Understanding the Goal: What is a "Soft Portrait?"
Before diving into the adjustments, let's define what we mean by "soft portrait." It usually encompasses:
* Reduced harshness: Minimizing deep shadows and blown-out highlights.
* Even skin tones: Creating a smooth and flattering complexion.
* Subtle details: Preserving some detail while softening overall texture.
* Warm and inviting feel: Often involves warmer tones to enhance the subject's appearance.
* Slightly ethereal quality: A dreamier look, often achieved with subtle diffusion.
Lightroom 4 Adjustments:
Here's a suggested workflow to create your "Soft Portrait" preset, broken down by Lightroom 4 panel:
1. Basic Panel:
* Exposure: Adjust to the correct overall brightness. Don't overexpose. This depends on the specific image.
* Contrast: Reduce it! A lower contrast setting will soften the image and reduce the harshness of shadows and highlights. Try a value between -15 and -30 as a starting point.
* Highlights: Pull these down to recover detail in bright areas, like skin or clothing. Try a value between -20 and -50.
* Shadows: Lift the shadows to reveal more detail in darker areas and even out the overall lighting. Try a value between +20 and +50.
* Whites: Adjust Whites carefully to set the brightest point in the image without clipping (blowing out). A slight reduction can soften the image.
* Blacks: Adjust Blacks carefully to set the darkest point in the image. A slight increase can help lift the shadows further and contribute to the softness.
* Clarity: *Very Important!* Reduce Clarity significantly. This is key to the soft effect. Start with a value between -20 and -40, and adjust from there. Negative Clarity softens textures and reduces sharpness.
* Vibrance: Increase Vibrance slightly. This boosts the saturation of muted colors, making the skin look healthier. Try a value between +5 and +15. Be careful not to overdo it; you don't want unnatural skin tones.
* Saturation: Leave this alone initially. Adjust only if you need to correct an overall color cast or if vibrance has pushed the saturation too far.
2. Tone Curve Panel:
* Point Curve: A subtle "S" curve or a slight flattening of the curve can enhance the soft look.
* Gentle "S" Curve: Slightly lift the shadows and slightly lower the highlights in the curve. This reduces contrast in a more controlled way than the Contrast slider.
* Flattened Curve: Pull the top of the curve down slightly and the bottom of the curve up slightly. This also reduces contrast and can create a more dreamy effect. Experiment to find what you like.
3. HSL/Color Panel:
* Luminance:
* Orange: Increase the Luminance of Orange slightly to brighten skin tones. +5 to +15 is a good starting point.
* Yellow: Increase slightly to brighten the yellows. +5 to +15
* Saturation:
* Orange: Slightly decrease the Saturation of Orange to prevent over-saturated skin tones. -5 to -10 might be enough.
* Hue: Only adjust these if you need to correct specific color casts in the image.
4. Detail Panel:
* Sharpening:
* Amount: Reduce the Sharpening Amount significantly. This is another key factor in creating a soft look. Start with a value between 0 and 25.
* Radius: Keep the Radius low (around 0.5-0.7).
* Detail: Reduce Detail, especially on high ISO images.
* Masking: Increase Masking (hold down Alt/Option while dragging the slider) to only sharpen the edges and prevent over-sharpening of skin.
* Noise Reduction:
* Luminance: Increase Luminance Noise Reduction slightly, especially if you're shooting at a higher ISO. Start with a value between 5 and 15. Be careful not to overdo it, as too much noise reduction can make the image look plastic.
* Color: Increase Color Noise Reduction to remove color blotches. A small value, around 10-20, is usually sufficient.
5. Effects Panel:
* Post-Crop Vignetting: A subtle vignette can draw attention to the subject. Experiment with Amount and Midpoint. A light, white vignette can also enhance the ethereal feel.
* Grain: Adding a very subtle amount of grain (Amount: 1-5, Size: small) can give the image a more film-like look, but this is optional.
Saving the Preset:
1. Once you've made these adjustments to a test image, go to the Presets Panel (usually on the left side of the screen).
2. Click the "+" button at the top of the panel to create a new preset.
3. Give your preset a descriptive name (e.g., "Soft Portrait").
4. Crucially, check only the boxes for the settings you actually adjusted. This is important because you don't want the preset to override settings that are specific to each image (like exposure). In general, leave white balance and profile options unchecked unless you want to specifically apply them across all images.
5. Click Create.
Tips and Considerations:
* Start with a well-exposed image: The better the original image, the better the results you'll get with the preset.
* Adjust the preset for each image: No preset is perfect for every photo. You'll likely need to tweak the exposure, white balance, and other settings on a per-image basis. Consider using the preset as a *starting point* rather than a one-click solution.
* Focus on skin tones: Pay close attention to the skin tones and adjust the HSL/Color settings as needed. Use the color picker to target specific color ranges.
* Experiment: Don't be afraid to play with the sliders and see how they affect the image. The best way to learn is to experiment!
* Use reference images: Look at examples of soft portraits online to get inspiration and a better understanding of the look you're trying to achieve.
* Consider using a Graduated Filter: A graduated filter to slightly darken the background, or to soften light in the foreground can enhance your portraiture.
By following these steps and experimenting with the settings, you can create a beautiful "soft portrait" preset that will help you achieve a flattering and ethereal look in your Lightroom 4 workflow. Good luck! Remember that subtle adjustments often yield the best results.