Understanding the Goal:
A soft portrait typically aims for:
* Reduced Sharpness: Creates a gentle, less harsh look.
* Increased Exposure/Brightness: Lifts the image and adds an airy feel.
* Subtle Tone Adjustments: Often warm or slightly desaturated to flatter skin tones.
* Gentle Contrast Reduction: Minimizes harsh shadows and highlights.
Let's build the preset. Start with a well-exposed, generally balanced portrait image. It's easier to dial in the right settings when you're working from a solid base.
Step-by-Step Settings in Lightroom 4 (Develop Module):
1. Basic Panel:
* Exposure: Increase slightly. Start with +0.15 to +0.30. Adjust based on your image. The goal is to brighten the overall image without blowing out highlights.
* Contrast: Decrease. Start with -15 to -30. This softens the shadows and highlights.
* Highlights: Decrease. Start with -10 to -25. This helps recover detail in bright areas like the forehead or cheeks.
* Shadows: Increase. Start with +10 to +25. This opens up the darker areas, adding more even lighting.
* Whites: Increase *slightly* if needed. Go very carefully. Start with +5 to +10. Avoid clipping.
* Blacks: Decrease *slightly* if needed. Start with -5 to -10. This can help add some depth without becoming harsh.
* Clarity: *Decrease* this significantly! This is KEY to the soft look. Start with -20 to -40. A lower Clarity value softens details and gives a dreamy effect.
* Vibrance: Increase *slightly*. Start with +5 to +15. This enhances the more muted colors without making skin tones look unnatural.
* Saturation: Adjust only if needed. If the colors are too intense after adjusting Vibrance, reduce Saturation *slightly* (e.g., -5 to -10).
2. Tone Curve Panel:
* This is optional, but it can fine-tune your tones. A subtle "S" curve is a popular choice:
* Point Curve: Select the Point Curve tab.
* Adjust the Curve: Click on the line to add a point near the shadows (lower-left portion) and another point near the highlights (upper-right portion). Gently pull the shadow point down a little (to darken shadows) and the highlight point up a little (to brighten highlights). Keep it subtle. The goal is a very gentle S curve.
3. HSL / Color Panel:
* Luminance:
* Adjust the Luminance of skin tones (Orange and Red). Increase them *slightly* to brighten the skin. Start with +5 to +15.
* Saturation:
* Reduce the Saturation of strong colors that might be distracting (like Reds if there's a bright red lipstick). Don't overdo it.
* Hue:
* Fine-tune skin tones by shifting the Hue of Orange and Red *slightly*. Experiment to see what looks best. Small adjustments are key.
4. Split Toning Panel (Optional):
* You can add a very subtle warm or cool tone to the highlights and/or shadows for a stylized effect.
* Highlights: Choose a warm color (e.g., yellow or orange) and set the Saturation very low (e.g., 5-10).
* Shadows: Choose a cool color (e.g., blue) and set the Saturation very low (e.g., 5-10). Use sparingly.
5. Detail Panel:
* Sharpening: This is important for softening the image:
* Amount: Lower the Sharpening *significantly*. Start by setting the Amount to somewhere between 0 and 30 (instead of the default 40-60).
* Radius: Leave this at 1.0 (the default is fine).
* Detail: Adjust this based on your image. A lower value will further soften the image, but may also reduce the visibility of fine details.
* Masking: Increase this to prevent sharpening from being applied to smoother areas like skin. Experiment with values between 50 and 80. Hold the Alt/Option key while adjusting the Masking slider to see which areas are being sharpened.
* Noise Reduction:
* Luminance: Increase Luminance Noise Reduction *slightly* (e.g., 5-15). This helps smooth skin and reduce grain. Be careful not to overdo it, as it can make the image look artificial.
6. Lens Corrections Panel (Optional):
* Enable Profile Corrections: Check this box to correct lens distortion and vignetting, if applicable.
* Remove Chromatic Aberration: Check this box to remove color fringing.
7. Effects Panel (Optional):
* Vignetting: You can add a subtle vignette (either positive or negative) to draw the eye to the subject. Experiment to see what you prefer.
* Grain: Some photographers like to add a *tiny* amount of grain to give the image a film-like look. If you choose to do this, keep the Amount very low (e.g., 5-10) and adjust the Size and Roughness to your liking.
Saving Your Preset:
1. In the left panel of the Develop module, click the "+" button next to "Presets."
2. Give your preset a descriptive name, like "Soft Portrait - My Style" or "Soft Portrait - Warm."
3. In the "Create Preset" dialog box, very carefully choose which settings to include in the preset.
* Crucially, uncheck "White Balance" and "Lens Corrections." These are often specific to each image and lens. Including them in the preset can lead to inconsistent results. Lens Corrections, especially, can cause issues with other lenses if included.
* Make sure all the other settings you adjusted (Exposure, Contrast, Clarity, etc.) are checked.
4. Click "Create."
Important Considerations and Tips:
* Experimentation is Key: These settings are a starting point. The best settings will vary depending on the lighting, subject, and your personal taste.
* Subtlety is Important: Avoid extreme settings. A good soft portrait should look natural, not overly processed.
* Test Your Preset: Apply your preset to a variety of different portraits to see how it works. You'll likely need to make adjustments to the preset over time as you refine your style.
* Use Graduated Filters and Adjustment Brushes: For even more control, use the Graduated Filter and Adjustment Brush tools to selectively apply adjustments to specific areas of the image, such as brightening the eyes or smoothing skin.
* Skin Tone Accuracy: Pay close attention to skin tones. Use the color calibration panel or HSL panel to refine them if they look unnatural.
* Presets are Starting Points: Don't be afraid to further adjust individual images after applying the preset.
By following these steps, you can create a beautiful "Soft Portrait" preset in Lightroom 4 that will help you achieve a flattering, dreamy look in your portrait photography. Remember to experiment and refine your preset to suit your own style and the specific characteristics of your images. Good luck!