photo editing, tutorials
How to Fix Lightroom Presets that DON’T Work!
Have you ever downloaded a Lightroom preset, only to find that it doesn’t give you the desired results when you apply it to your photos? Don’t worry, you’re not alone! Many photographers face this frustrating issue. The good news is, there are ways to fix Lightroom presets that don’t work, and in this blog, we’ll explore some effective solutions. From understanding the compatibility issues to troubleshooting common problems, we’ll guide you through the steps to ensure your presets not only work but also enhance your images. Get ready to transform your editing process and make the most out of your Lightroom presets!
How to Fix Lightroom Presets that DON’T Work!
Hey everyone! In today’s video, I’m going to be sharing with you how to fix Lightroom presets that don’t work with your photos. Sometimes, Lightroom presets work like a charm and they’re a one-click edit that looks amazing. But other times, and I’m sure you’ve come across this, you might be shooting in harsh lighting conditions and the presets don’t look that good when you apply them. So, I have a bunch of images here, all shot in different lighting conditions, different locations, different white balances, and I’m going to show you what you can do to fix Lightroom presets that don’t work.
Image 1: Shot in Indoor Lighting
This is the first image that we’re working on. I can already see from the raw image straight out of the camera that it was shot indoors. The white balance is super warm as the model was lit by a tungsten light, and the lighting condition is also really strange because we’ve got the really overexposed window here and she’s very much in the shadows. So, I already know that the preset I’m going to apply is not going to look good. Let’s go ahead and put it on. I’m going to be using my Digital Film Actions Lightroom preset, which is a preset that I use for giveaways on Instagram.
However, as you can see, it looks horrible. So, I’m going to show you what we can do to fix this up. The first thing that I notice is that the white balance is totally off, so I’m going to start by bringing the temperature down to make it a little bit cooler. Then, I’ll bring the tint down as well to reduce the pink tone in her skin. Now that we’ve got the skin tone looking better, we want to fix the tones of the photo. I’ll start by bringing up the shadows to add a little bit more light into the model’s face. I’ll also bring the highlights to try and even out the lighting further. Now that we have the tones corrected, I want to go back and adjust the white balance a little bit more. I’ll bring the temperature down a little bit more as well as the tint. I might also bring down the exposure a little bit.
Let’s have a look at the before and after. This is the before, and this is the after. Our image looks way better now – the tones are more balanced, the lighting looks really nice, and the colors are more true to life.
Image 2: Shot with Candlelight
This photo is also very orange and very similar to our last photo, but this was shot outdoors and our main light source was a candle. So, our model’s faces are all very orange from that glow. Let’s apply the preset. Once again, I’m going to start by bringing the temperature down and also bringing down the tint. For this photo, I actually want to bring the exposure up rather than just the shadows. As you can see, this model is in focus, so I want to put all my attention on her when I’m editing. I actually want to bring the shadows down for this photo to add a little bit more depth. It’s looking a bit flat, so let’s do that.
I also want to edit the skin tone a bit more. Since we’ve already adjusted the white balance, I’m happy with how the overall image looks. I just specifically want to focus on the orange parts of the skin. Let’s go into the HSL tool and focus on the oranges. I’ll start by pulling down the saturation of the orange just a little bit. We don’t want to go too overboard and make it look really saturated. Then, I’ll bring up the luminance a little bit to make the orange color brighter in the photo. I might also pull down the exposure just a tiny bit and maybe bring up the white balance a bit too. With a photo like this, it’s not always about getting the perfect colors; sometimes it’s also about creating a style and a mood with your photo. I actually like how this has turned out.
Let’s look at the before and after. This is the before image, and this is the after.
Image 3: Simple Adjustment
Now, we have this photo where the preset looks great with just one click. The only thing I’m noticing is that her eyes are a little bit dark. So, I’m going to grab the adjustment brush and just paint over her eye area. Then, I’ll bring up the exposure just a tiny bit, as well as the shadows. Now, we can actually see our model’s eyes.
Here is the before and after.
Image 4: Minor Skin Tone Adjustment
For this next image, it looks pretty good overall, but we’re having a little bit of issues with the skin tone. I’ll start by bringing the temperature up to make the photo a bit warmer. Then, I’ll bring the tint down to reduce the pink tone in the model’s skin. I think that’s looking really good. We might go into the HSL tool and play around with the pinks a bit to see if we can do anything else to the model’s skin tone. It doesn’t seem to be affecting that section of the photo, so let’s try with the oranges. If we bring the saturation up a bit, it kind of helps. I’ll bring the luminance up as well to brighten up her skin tone.
Let’s look at the before and after. This is the original photo, and this is the photo with the preset and edits.
Image 5: Correcting Green Tinge
This last photo was shot in a really green location, so there’s a green tinge on our model’s face and hair reflecting from the background. Her face is also quite dark in this photo. Let’s see what it looks like when we apply our preset. As you can see, it looks quite muddy and pretty dark as well.
I’ll start by bringing up the shadows, hoping that it will lift this section of the photo. I might also bring the blacks up a little bit to brighten up our image. Now that we’ve done those adjustments, I’m going to bring the exposure up a bit to further brighten up the model’s face. Since I’m happy with the exposure in the rest of the photo, I won’t touch that part.
Frequently Asked Questions – How to Fix Lightroom Presets that DON’T Work
1. Why are my Lightroom presets not working?
There could be several reasons why your Lightroom presets are not working:
- You might have installed the presets incorrectly. Ensure that you have followed the proper installation process for your specific Lightroom version.
- The presets you downloaded might be corrupted. Try re-downloading the presets from a reliable source and reinstalling them.
- Your Lightroom software might need an update. Check for any available updates and install them if necessary.
2. How can I fix Lightroom presets that are not showing up in the software?
If your Lightroom presets are not appearing in the software, try these troubleshooting steps:
- Check if you have installed the presets in the correct folder. Verify the installation location as per Lightroom’s guidelines.
- Restart Lightroom after installing the presets. Sometimes, a simple restart can help the software recognize the newly added presets.
- If the presets are still not showing up, check their file format. Lightroom supports .lrtemplate and .xmp file formats. Ensure that your presets are in the correct format.
3. My Lightroom presets are not giving the desired results. How can I fix this?
If your Lightroom presets are not giving you the expected results, try the following:
- Adjust the basic settings within Lightroom, such as exposure, contrast, or white balance, to fine-tune the preset’s effect according to your preference.
- Experiment with different presets to find the one that best suits your needs. Not all presets work well with every photo, so try various options to achieve the desired look.
- Consider learning more about Lightroom editing techniques or post-processing to enhance your editing skills.
4. How can I troubleshoot issues with Lightroom presets on WordPress?
If you are encountering problems with Lightroom presets on WordPress, try the following:
- Ensure that you have properly integrated a WordPress plugin or theme that supports Lightroom presets.
- Double-check the compatibility of the plugin or theme with your WordPress version.
- Verify if the presets are correctly configured in the plugin or theme settings.
- If the issue persists, reach out to the plugin or theme developer’s support team for further assistance.
Hopefully, these FAQs have helped in fixing your Lightroom preset issues. If you still face any problems, consider consulting relevant forums or reaching out to professionals for additional guidance.
I hope you find useful my article How to Fix Lightroom Presets that DON’T Work!, I also recommend you to read my other posts in my blog at this link.
If you need help with anything join the community or do not hesitate to contact me.
Best of luck! and follow your passion.
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