I. Before You Begin:
* Start with a Good Base Image: The better the initial image (decent exposure, sharp focus on the eyes), the better the result. This preset works best on well-lit portraits.
II. Lightroom Develop Settings (Focusing on Basic Panel):
1. Basic Panel:
* Exposure: Slightly increase if the image is underexposed. Aim for a bright but not blown-out exposure. (+0.10 to +0.50 typically)
* Contrast: Reduce contrast. This is KEY to the "soft" look. Lowering contrast flattens the tonal range and reduces harsh shadows. (-15 to -30)
* Highlights: Reduce highlights. This helps recover detail in bright areas and contributes to a softer look. (-20 to -40)
* Shadows: Increase shadows. This lifts the darker areas, reducing harshness and revealing detail. (+15 to +30)
* Whites: Adjust to taste. Usually a slight reduction, but can be increased if the overall exposure is too low. (-5 to +5)
* Blacks: Adjust to taste. Slightly increase to lift the blacks and further soften the contrast. (+5 to +15)
* Clarity: Reduce clarity! This is crucial for softening skin and creating a dreamy effect. (-15 to -30 or even more for a very soft look)
* Vibrance: Increase slightly. This adds a subtle boost to the colors, making the skin tones look healthier. (+5 to +15) *Avoid pushing saturation too far as it can make the skin look artificial.*
* Saturation: Adjust only if necessary. Typically, leave it as is or slightly reduce it if the colors are already too vibrant. (-5 to +5)
2. Tone Curve:
* Point Curve: A subtle "S" curve can add some contrast back in, but be careful not to overdo it. Aim for a very shallow curve.
* Pull down slightly in the highlights to further soften.
* Lift slightly in the shadows to open them up.
* Alternatively: Use the "Medium Contrast" preset as a starting point and then tweak the other settings.
3. HSL/Color Panel:
* Luminance:
* Orange: Increase slightly to brighten skin tones. (+5 to +15)
* Yellow: Increase slightly, but be careful as this can affect the background. (+5 to +10)
* Saturation:
* Orange: Reduce slightly to prevent overly orange skin. (-5 to -10)
* Red: Reduce slightly to tame redness in skin. (-5 to -10)
* Hue: Adjust to taste. Slight tweaks to orange and red hues can improve skin tone, but use sparingly. Moving them towards yellow can warm the skin.
4. Detail Panel:
* Sharpening: Reduce the Sharpening Amount. Soften the image further for portraits. (Amount: 20-40, Radius: 0.8-1.0, Detail: 25-40)
* Noise Reduction: Increase Luminance Noise Reduction. This smoothes out skin and reduces grain. (20-40). Be careful not to overdo it, as it can make the image look plastic.
5. Lens Corrections:
* Enable Profile Corrections: This can help correct distortions and vignetting from your lens, which can improve the overall look of the portrait.
* Remove Chromatic Aberration: Check this box.
6. Effects Panel:
* Vignette: A subtle vignette can draw the viewer's eye to the subject. Use a negative value (Amount: -5 to -15)
* Grain: Adding a very subtle amount of grain can give the image a film-like quality. (Amount: 5-10, Size: 25-30, Roughness: 50-60) Only if desired.
III. Saving the Preset:
1. Click the "Presets" panel on the left side of the Lightroom interface.
2. Click the "+" (plus) icon to create a new preset.
3. Give your preset a descriptive name (e.g., "Soft Portrait," "Dreamy Portrait").
4. In the "New Develop Preset" window:
* Check the boxes for all the settings you adjusted. Generally, you'll want to include: Exposure, Contrast, Highlights, Shadows, Whites, Blacks, Clarity, Vibrance, Saturation, Tone Curve, HSL/Color, Sharpening, Noise Reduction, Lens Corrections, and Effects.
* Consider *not* checking "Treatment" (color or black and white). This allows you to use the preset on both color and black and white images without forcing the conversion.
* Consider *not* checking "Process Version". This will ensure your preset can be used with images of different process versions, though it may affect results slightly.
5. Click "Create".
IV. Important Considerations & Tips:
* Customization is Key: These settings are a starting point. You'll likely need to adjust the preset for each individual image, depending on its initial exposure, lighting, and subject.
* Skin Tone Accuracy: Always pay close attention to skin tones. Adjust the Orange and Red HSL sliders to fine-tune them.
* Over-Softening: Be careful not to over-soften the image. Too much clarity reduction and noise reduction can make the skin look unnatural and plastic.
* Test on Different Images: Apply the preset to a variety of portraits with different lighting and skin tones to see how it performs and make adjustments as needed.
* Localized Adjustments: Use the Adjustment Brush or Graduated Filter to further refine the effect. For example, you might use the Adjustment Brush to selectively soften the skin while leaving the eyes sharp.
* Opacity: Once applied, many image editors let you adjust the *opacity* of the layer containing the preset. This is another way to fine-tune the overall impact of the effect.
Example Starting Values:
These are just *starting points*. Adjust based on your image:
* Exposure: +0.30
* Contrast: -25
* Highlights: -30
* Shadows: +20
* Whites: -5
* Blacks: +10
* Clarity: -20
* Vibrance: +10
* Luminance (Orange): +10
* Luminance NR: 25
* Sharpening: Amount 30, Radius 0.8
By following these steps and experimenting with the settings, you can create a beautiful "Soft Portrait" preset that enhances your portrait photography in Lightroom 4. Remember to save the preset so you can easily apply it to future images!