Who’s a Typical Preset User?
Most busy photographers today use presets. It allows them to streamline the editing process, saving them valuable time during post-processing.
A photographer can buy and use ready-made presets or create their own to meet their needs or individual style, even when working with batches of photos. (We sell presets for Lightroom for countless genres, styles, and looks.)
Whether you’re a novice or a professional photographer, you will find Lightroom presets helpful. It’s not so much about skill level as it is about streamlining post-processing.
Do You Really Need Presets?
If you want to save time in post-processing, the answer to that question is probably a resounding yes. Presets allow you to be more efficient and even more creative.
Think of a preset as a template of photo editing adjustments for elements like brightness, clarity, saturation, exposure, and so forth. A preset can be applied to one image or a batch of images. Some presets are targeted to specific industries like weddings.
Keep in mind that you might need to do some fine-tuning after you’ve applied a preset to get things how you want them. The preset will be a starting point in the editing process with some images because it only adjusts what it’s been created to adjust. Any changes beyond that will need to be manually edited.
If you’re not a high-volume photographer who’s short on time, you might not feel the need to use presets. You’ve got the time (and patience) to go image by image, making your own individual edits.
But let’s face it, even if you’re not super busy, why would you spend time doing something you can quickly do with a preset? You can adjust or apply specific enhancements with just a few clicks, leaving you more time to take pictures.