1. Start with a Suitable Portrait:
* Choose a portrait with good lighting and a decent amount of detail. A raw file is always preferred as it gives you more editing latitude.
2. Basic Adjustments (These form the foundation of your preset):
* Exposure: Adjust to get a well-balanced exposure. Don't over-expose or under-expose too much, as we will fine tune later.
* Contrast: Lower the contrast significantly. A lower contrast reduces harsh lines and creates a smoother look. Try values between -20 and -50.
* Highlights: Lower the highlights to recover detail in bright areas like the forehead or cheeks. Try values between -10 and -30.
* Shadows: Raise the shadows to lighten the darker areas of the image and reveal more detail. Try values between +10 and +30.
* Whites: Adjust to add a touch of brightness. Be careful not to clip the whites.
* Blacks: Adjust to set the darkest point in the image. Don't let it get too muddy.
* Clarity: Significantly reduce clarity. This is a key ingredient for the soft look. Try values between -20 and -50. Going too far can make the image blurry, so be mindful.
* Vibrance: Increase vibrance to bring out the colors. Try a subtle increase between +5 and +15.
* Saturation: Adjust saturation carefully. A slight increase might be beneficial, but over-saturation can look unnatural. A small decrease is often appropriate to counter the vibrance increase. Experiment!
3. Tone Curve (For more subtle tonal control):
* Point Curve:
* Slight S-curve (very subtle). This gently increases contrast in the mid-tones while keeping highlights and shadows flatter. Create a point near the bottom left, another near the top right, and gently pull the center of the curve up and to the left. Be very subtle! Too much of an S-curve will re-introduce harshness.
* Alternatively, try a subtle "flatter" curve. Create a point in the middle and drag it slightly down and to the right. This reduces overall contrast.
4. HSL/Color (To refine color tones):
* Luminance:
* Orange: Slightly increase the Luminance of orange to brighten skin tones. (+5 to +15)
* Yellow: Slightly increase or decrease the Luminance of yellow, depending on the lighting and skin tone.
* Saturation:
* Orange: Slightly reduce the Saturation of orange if the skin tone looks too vibrant. (-5 to -10)
* Red: Adjust the red saturation to control lip color.
* Hue:
* Experiment to subtly shift skin tones towards a warmer or cooler look. Small adjustments are key.
5. Detail (Sharpening and Noise Reduction):
* Sharpening: Reduce sharpening. A soft portrait generally benefits from less sharpness.
* Amount: Lower the amount to around 20-40.
* Radius: Keep the radius low (around 0.5-1.0).
* Detail: Lower the detail slider to reduce sharpening artifacts.
* Masking: Increase the Masking slider to protect smooth areas from sharpening (like skin). A value around 50-70 is a good starting point. Hold down the Alt/Option key while adjusting the Masking slider to see what areas are being masked. You want the skin to be mostly white.
* Noise Reduction: Apply subtle noise reduction.
* Luminance: Increase the Luminance noise reduction slightly to smooth out skin. A value between 5 and 15 is often sufficient. Go higher if the image has significant noise.
* Color: Apply a small amount of Color noise reduction (around 10-20) to clean up color artifacts.
6. Lens Corrections (Optional, but Recommended):
* Enable Profile Corrections: Check the "Enable Profile Corrections" box to correct for lens distortion and vignetting. Lightroom should automatically detect your lens.
7. Effects (Subtle Vignette and Grain):
* Vignetting (Optional): You can add a very subtle vignette (Amount around -5 to -10) for a classic portrait look. But be careful, overdoing it can look dated.
* Grain (Optional): A very subtle amount of grain (Amount around 5-10) can add a touch of film-like texture, but use with caution. Too much grain can be distracting.
8. Save the Preset:
* Click the "+" button in the Presets panel.
* Name your preset something descriptive like "Soft Portrait LR4".
* In the "Check All/Uncheck All" area, click "Check All".
* Carefully uncheck the following boxes that are *image-specific* and should *not* be included in the preset:
* Exposure
* White Balance (unless you want the preset to always apply a specific white balance, which is usually not desirable)
* Local Adjustments (Adjustment Brush, Graduated Filter, Radial Filter)
* Crop
* Spot Removal
* Click "Create".
Important Considerations:
* Experimentation is Key: These settings are a starting point. Adjust the sliders to suit each individual image. What works on one portrait might not work on another.
* Subtlety is Your Friend: Avoid overdoing any single adjustment. Small, incremental changes are usually best.
* Skin Tone: Pay close attention to skin tone. It should look natural and healthy.
* Color Casts: Watch for color casts. If the skin looks too green, red, or yellow, adjust the White Balance or HSL settings.
* Lightroom Version Differences: While this guide is tailored for Lightroom 4, the core concepts apply to other versions. You may need to adapt the slider values slightly.
* Local Adjustments: For specific areas, consider using the Adjustment Brush to target certain areas (e.g., softening the skin further, dodging and burning). These are *not* saved in the preset and should be applied individually to each image.
* Practice: The more you practice, the better you'll become at creating soft portrait presets and fine-tuning them for different images.
By following these steps and practicing, you can create a beautiful "Soft Portrait" preset in Lightroom 4 that will give your portraits a professional and flattering look. Remember to always adjust the settings to fit each individual image for the best results. Good luck!