A Foundation-First Approach to Editing

Presets often get a bad reputation—and it’s usually deserved. Too many promise dramatic results with a single click, only to leave photographers fighting broken colors, crushed shadows, and unrealistic contrast. These presets were created with a different goal in mind. Instead of chasing trends or exaggerated looks, this collection is built around foundational editing principles—understanding light, making intentional tonal decisions, and giving photographers a reliable starting point that reflects how a scene actually felt.

Most presets try to finish an image. These presets are designed to start one. Each pack is built around real-world landscape lighting scenarios—sunrise, overcast skies, deep shade, harsh midday sun—so the initial click establishes direction rather than locking you into a look.

The goal is simple:

• Spend less time fighting Lightroom

• Spend more time refining your image with intent

What These Presets Are (and Aren’t)

These presets are:

• Designed specifically for Lightroom Classic

• Scene-driven, not style-driven

• Subtle, flexible, and adjustable

• Built to work across camera brands and sensors

• Intended for photographers who want control, not automation

These presets are not:

• One-click final edits

• Trendy or heavily stylized

• A replacement for learning Lightroom fundamentals

Why Presets Instead of Lightroom’s Auto Button?

Lightroom’s Auto button aims to create a technically balanced image by analyzing the histogram and averaging tones across the frame. What it can’t do is understand intent.

Auto doesn’t know:

• What kind of light you were shooting in

• Which parts of the scene mattered most

• Whether warmth, mood, or realism was the priority

The result is often an image that is technically acceptable—but emotionally flat. These presets take a different approach by providing an intentional starting point based on lighting conditions. Each preset makes deliberate tonal and color decisions up front, giving your edit direction from the very first adjustment.

A Simple, Repeatable Editing Workflow

All preset packs on this page are designed to fit into the same foundational workflow:

1. Set a Baseline Exposure
   Start by adjusting Exposure so the image isn’t obviously too bright or too dark.

2. Apply a Preset and Adjust the Preset Amount
   Choose the preset that best matches the lighting conditions. Use the Preset Amount slider to control intensity—often somewhere between 60–90% for a more restrained look.

3. Make Minor Global Adjustments
   Fine-tune exposure, white balance, shadows, or highlights as needed. These should be small, intentional refinements—not corrections.

4. Finish with Local Adjustments
   Use gradients, brushes, and subtle dodging and burning to guide the viewer’s eye and balance the frame.

This approach keeps your edits consistent, efficient, and intentional—no matter the scene.

The Preset Amount Slider: A Small Tool with Big Impact

Presets apply at 100% by default, but that doesn’t mean 100% is always ideal. Reducing the preset amount can soften the effect while preserving the overall intent—especially when the light is already close to ideal. Flat or challenging conditions may benefit from applying a preset at full strength. Think of the preset amount slider as a way to fine-tune intensity, not direction.