I. Understanding the Soft Portrait Look:
Before you start, understand what elements contribute to a "soft portrait":
* Reduced Clarity/Texture: This minimizes fine details and softens skin.
* Slightly Elevated Shadows: Lifts the shadows, making the image less contrasty and more gentle.
* Subtle Highlights: Controlled highlights prevent harshness.
* Warm Tones (Optional): Can add a comforting, flattering feel.
* Skin Toning: Smoothing and evening out skin tones is often key.
* Sharpness (Controlled): A slight reduction in sharpness, or controlled sharpening, is crucial.
* Vignetting (Optional): A subtle vignette can draw the viewer's eye to the subject.
II. Step-by-Step Guide to Creating the Preset:
1. Open Lightroom and Select a Portrait Photo:
* Choose a well-lit portrait that you want to use as your base for creating the preset. It's best to start with an image that's already fairly close to your desired look.
2. Basic Panel Adjustments:
* Exposure: Adjust as needed to achieve a proper exposure. Don't overexpose, as this can destroy detail. Typically, a slight increase (maybe +0.10 to +0.30) can help.
* Contrast: Reduce contrast. A good starting point is -20 to -40. This flattens the image and makes it softer.
* Highlights: Slightly reduce highlights (e.g., -10 to -20). This helps to prevent blown-out areas, especially on the skin.
* Shadows: Increase shadows (e.g., +15 to +30). This lifts the darker areas and reduces harshness. This is crucial for the "soft" look.
* Whites: Adjust whites slightly, usually reducing them a touch (e.g., -5 to -10).
* Blacks: Adjust blacks subtly. Lifting them a bit (e.g., +5 to +15) can contribute to the airy feel.
3. Tone Curve Adjustments (Optional but Recommended):
* Click on the Tone Curve panel.
* Subtle S-Curve: Create a very subtle S-curve by:
* Adding a small point in the midtones and pulling it up slightly.
* Adding a small point in the shadows and pulling it down slightly.
* The key is to keep it VERY subtle. Too much will increase contrast, which you don't want. The goal is just a gentle nudge.
* Linear Curve (Alternative): For a very soft look, you could try dragging the bottom left point of the curve slightly upwards. This lifts the blacks and creates a "matte" effect.
4. HSL/Color Adjustments (Optional but Important for Skin Tones):
* Click on the HSL/Color panel.
* Luminance: Increase the Luminance of the Orange and Yellow channels slightly (e.g., +5 to +15). This brightens skin tones. Be careful not to overdo it, as it can make the skin look artificial.
* Saturation: Slightly desaturate the Orange and Yellow channels (e.g., -5 to -10) to reduce redness and even out skin tones.
* Hue: Make small adjustments to the Hue of Orange and Yellow to fine-tune skin tone. Experiment to see what works best for you.
5. Details Panel:
* Sharpening: Reduce the sharpening amount (e.g., Amount to 0-25). This is very important for softening the skin.
* Radius: Keep the Radius fairly low (around 0.5-1.0).
* Detail: Reduce the Detail slider. This softens the image even further, but be careful not to lose too much detail.
* Masking: Increase the Masking slider to protect sharp edges (like eyes and hair) from being softened. Hold the Alt/Option key while dragging the Masking slider to visualize the masked areas (white areas are sharpened, black areas are not).
* Noise Reduction: If you have noticeable noise in the image (especially in shadows), increase the Luminance Noise Reduction slider to smooth it out. Be cautious, as too much can make the image look plastic.
6. Effects Panel:
* Clarity: *Reduce* the Clarity slider significantly. This is one of the most important settings for a soft portrait look. Try -20 to -50 as a starting point.
* Vignette: If desired, add a subtle vignette (e.g., Amount -5 to -15). Use a negative value to darken the edges and draw attention to the subject. Adjust the Midpoint and Roundness sliders to fine-tune the vignette.
7. Camera Calibration (Optional):
* Experiment with the Camera Calibration panel (at the bottom). You can subtly alter the red, green, and blue primary hues and saturations to achieve a particular color palette or mood. This is more advanced and depends on your preferences and the specific image.
8. Create the Preset:
* Once you're happy with the adjustments, click on the "+" icon in the Presets panel on the left-hand side.
* Give your preset a descriptive name (e.g., "Soft Portrait," "Dreamy Skin").
* In the "New Develop Preset" window, carefully choose which settings to include in the preset. *Uncheck* any settings that are very specific to the original image (e.g., Exposure, White Balance). You *want* to include settings like Contrast, Highlights, Shadows, Clarity, Sharpening, HSL adjustments, and Tone Curve.
* Click "Create."
III. Key Considerations and Tips:
* Start Subtle: It's always better to start with subtle adjustments and gradually increase them until you achieve the desired effect. Overdoing any single setting can lead to an unnatural look.
* Adjust to Taste: These settings are just a starting point. The best settings will depend on the specific image and your personal preferences. Experiment!
* White Balance: White balance can heavily influence the overall look. Adjust it before applying the preset. A slightly warmer white balance often flatters skin tones.
* Batch Processing: After applying the preset to a batch of images, you'll likely need to make slight adjustments to each image individually, especially regarding exposure and white balance.
* Practice: The more you practice creating and using presets, the better you'll become at understanding how different settings affect the final image.
* Skin Imperfections: This preset aims to *soften* the skin, not eliminate imperfections entirely. You may still need to use the spot removal tool for blemishes. Consider using the Adjustment Brush with a soft brush and reduced clarity and sharpness for targeted skin smoothing.
* Backup your Presets: Export your presets periodically to a safe location so you don't lose them.
Example Values (Remember these are starting points!):
* Basic:
* Exposure: +0.20
* Contrast: -30
* Highlights: -15
* Shadows: +25
* Whites: -5
* Blacks: +10
* Clarity: -35
* Sharpening:
* Amount: 20
* Radius: 0.8
* Detail: 20
* Masking: 60
* Luminance Noise Reduction: 10
By following these steps and experimenting with the settings, you can create a beautiful "soft portrait" preset in Lightroom 4 that will give your portraits a dreamy, flattering look. Remember to tailor the preset to your specific needs and aesthetic preferences. Good luck!