1. Import and Select an Image:
* Import the portrait photo you want to use as a base for your preset. Choose an image that is representative of the type of portraits you typically take (lighting, subject, etc.).
2. Basic Panel Adjustments (Foundation):
* White Balance: Adjust to taste. Generally, warmer tones work well for soft portraits. Try slightly increasing the temperature.
* Exposure: Adjust to get a proper exposure, usually a slightly brighter exposure is good for soft portraits.
* Contrast: Reduce the contrast significantly. This is key for the soft look. Try around -20 to -40.
* Highlights: Bring highlights down to recover details and further reduce contrast. Try around -20 to -50.
* Shadows: Open up the shadows to soften the overall look and bring out detail in darker areas. Try around +20 to +50.
* Whites: Adjust gently to avoid clipping, or bring them slightly down if needed.
* Blacks: Adjust to add a hint of depth without crushing the blacks. Slightly lifting the blacks can contribute to the soft look. Try around +5 to +15.
3. Tone Curve Panel (Subtle Curves for Softness):
* Point Curve (Recommended): Instead of using the region curve, switch to the point curve.
* Slight S-Curve: Create a very subtle S-curve to add a touch of contrast back in, but keep it *very* mild. Pull the bottom point of the curve *up* a touch (to lift blacks) and the top point *down* a touch (to lower highlights).
* Alternatives:
* *Linear Curve:* Experiment with keeping the Tone Curve completely linear for an ultra-soft look. This can sometimes look flat though.
* *Medium Contrast Curve (Region Curve):* If you prefer the region curve, select the Medium Contrast preset and then reduce the contrast slightly in the Basic panel if needed.
4. Detail Panel (Sharpening and Noise Reduction):
* Sharpening: Reduce Sharpening. Over-sharpening will ruin the soft effect.
* Amount: Lower the amount significantly. Try around 0-25 (experiment). You want a very subtle sharpening.
* Radius: Keep the radius small (around 0.5-1).
* Detail: Reduce the detail slider to further soften the image.
* Masking: Increase masking to apply sharpening mostly to edges.
* Noise Reduction: Apply Noise Reduction to further soften the image.
* Luminance: Increase luminance noise reduction slightly to smooth out skin. Try around 10-20. Be careful not to overdo it, as this can lead to an unnatural plastic look.
* Color: Consider increasing color noise reduction slightly as well.
5. HSL/Color Panel (Fine-Tuning Colors):
* Saturation: Desaturate certain colors (particularly reds and oranges, as these affect skin tones) for a more muted and ethereal look. Reduce slightly. Try -5 to -15. Adjust individual colors as needed based on your subject and their clothing.
* Luminance: Adjust luminance to brighten skin tones. Increase luminance of reds, oranges, and yellows slightly. Be careful not to overexpose skin.
* Hue: Shift hues slightly for a specific look. A small shift in the oranges toward the yellow side can create a warmer skin tone.
6. Split Toning (Optional - Subtle Color Casts):
* Highlights: Add a very subtle warm tone to the highlights (e.g., a touch of yellow/orange). Keep the saturation extremely low (1-5).
* Shadows: Add a very subtle cool tone to the shadows (e.g., a touch of blue/cyan). Keep the saturation extremely low (1-5). Balance the balance slider to fine tune which is dominant.
7. Lens Corrections (Often Recommended):
* Enable Profile Corrections: Check the "Enable Profile Corrections" box under the "Lens Corrections" panel. This will automatically correct for distortion and vignetting. If you like the vignette for a more vintage look, leave this unchecked.
* Remove Chromatic Aberration: Check the "Remove Chromatic Aberration" box.
8. Effects Panel (Vignette - Use Sparingly):
* Vignetting: Consider adding a very subtle vignette, but only if it suits the image. Use the Amount slider to darken or brighten the corners. Adjust the Midpoint, Roundness, and Feather to fine-tune the effect. Negative values darken the corners, positive values brighten them. Most soft portraits look best with a *very* subtle darkening.
9. Saving the Preset:
* Click the "+" icon in the Presets panel (on the left).
* Give your preset a descriptive name (e.g., "Soft Portrait," "Dreamy Portrait," etc.).
* Crucially, make sure the boxes next to the settings you want to *include* in the preset are checked. It's usually best to include:
* Basic Tone Adjustments (Exposure, Contrast, Highlights, Shadows, Whites, Blacks)
* Tone Curve
* Detail (Sharpening, Noise Reduction)
* HSL/Color
* Split Toning
* Lens Corrections
* Effects (if you use a vignette)
* Consider *excluding* White Balance and Exposure from the preset. White Balance and Exposure are often scene-specific, so leaving them unchecked allows you to adjust them manually for each individual photo. However, if you are using similar WB and Exposure settings on all portraits, then it might make sense to check them.
* Click "Create."
Important Considerations and Tips:
* Subtlety is Key: The best soft portrait presets are subtle. Avoid overdoing any single setting.
* Test and Refine: Apply the preset to a variety of different portrait photos and refine the settings as needed. Every photo is different, so you'll likely need to make minor adjustments to the preset on a per-image basis.
* Skin Tone: Pay close attention to skin tones. Monitor for unnatural coloring or over-smoothing.
* Customization: Don't be afraid to experiment and customize the settings to your own preferences.
* Version Compatibility: While these instructions are specifically for Lightroom 4, the concepts apply to other versions of Lightroom as well. You may need to adjust the location of specific controls or the names of certain settings.
* Practice: The best way to learn how to create a good soft portrait preset is to practice and experiment.
By following these steps, you should be able to create a "Soft Portrait" preset in Lightroom 4 that gives your photos a beautiful, flattering, and ethereal look. Remember to experiment and refine the settings to achieve the look you desire. Good luck!