I. Understanding the "Soft Portrait" Look
Before diving into Lightroom, let's define what we're aiming for:
* Reduced Contrast: Less harsh shadows and highlights.
* Softened Highlights: Diffused bright areas for a gentler glow.
* Skin Smoothing (Subtle): Reduced texture and blemishes without looking artificial.
* Warm Tones: Often desirable for flattering skin tones.
* Slightly Lifted Shadows: Opens up the darker areas, making them less harsh.
* Overall Gentle Feel: Avoidance of extreme adjustments or harsh sharpening.
II. Lightroom Adjustments
Open your portrait image in Lightroom 4's Develop module. Work with these settings:
1. Basic Panel:
* Temperature: Adjust towards warmer values (slightly yellow/orange) to flatter skin. Start with a small adjustment (e.g., +5 to +15). Adjust to your preference
* Tint: A small adjustment toward magenta can sometimes be flattering, but be careful not to overdo it and create a pink cast. Start with a small adjustment (e.g., +3 to +8). Adjust to your preference
* Exposure: Fine-tune the overall brightness. Slightly overexposing (e.g., +0.10 to +0.30) can add a touch of airiness, but be careful not to blow out highlights.
* Contrast: Reduce significantly. This is key for the soft look. Try starting with -20 to -40. Adjust to your preference
* Highlights: Lower the highlights to soften them. Start with -20 to -40. Observe how it affects skin and bright areas.
* Shadows: Increase slightly to lift the shadows and reduce contrast further. Try +10 to +30.
* Whites: Adjust based on your preference. You can either bring down to make the image look softer or make it brighter. Start with -10 to +10.
* Blacks: Decrease slightly or leave as is. You can either bring down to make the image look softer or make it a more dynamic. Start with -10 to +10.
* Clarity: Reduce significantly. This is *very* important for softening details. Try -20 to -50. Be careful not to make the image look too blurry.
* Vibrance: Increase subtly to enhance colors without oversaturation. Try +5 to +15.
* Saturation: Slightly reduce saturation if the colors are too intense after adjusting Vibrance. -5 to +5 can work.
2. Tone Curve Panel:
* Point Curve (Medium Contrast): The most common approach is to use a subtle "S" curve.
* Drag down the highlights slightly to reduce the brightness.
* Drag up the shadows slightly to lift them.
The goal is a very *gentle* curve that slightly reduces contrast. Don't overdo it.
3. HSL / Color Panel:
* Luminance: Adjust the Luminance of the following colors to enhance skin:
* Orange: Increase slightly to brighten skin. (+5 to +15)
* Red: Increase slightly to brighten skin. (+5 to +15)
* Yellow: Increase slightly to brighten skin. (+5 to +15)
* Saturation: Adjust the Saturation of the following colors to enhance skin:
* Orange: Decrease slightly to prevent oversaturated skin tones. (-5 to -10)
* Red: Decrease slightly to prevent oversaturated skin tones. (-5 to -10)
* Hue:
* Slight adjustments to the Hue of Orange and Yellow may subtly improve skin tones. Experiment carefully; small changes are key.
4. Detail Panel:
* Sharpening: Reduce the sharpening Amount, Radius, and Detail.
* Amount: Start with 0-20. You might even turn sharpening off entirely for a very soft look.
* Radius: Keep it low (0.5 - 1.0).
* Detail: Reduce it to further soften the image.
* Noise Reduction (Luminance): Increase this *very* slightly if needed. Too much will make the image look artificial. Start with a value of 5-15. If your image has noticeable noise, you may need a higher value.
5. Effects Panel:
* Post-Crop Vignetting: Adding a *slight* and *very subtle* vignette can help draw attention to the subject. Use the "Highlight Priority" or "Color Priority" style, and keep the Amount very low (e.g., -5 to -15).
III. Creating the Preset
1. Reset: After adjusting all the settings above to your liking on a sample portrait, reset any other panels in Lightroom that you haven't touched. This is crucial. You only want the adjustments you made for the soft portrait look to be included in the preset.
2. Create Preset:
* Click the "+" (plus) icon at the top of the Presets panel (on the left).
* Name your preset (e.g., "Soft Portrait L4").
* Crucially: In the "Check All" section, uncheck everything. Then, manually check the settings you adjusted. You'll want to check:
* Basic Tone
* Tone Curve
* HSL / Color
* Detail
* Effects
* Process Version (this is important to ensure compatibility)
* Click "Create."
IV. Using and Refining Your Preset
1. Apply: Apply your preset to other portrait images.
2. Fine-Tune: Remember that presets are just starting points. Each image is different!
* Adjust the Exposure to match the image's original brightness.
* Refine the Temperature and Tint for the specific skin tones.
* Tweak Sharpening and Noise Reduction as needed.
3. Experiment: Don't be afraid to make additional adjustments to the image after applying the preset to get the best result.
Key Considerations:
* Image Quality: The quality of the original image matters. A well-lit, sharp photo will respond better to this kind of editing.
* Skin Tone: Adjust the Temperature, Tint, and HSL settings (especially Luminance of Orange and Red) to flatter the subject's specific skin tone.
* Subtlety: The key to a good soft portrait is *subtlety*. Avoid extreme adjustments that will make the image look artificial or over-processed.
* Process Version: Be aware of the Process Version you're using in Lightroom 4. The "Process Version" setting in the Camera Calibration panel affects how Lightroom interprets RAW files. Selecting the current Process Version is generally best. Older process versions will interpret RAW files differently.
By following these steps and paying attention to the specific needs of each image, you can create a versatile "Soft Portrait" preset in Lightroom 4 that will help you achieve beautiful and flattering results. Remember to experiment and refine your preset over time to make it your own. Good luck!