Enhance Your Outdoor and Hiking Photography with Lightroom Presets
With the help of Lightroom presets, improve your outdoor photography. Learn some easy steps on how to improve your adventure photos and use presets for both Adobe Lightroom Classic & Lightroom Mobile. We will show you hot to apply, import, and use presets in an easy way. Free preset can be found in on the bottom of this article.
Photography and exploring the outdoors are two pursuits that complement one another. There's no disputing the beauty that can be caught in nature, regardless of whether you're a professional photographer or just like taking pictures as a pastime. However, it can be difficult to take excellent pictures when hiking. Finding the ideal settings to make your images stand out can be challenging because lighting conditions can be unexpected and often varies a lot during a hike. Presets for Lightroom have a role in this. Your images might be improved and elevated with simply one click. We love exploring the outdoors with our cameras and in this article we will offer some advice on using Lightroom presets to enhance your photos and find your own style.
Benefits of using Lightroom presets for outdoor photography
The ability to save time is one of the key advantages of using Lightroom presets. You can rapidly give your photographs a unified style and save a ton of time throughout the editing process by using Lightroom presets. Presets can also assist you in adjusting to the various lighting situations you could experience when hiking in the mountains. You can choose a preset to boost warm tones, for instance, if you're hiking during the golden hour and the lighting is warm and mellow. On the other hand, you can use a preset to emphasize the chilly tones if the lighting is cool and moody. With harsher, more direct light we like to use presets that have a more contrasty look. The weather conditions often change several times when you are in the mountains, so the difference between harsh and soft light can be utilized for different “moods” in your images. By using Lightroom presets you can create a more cohesive look to your gallery, making your photos stand out and giving your work a more professional look. Often we find that it can be a bit difficult to apply a preset and get the same results as the photographer who made them. A little tweaking on your side is often needed to get you where you want.
How to apply Lightroom in your photographs
Lightroom Classic
Using Lightroom presets for outdoor, adventure or hiking photography is a simple and straightforward process. To apply a preset to a photo in the desktop version of Lightroom, simply select the photo and then select the preset you want to use. The preset will be applied to the photo automatically, and you can adjust the settings further if you wish. To import Lightroom presets into Lightroom, you'll first need to download the preset file and save it to your computer. Then, open Lightroom and go to the Develop module. In the Presets panel, click the "+" button and select "Import Presets". Navigate to the location where you saved the preset file, select it, and click "Import". The preset will now be available for you to use.
Lightroom CC & Lightroom Mobile
To use presets in Lightroom mobile, the process is slightly different. You'll need to first import the preset into Lightroom CC (cloud based version) and then sync your presets to Lightroom mobile. Once you've done this, you can apply presets to your photos in Lightroom mobile just like you would in the desktop version. On our presets the amount or how strong you would like the preset to alter your images can be adjusted with the “amount”-slider.
“Exposing” for a specific style of photography?
What kind of mood or look you want should already be considered when you take a photo. An exposure more on the dark side is key if you are going for a more moody look. How much contrast the scene has, will also determine if your image is suited for a “moody” style. If the scene has a lot of contrast and harsh light, a more contrasty look is easier to achieve and is often used in action sports or adventure images that have a more dynamic feel to them.
Histogram for the original image
Image with “Adventure Blue” preset
How do presets work in Lightroom?
Presets in Lightroom are essentially pre-designed settings that allow you to edit your photos with just one click. When you apply a preset to a photo, it adjusts various settings such as exposure, contrast, saturation, and more to give your photo a specific look or style. The great thing about presets is that they are completely customizable. You can adjust the preset settings to fit your specific photo and create a look that is unique to your style. For example, if you apply a preset that has a warm and vibrant look, you can adjust the saturation and exposure settings to make it slightly more subdued and fit the lighting conditions of your photo. With Lightroom presets, you have the flexibility to adjust the settings to create a look that is tailored to your individual photo or series of photos. We often use them as a “base” for further editing. When your images have a similar starting point with regards to colors it is much easier to achieve a result that gives tour images a uniform look and style.
Do professional photographers use presets?
Yes, professional photographers often use presets as part of their workflow. Presets can save photographers a ton of time in the editing process, even though they may make further adjustments to the presets to tailor them for their unique photographs. They can also assist in preserving a unified aesthetic in their work, which is crucial for a distinctive and recognizable style. We use presets as a foundation for additional customisation. We utilize a preset as a starting point and then modify the settings to provide a distinctive appearance for a particular image or project. Each photographer ultimately chooses whether or not to utilize presets, but many do and we find them to be an invaluable tool for optimizing our process and attaining our desired look for a photo or series of photos.
Conclusion
Lightroom presets can be a powerful tool for enhancing your photography, here is our top 3 reasons to use presets:
Saving a lot of time in the editing process
Creates a cohesive look and style to your gallery or set of images
Great starting point for “base” edit