1. Starting Point: An Image You Want to Soften
* Choose a portrait photo in Lightroom that you want to apply the softening effect to. Ideally, the image should be well-exposed and reasonably sharp to start.
2. Basic Panel Adjustments:
* Exposure: Adjust this to the overall brightness of the image. Aim for a properly exposed face. Slightly overexposing can contribute to the soft look, but be careful not to blow out highlights. I recommend going up +0.10 to +0.30 as a starting point.
* Contrast: Reduce this significantly. Lowering contrast softens the tones and reduces harsh edges. Try somewhere between -20 and -40.
* Highlights: Reduce highlights to recover detail and prevent harshness in the brighter areas of the face. Start around -30 to -60.
* Shadows: Increase shadows to lift the darker areas of the image, further softening the contrast and revealing detail in the shadows. Try +20 to +40.
* Whites: Increase this slightly to brighten the image. This complements the shadow lift. Start around +10 to +20, but adjust to taste.
* Blacks: Slightly lower the blacks to add a bit of depth and prevent the image from looking too washed out. Start around -5 to -15.
3. Tone Curve Adjustments:
* This is where you'll really fine-tune the overall tone and add a subtle "S-curve" for a softer look.
* Channel: Select the "Point Curve" instead of the "Parametric Curve."
* Curve: Create a very gentle S-curve.
* Click on the diagonal line to add anchor points. You'll likely want 3-4 points.
* Bottom-Left: Slightly lift the bottom-left point. This lightens the darkest shadows, making them less harsh. A very small adjustment is best here.
* Middle: Adjust the middle point slightly upward to increase the overall brightness of the midtones.
* Top-Right: Slightly pull down the top-right point. This prevents the highlights from becoming too bright.
* Alternative Tone Curve: Lifting the Blacks (Matte Look)
* Instead of an S-curve, you can create a matte look by lifting the bottom-left point of the tone curve *significantly*. This raises the black point and desaturates the shadows. This is a more stylized look.
4. Detail Panel Adjustments:
* Sharpening: Reduce sharpening or turn it off completely. Sharpening can be detrimental to a soft portrait. Set Amount to 0 (or even lower if you're comfortable). You can also reduce the Radius to 0.5 or lower.
* Noise Reduction: Increase Luminance Noise Reduction to smooth out skin and reduce grain. Start around 20-30 and adjust until you achieve a smooth skin texture. Be careful not to overdo it, as too much noise reduction can make the skin look plastic.
* Color Noise Reduction: Slightly increase color noise reduction (10-20) to clean up any color artifacts in the shadows.
5. HSL/Color Panel Adjustments:
* This is where you can target specific colors in the image to enhance skin tones or add a subtle color grade.
* Hue: Adjust the Hue sliders for Oranges and Reds to fine-tune skin tones. Slightly shifting these colors can make skin look warmer or cooler. Small adjustments are key. Generally, nudge Orange towards Red slightly for a warmer look, or towards Yellow for a cooler look.
* Saturation: Reduce the Saturation of highly saturated colors (like Reds, Oranges, and Yellows) if they are distracting. A slight reduction can help create a more balanced and natural look.
* Luminance: Increase the Luminance of Oranges and Reds to brighten skin tones and add a subtle glow.
6. Split Toning (Optional):
* This allows you to add a subtle color tint to the highlights and shadows.
* Highlights: Add a very subtle warm tone (e.g., orange or yellow) to the highlights to enhance the warmth of the image. Use a very low Saturation (e.g., 5-10).
* Shadows: Add a very subtle cool tone (e.g., blue or teal) to the shadows to create contrast. Use a very low Saturation (e.g., 5-10).
* Balance: Adjust the balance slider to favor either highlights or shadows.
7. Effects Panel Adjustments:
* Vignetting: Adding a slight negative vignette can help draw attention to the subject's face. Be very subtle (e.g., Amount around -5 to -15). Adjust the midpoint and roundness to suit your image.
* Grain: Adding a very small amount of grain (e.g., Amount around 5-10) can help add a film-like texture and break up the smoothness of digital images.
8. Lens Corrections:
* In the Lens Corrections panel, enable "Remove Chromatic Aberration" and "Enable Profile Corrections." This will correct lens distortions and chromatic aberrations, resulting in a cleaner image.
9. Save as a Preset:
* Once you're happy with the adjustments, go to the Presets panel (usually on the left side of the screen).
* Click the "+" icon to create a new preset.
* Name the preset something descriptive like "Soft Portrait."
* In the "New Develop Preset" dialog box, choose which settings you want to include in the preset. It's generally best to include all the settings you adjusted. You might want to *exclude* settings like Exposure, White Balance, and Lens Corrections if you want the preset to be more versatile across different images.
* Click "Create."
Key Considerations & Tips:
* Subtlety is Key: The goal is to enhance the image, not drastically change it. Make small, incremental adjustments.
* Image-Specific Adjustments: No preset works perfectly on every image. You'll likely need to tweak the settings (especially exposure and white balance) after applying the preset to a new photo.
* Skin Tones: Pay close attention to skin tones. Use the HSL/Color panel to adjust them if needed.
* Experimentation: Don't be afraid to experiment with different settings and values to find what works best for your style and the types of portraits you take.
* Backup: Always back up your presets!
Example Preset Values (Starting Point):
These are just examples; adjust them to suit your images.
* Basic:
* Exposure: +0.20
* Contrast: -30
* Highlights: -50
* Shadows: +30
* Whites: +15
* Blacks: -10
* Tone Curve: Gentle S-curve (see description above)
* Detail:
* Sharpening Amount: 0
* Noise Reduction Luminance: 25
* HSL/Color: (Minor adjustments to Orange and Red Hue/Saturation/Luminance)
* Split Toning: Highlights: Hue 30, Saturation 8; Shadows: Hue 220, Saturation 8; Balance 0
* Effects: Vignetting: Amount -10, Midpoint 50, Roundness 0; Grain Amount 8
* Lens Corrections: Enabled
By following these steps and experimenting, you can create a beautiful and effective "Soft Portrait" preset that will enhance your portrait photography in Lightroom 4. Remember to practice and refine the preset over time to achieve the perfect look for your style.