1. Import and Select Your Base Image:
* Import a portrait photo into Lightroom 4.
* Choose an image that is well-exposed and has good composition. This will give you a better starting point for your preset.
2. Basic Panel Adjustments:
* Exposure: Adjust slightly to achieve a comfortable brightness level. Aim for a well-exposed face, but don't overexpose highlights. Generally, a slight increase is beneficial.
* Contrast: Reduce the contrast. This softens the overall feel. Start with a value around -15 to -30 and adjust from there.
* Highlights: Lower the highlights. This helps recover detail in bright areas like the forehead and cheeks. Start with -30 to -50.
* Shadows: Increase the shadows. This lifts the shadows, making the image look less harsh and bringing out detail in darker areas. Start with +20 to +40.
* Whites: Adjust slightly to taste. Often, a small decrease (-5 to -10) is helpful to further soften the image.
* Blacks: Adjust slightly to taste. Lifting the blacks (+5 to +15) can contribute to a softer, less contrasty look.
3. Tone Curve Adjustments (Subtle S-Curve):
* Go to the Tone Curve panel. Use the Point Curve.
* Create a subtle S-curve. Click to add two points:
* One point in the lower-left quarter, pull it slightly *up* (lifting shadows).
* One point in the upper-right quarter, pull it slightly *down* (protecting highlights).
* The goal is a *very* gentle S-curve. Avoid creating a harsh curve, as this will increase contrast, the opposite of what we want.
4. Detail Panel Adjustments (Crucial for Softening):
* Sharpening:
* Amount: Reduce this drastically. A good starting point is 0 to 20. The goal is to soften, not sharpen. If you see halos developing around edges, you've sharpened too much.
* Radius: Leave this at 1.0 (the default)
* Detail: Reduce this slightly (maybe -10 to -20) to further reduce sharpness.
* Masking: Increase masking. This helps protect skin texture from being sharpened. Start with around 60-80. Hold the Alt/Option key while adjusting the masking slider to see which areas are being sharpened (white) and which are being masked (black).
* Noise Reduction:
* Luminance: Increase this moderately. This is where you'll really smooth the skin. Start around 15-25 and increase until the skin looks soft, but avoid making it look plastic or overly smooth.
* Color: Increase slightly (around 10-15) to reduce color noise, which can also contribute to a harsh look.
* Detail & Contrast: Experiment with these, but generally keeping them low is best for a soft look.
5. HSL / Color Panel Adjustments (Optional, but can enhance the look):
* Hue: Subtle adjustments can enhance skin tones. Slightly shifting the orange hues toward red can warm up skin. Be very subtle.
* Saturation: Reduce saturation slightly, especially for orange and yellow hues. This can desaturate any redness in the skin. A -5 to -10 adjustment is usually sufficient.
* Luminance: Increase the luminance of orange and yellow. This brightens the skin. +5 to +15 is a good starting point.
6. Split Toning (Optional for a Specific Mood):
* You can add a subtle split toning effect to enhance the mood of the portrait.
* Highlights: Consider a very subtle warm tone (e.g., Hue: 40, Saturation: 5-10).
* Shadows: Consider a subtle cool tone (e.g., Hue: 220, Saturation: 5-10).
* Balance: Adjust the balance to favor highlights or shadows as needed.
7. Camera Calibration (Optional, can refine colors):
* Experiment with the camera calibration settings. Different profiles (e.g., Camera Portrait) can provide different starting points for skin tones. Adjust the Red, Green, and Blue primary sliders to further refine the colors. Be subtle.
8. Effects Panel (Add a subtle vignette, optional):
* Vignetting: A subtle negative vignette can help focus attention on the subject. Choose "Highlight Priority" as the Style. Start with an Amount around -5 to -15. Adjust the Midpoint and Roundness to control the shape of the vignette.
9. Save the Preset:
* Once you're happy with the adjustments, click the "+" button next to the "Presets" panel.
* Give your preset a descriptive name (e.g., "Soft Portrait - Creamy").
* Important: In the "Create Preset" window, carefully check which settings you want to include in the preset. It's generally a good idea to *exclude* Transform, Spot Removal, and Local Adjustment settings, as these are specific to each image. Make sure all the relevant settings you adjusted (Basic, Tone Curve, Detail, HSL/Color, Split Toning, Camera Calibration, Effects) are *checked*.
* Click "Create."
Tips and Considerations:
* Subtlety is Key: The best soft portrait presets are subtle. Avoid overdoing any one setting.
* Skin Tone is Paramount: Pay close attention to skin tones. Use the HSL/Color panel and Camera Calibration to refine them.
* Test on Multiple Images: Apply your preset to a variety of portraits with different lighting and skin tones to see how it performs. You may need to make minor adjustments to the preset or individual images based on the specific photo.
* Brush Adjustments: Consider using the Adjustment Brush for localized adjustments. For example, you can use the brush to soften skin further, dodge and burn specific areas, or brighten the eyes.
* Workflow: Develop a consistent workflow. Start with your base image, apply the preset, and then make minor adjustments as needed.
* Experiment: Don't be afraid to experiment with different settings to find what works best for you and your style.
Example Setting Values (As a Starting Point):
* Basic:
* Exposure: +0.25
* Contrast: -25
* Highlights: -40
* Shadows: +30
* Whites: -10
* Blacks: +10
* Detail:
* Sharpening Amount: 15
* Sharpening Radius: 1.0
* Sharpening Detail: -15
* Sharpening Masking: 70
* Luminance Noise Reduction: 20
* Color Noise Reduction: 12
* HSL/Color:
* Orange Saturation: -8
* Orange Luminance: +10
Remember that these values are just a starting point. The ideal settings will depend on the specific image. Good luck!