Creating a "Soft Portrait" Preset in Lightroom 4
Here's a breakdown of how to create a soft portrait preset in Lightroom 4, aiming for a classic, ethereal look. Remember, these are just starting points - you'll likely need to tweak the preset based on the individual image you're editing.
Understanding the Goal:
A soft portrait usually involves:
* Lowered Contrast: Creates a flatter, less harsh look.
* Gentle Highlights: Avoids blown-out areas and harsh light.
* Slightly Lifted Shadows: Opens up the darker areas for detail.
* Smoother Skin: Reduced texture and blemishes.
* Warm Tones (optional): Can enhance the feeling of comfort and intimacy.
* Subtle Color Palette: Avoiding overly saturated or aggressive colors.
Steps in Lightroom 4:
1. Choose a Starting Image: Select a portrait that's well-exposed but might lack that "soft" feel.
2. Basic Panel Adjustments:
* Exposure: Adjust to the correct level for the image. Start with 0 and make small adjustments up or down.
* Contrast: Lower significantly. Try around -30 to -50 to begin with. This is key to the soft effect.
* Highlights: Reduce. A value of -20 to -40 can help tame harsh highlights.
* Shadows: Increase slightly. +10 to +30 can open up shadows and reveal more detail.
* Whites: Adjust with caution. Slightly reduce (-5 to -15) if necessary to prevent clipping in the highlights.
* Blacks: Adjust with caution. Slightly increase (+5 to +15) if necessary to add depth without creating harshness.
* Clarity: This is crucial - reduce it significantly! Start with -20 to -40. This softens the overall texture and creates a dreamy effect.
* Vibrance: Increase subtly. +5 to +15 can add a touch of color without oversaturating.
* Saturation: Leave as is or decrease slightly. If colors are too strong, try -5 to -10.
3. Tone Curve Adjustments (Optional):
* Go to the Tone Curve panel (the "Curves" icon).
* Subtle S-Curve: Create a very subtle S-curve by pulling the bottom-left point up slightly and the top-right point down slightly. This adds a touch of contrast back but in a controlled way. Don't overdo it!
* Channel Curves (RGB, Red, Green, Blue): You can use the individual channel curves to adjust specific color tones. For example, slightly lifting the blue channel shadows can create a cooler, ethereal effect.
4. HSL / Color Panel Adjustments:
* Hue: Make subtle adjustments to skin tones. For example, moving the Orange slider slightly towards Red can warm up skin. Be careful not to create unnatural hues.
* Saturation: Reduce the saturation of colors that compete with the subject. For example, you might reduce the saturation of blues and greens in the background.
* Luminance: Adjust the brightness of individual colors. Increasing the luminance of Orange can brighten skin tones, while decreasing the luminance of blues can deepen the sky.
5. Detail Panel Adjustments:
* Sharpening: Reduce sharpening. Start by bringing the sharpening slider down to around 20-30 and make further adjustments based on your image.
* Radius: A smaller radius will apply sharpening to finer details, which can be helpful if you're still using some sharpening. Start with 0.5-1.0.
* Detail: Adjust to taste, but generally, keep it low to maintain the soft effect.
* Masking: Hold Alt/Option while adjusting the Masking slider. This allows you to sharpen only the areas that need it, avoiding over-sharpening skin. Aim to sharpen the eyes and other key features.
* Noise Reduction: Increase Luminance Noise Reduction. Start with 10-20. This will smooth out the image and further contribute to the soft effect. Don't overdo it, as it can make the image look artificial.
* Color Noise Reduction: Leave this at its default unless you see obvious color noise.
6. Effects Panel Adjustments (Optional):
* Post Crop Vignetting: A subtle vignette (either darkening or lightening) can draw attention to the subject. Experiment with Amount, Midpoint, and Roundness.
* Grain: Adding a very small amount of grain (around 5-10) can give the image a subtle film-like texture. It can also hide minor imperfections.
7. Calibration Panel Adjustments (Optional):
* This is more advanced, but you can use the Calibration panel to adjust the overall color tone of the image. Experiment with the Red, Green, and Blue Primary sliders to find a look you like. A subtle shift in the Blue Primary Hue towards a warmer tone can often enhance the "soft" feel.
8. Create the Preset:
* Once you're happy with the adjustments, click the "+" icon in the Presets panel on the left.
* Give your preset a descriptive name like "Soft Portrait - Version 1" (you may create variations later).
* Crucially, choose which settings to include in the preset. In the "Check" panel, click "Check None".
* Select the settings you want to save: At a minimum, select:
* Basic Tone (Exposure, Contrast, Highlights, Shadows, Whites, Blacks, Clarity, Vibrance, Saturation)
* Tone Curve
* HSL / Color
* Detail (Sharpening, Noise Reduction)
* Effects (Vignetting, Grain)
* Camera Calibration (if you made changes)
* Do NOT include: White Balance, Transform, Spot Removal, or other settings that are specific to individual images.
* Click "Create".
Important Considerations:
* Every image is different: This preset is a starting point. You'll almost certainly need to tweak it for each individual portrait. Pay close attention to exposure, white balance, and skin tones.
* Skin Tones: Pay special attention to skin tones. Zoom in to 100% and make sure they look natural.
* Subtlety is Key: Avoid extreme adjustments. The goal is a soft, natural look, not an artificial one.
* Experiment and Iterate: Don't be afraid to experiment with different settings and create multiple versions of your soft portrait preset.
* Before and After: Use the "\" key (backslash) to quickly toggle between the original and edited versions to see the impact of your changes.
Example Settings (Starting Point - Adjust as needed!):
* Exposure: 0 (adjust as needed)
* Contrast: -40
* Highlights: -30
* Shadows: +20
* Whites: -10
* Blacks: +10
* Clarity: -30
* Vibrance: +10
* Saturation: -5
* Sharpening: 25
* Radius: 0.7
* Detail: 25
* Masking: 60 (adjust to taste)
* Luminance Noise Reduction: 15
By following these steps and experimenting, you can create a "soft portrait" preset in Lightroom 4 that gives your images a beautiful, ethereal look. Remember to save your work often! Good luck!