve can be used for subtle adjustments to contrast. A slight "S" curve (raise highlights, lower shadows) can add a little more depth, but be very gentle. Alternatively, a flatter curve can further soften the image. Experiment, but less is often more here. Consider targeting the 'Region' tool and reducing the highlights region and boosting the shadows.
4. Detail Panel:
* Sharpening: Reduce Sharpening significantly. The default Sharpening is often too strong for soft portraits. Start by turning it all the way off (Amount: 0), and then slowly increase it until you see a subtle sharpening effect, but nothing harsh. Consider using masking to apply sharpening only to important details like eyes. A typical value would be around 30-40 with a radius of 1.0.
* Noise Reduction (Luminance): Increase Luminance Noise Reduction (e.g., +10 to +30). This helps smooth out skin and reduce grain, especially in darker areas. Be careful not to overdo it, as it can lead to a loss of detail and a plastic look. Adjust the "Detail" and "Contrast" sliders within the Luminance Noise Reduction section carefully to preserve as much detail as possible.
5. HSL / Color Panel:
* This panel is where you can adjust individual colors.
* Hue: Very subtle hue adjustments can enhance skin tones. For example, slightly shifting oranges towards red can add warmth.
* Saturation: Slightly reduce the saturation of reds, oranges, and yellows if needed, to prevent skin tones from looking too intense.
* Luminance: Increasing the luminance of oranges and yellows can brighten skin tones.
6. Effects Panel:
* Post Crop Vignetting: A very subtle vignette (negative Amount) can help draw attention to the subject. Use a *very* light touch. Choose "Highlight Priority" for a more natural look. Consider also adding a small amount of feather to further soften the edges of the vignette.
* Grain: Consider adding a *small* amount of grain for a more film-like quality. Start with a small amount (around 5-10) and adjust the size and roughness to your taste.
7. Camera Calibration (If Necessary):
* This panel is more advanced, but you can experiment with the profiles to see if you like any of the alternative color renderings. Often, leaving this on Adobe Standard is best.
8. Saving the Preset:
* Once you're happy with the settings, click the "+" button in the Presets panel (left side).
* Give your preset a descriptive name (e.g., "Soft Portrait - Dreamy," "Soft Portrait - Natural").
* Carefully choose which settings to include in the preset. Generally, you'll want to include everything *except* lens corrections and Transform settings (as these are specific to individual images). If you're using spot removal, do *not* include it in the preset. Consider saving a different preset that only includes spot removal in case you want to reapply that.
* Click "Create."
Important Considerations and Tips:
* Adaptation is Key: No single preset will work perfectly on every image. You'll likely need to tweak the preset for each photo, especially the Exposure, White Balance, and specific color adjustments.
* Practice and Experiment: Play around with the sliders and see how they affect the image. The more you experiment, the better you'll understand how to achieve the look you want.
* Subtlety is Important: Avoid extreme adjustments, especially with Clarity and Sharpening. The goal is a subtle softening, not a complete blurring.
* Skin Tone is Paramount: Pay close attention to skin tones. Use the HSL panel to fine-tune them. The ideal skin tone will vary depending on the subject's complexion and your artistic vision.
* Use Local Adjustments: The Adjustment Brush and Graduated Filter tools can be used to target specific areas, like the eyes or skin. For example, you could use the Adjustment Brush to slightly sharpen the eyes while leaving the skin softer.
* White Balance: Get your white balance correct before applying the preset. A slightly warmer white balance can often be flattering for portraits.
* Before and After Comparisons: Regularly compare the "before" and "after" versions of your image to ensure you're heading in the right direction. Use the backslash key ( `\` ) to toggle between the original and edited versions.
* Consider Lens Corrections: Make sure Lens Corrections are enabled to remove distortion and vignetting that might be present in your images.
* Back Up Your Presets: Regularly back up your Lightroom presets. They represent a lot of work!
By following these steps and practicing regularly, you can create a "Soft Portrait" preset that works well for your style and helps you achieve beautiful, flattering portraits in Lightroom 4. Remember to customize the preset for each image to get the best results.