1. Import and Initial Assessment:
* Import your image into Lightroom 4. It's best to start with a RAW file if possible, as it gives you more latitude for adjustments.
* Assess the existing lighting and tones. Is the image already bright or dark? Does it have warm or cool undertones? This will guide your adjustments.
2. Basic Panel Adjustments:
* Exposure: Slightly increase exposure if needed. You want a bright but not blown-out image. (+0.10 to +0.50), adjust to taste.
* Contrast: Reduce contrast to flatten the tonal range and make the image softer. (-15 to -30).
* Highlights: Bring down the highlights to recover detail in bright areas like skin. (-20 to -40).
* Shadows: Lift the shadows to brighten the darker areas and create a more even tone. (+15 to +30).
* Whites: Adjust whites carefully. You want some bright areas but avoid clipping (overexposure). (+5 to +15).
* Blacks: Lower blacks slightly to maintain some depth in the image. (-5 to -10).
* Clarity: *Crucial!* Reduce clarity to soften skin and details. (-20 to -40). Be careful not to overdo it, as it can make the image look blurry.
* Vibrance: Increase vibrance to subtly boost the colors without making them look unnatural. (+5 to +15). Vibrance is preferable to saturation as it affects less saturated colors more, preventing overly intense skin tones.
* Saturation: Slightly decrease saturation if skin tones appear too vibrant after adjusting vibrance. (-5 to 0), Adjust only if needed.
3. Tone Curve Adjustments:
* S-Curve (Subtle): Create a gentle S-curve to add a touch of contrast back in without undoing the softening effect of the Clarity adjustment.
* Upper Point: Lift the highlights slightly (move the upper-right point up a very small amount).
* Lower Point: Lower the shadows slightly (move the lower-left point down a very small amount).
* Midtones: Slightly lift the midtones to brighten the overall image.
4. HSL / Color Adjustments:
* Luminance: This is key for skin tones.
* Orange: Increase the Luminance of orange to brighten skin. (+5 to +20). Adjust based on the subject's skin tone.
* Red: Increase the Luminance of red subtly, as it affects lip color. (+5 to +10).
* Yellow: May need slight adjustment depending on the image's colors. (+0 to +10)
* Saturation:
* Orange: Slightly decrease saturation of orange if the skin tones are too saturated. (-5 to 0), usually not needed.
* Hue:
* Minor adjustments to hue *might* be necessary depending on the specific image. For example, nudging orange slightly towards red can sometimes enhance skin tones. Be very subtle.
5. Detail Panel Adjustments:
* Sharpening:
* Amount: Reduce the sharpening amount significantly. Soft portraits aren't about crisp detail. Start low, (20-40).
* Radius: Keep the radius small (0.5 - 0.7).
* Detail: Lower the Detail slider (0 - 20).
* Masking: Use masking to apply sharpening only to areas that need it (like eyes and hair) by holding Alt/Option while adjusting. Increase masking to avoid sharpening smooth skin. (50-70).
* Noise Reduction:
* Luminance: Apply a small amount of luminance noise reduction to further smooth skin. (+5 to +15). Don't overdo it, or you'll lose too much detail.
* Color: A small amount of color noise reduction can help as well. (+5 to +10).
6. Lens Corrections:
* Profile Corrections: Under Lens Corrections, check "Enable Profile Corrections". This will remove distortion and vignetting caused by the lens, which can improve the overall look of your image.
* Manual Adjustment: If you don't find your lens profile listed, you may need to manually adjust distortion and vignetting.
7. Effects Panel Adjustments:
* Vignetting: Consider adding a subtle vignette to draw the eye towards the subject. A slight negative value will darken the edges. (-5 to -15).
8. Creating the Preset:
* Go to the Presets panel (usually on the left).
* Click the "+" icon (New Preset).
* Give your preset a descriptive name (e.g., "Soft Portrait," "Subtle Glow").
* Choose a group to save the preset in (or create a new one).
* IMPORTANT: Carefully select which settings to include in the preset. By default, all settings are selected. *Deselect* options like:
* White Balance: White Balance is highly image-dependent. It's best to adjust this on a case-by-case basis.
* Transform: (Unless you specifically made corrections to perspective.)
* Spot Removal: (Unless you want your preset to carry over specific spot removal edits, which is unlikely.)
* Click "Create."
Tips and Considerations:
* Subtlety is key: The best soft portrait presets are subtle. You should still be able to see the subject's skin texture.
* Skin tone is crucial: Monitor skin tones carefully throughout the process. Avoid making them look too orange, gray, or unnatural. Use the HSL panel to fine-tune them.
* Test on various images: After creating the preset, test it on a variety of different portraits with different lighting conditions and skin tones. You'll likely need to make some tweaks to the preset on a per-image basis.
* Experiment: These are starting points. Feel free to experiment with different settings and find what works best for your style and your camera.
* Local Adjustments: For even more control, consider using the Adjustment Brush or Graduated Filter to apply some of these adjustments selectively. For example, you could brush a little Clarity reduction onto the skin but avoid the eyes.
Summary of Key Adjustments for Soft Portraits:
* Reduce Clarity
* Lift Shadows
* Lower Highlights
* Increase Orange Luminance (HSL)
* Reduce Sharpening
* Add Luminance Noise Reduction
* Reduce Contrast
By following these steps and paying attention to the details, you can create a beautiful and effective "Soft Portrait" preset in Lightroom 4 that will enhance your portrait photography. Remember that presets are starting points, and you'll often need to make further adjustments to each image to achieve the best results. Good luck!