1. Understanding the Elements of a Soft Portrait:
Before diving into the settings, let's understand what makes a portrait "soft":
* Softened Skin: Reducing harsh textures and blemishes.
* Enhanced Light: Gentle highlights and slightly boosted exposure.
* Reduced Contrast: Less separation between light and dark areas.
* Gentle Colors: Muted or subtly enhanced tones, avoiding harsh or overly vibrant colors.
* Subtle Blur (Optional): A slight softening effect to further enhance the dreamy feel.
2. Adjusting the Basic Panel:
* Exposure: Increase slightly (e.g., +0.20 to +0.50) to brighten the overall image. Adjust based on the starting exposure of your image. Don't overexpose!
* Contrast: Reduce contrast significantly (e.g., -20 to -40). This flattens the tonal range, creating a softer look.
* Highlights: Reduce slightly (e.g., -10 to -20). This helps to control bright areas and prevent them from becoming blown out.
* Shadows: Increase slightly (e.g., +10 to +20) to open up the darker areas and reveal more detail.
* Whites: Adjust based on the image; you may need to increase it slightly (+5 to +10) or decrease it if whites are already bright. Watch the histogram to avoid clipping.
* Blacks: Increase slightly (e.g., +5 to +10) to lift the blacks and contribute to the overall soft feel.
3. Adjusting the Tone Curve Panel:
* Medium Contrast: Choose the "Medium Contrast" point curve preset as a starting point, then customize.
* Gentle S-Curve: Create a very subtle S-curve. Bring the bottom point of the curve *up* slightly to lift the blacks. Bring the top point of the curve *down* slightly to soften the highlights. The key is subtlety!
4. Adjusting the HSL / Color Panel:
This is where you'll fine-tune the colors to create a flattering and soft aesthetic.
* Hue:
* Slightly shift the orange hue towards yellow (+3 to +5). This can give skin a warmer tone.
* Adjust other hues as needed based on the image.
* Saturation:
* Reduce saturation of oranges slightly (e.g., -5 to -15). This helps to tone down skin tones and prevent them from looking overly orange.
* Reduce saturation of reds and yellows slightly, if needed, to maintain a balanced color palette.
* Increase saturation of blues slightly to make the eyes pop (e.g., +5 to +10), if applicable. Be careful not to overdo it.
* Luminance:
* Increase luminance of oranges (e.g., +5 to +15) to brighten skin tones.
* Adjust luminance of other colors as needed.
5. Adjusting the Detail Panel:
This is *crucial* for creating the soft skin effect.
* Sharpening: REDUCE Sharpening drastically. Start by setting the Amount to 0. Then, *very gently* increase the amount (e.g., 0-10). You want to avoid visible sharpening artifacts. The goal is softness, not sharpness.
* Radius: Keep the radius small (e.g., 0.5 - 0.7).
* Detail: Adjust to control the amount of fine detail being sharpened. Higher values bring out more detail (which is the opposite of what you want), so experiment with lower values.
* Masking: Increase masking (e.g., 60-80). This prevents sharpening from affecting the background and focuses it on areas with more detail (like eyes). Hold down the Alt/Option key while adjusting the Masking slider to see the masked areas as white.
* Noise Reduction:
* Luminance: Increase Luminance Noise Reduction (e.g., 15-30) to smooth out skin and reduce grain. This is the main factor in softening skin. Experiment to find the right balance; too much will make the skin look plastic.
* Color: Increase Color Noise Reduction (e.g., 10-20) to reduce color noise, which can be distracting.
* Detail: Increase Detail (e.g., 50-75) to help retain detail while applying noise reduction.
* Contrast: Increase Contrast (e.g., 0-20) to counteract the flattening effect of noise reduction.
6. Adjusting the Effects Panel (Optional):
* Vignetting: Consider adding a *very subtle* vignette to draw attention to the subject (Amount: -5 to -15). Use a negative amount for a dark vignette and a positive amount for a white vignette. Experiment.
* Grain: Adding a very subtle amount of grain (e.g., 5-10) can give a film-like texture to the image, which can complement the soft look.
7. Save the Preset:
* Go to the "Presets" panel on the left side of Lightroom.
* Click the "+" icon to create a new preset.
* Give your preset a descriptive name (e.g., "Soft Portrait," "Dreamy Portrait").
* Make sure to select all the settings you adjusted (Basic, Tone Curve, HSL/Color, Detail, Effects) in the "Check" panel. You can uncheck settings you *don't* want to include in the preset.
* Click "Create."
Important Considerations:
* Individual Images Vary: Every image is different, so you'll likely need to adjust the preset slightly for each photo. This is perfectly normal.
* Subtlety is Key: Avoid overdoing any of the adjustments. The goal is a soft and natural look, not a fake or overly processed one.
* Experiment: Play with the settings and find what works best for your style and the types of portraits you shoot.
* Practice: The more you use the preset, the better you'll understand how it affects different images.
* Monitor Calibration: Ensure your monitor is properly calibrated for accurate color and brightness representation. This is crucial for consistent results.
Troubleshooting Plastic Skin:
If the noise reduction is making the skin look plastic, try the following:
* Reduce Luminance Noise Reduction: Decrease the amount.
* Increase Detail: In the Detail Panel, increase the "Detail" slider under Luminance Noise Reduction. This helps retain more texture.
* Avoid High Contrast: A very flat image combined with high noise reduction can lead to a plastic look.
* Selective Masking: Use the adjustment brush with a *very small* amount of luminance noise reduction to selectively soften the skin, avoiding areas like eyes and hair.
* Lower the Contrast: Reducing the contrast overall helps.
By following these steps and experimenting with the settings, you can create a beautiful "Soft Portrait" preset in Lightroom 4 that will enhance your portrait photography. Good luck!