As a professional photographer, I get a lot of questions about how to edit photos, either taken with a camera or cell phone. Today I am going to share everything you need to know about photo presets!
What are photo presets?
If you’re not familiar with presets, they a grouping of editing effects (like upping contrast, adding grain, warming up colors etc.) combined together in one step. Meaning with one touch of a button, you can drastically change the look of your photos.
If you’ve used Instagram before, they’re similar to filters. However, now presets are being created and sold for every day users to apply to any photo taken with a cell phone or camera, for use on social media.
Chances are, you’ve seen multiple ads for presets while scrolling. In a recent survey I did on Instagram, 67% of you said you have used them before.
There are literally thousands on the market (maybe even millions!) so it’s not difficult to find some that fit your style. However, if you’re like me, you want things to be simple, inexpensive and easy to use.
Why use photo presets?
I 100% believe that any photo you take, should be taken at the best quality possible and need very little tweaking afterwards.
However, there are times and spaces where the elements are not necessarily ideal and your photo will need a little help.
I also noticed that cell phone photos always seem to need a little extra oomph. My cell phone tends to darken photos, and give them a greenish/ blueish tint. And I personally prefer a lighter, brighter and warmer edit to my photos. Presets are a perfect fix.
Presets also help you to create a cohesive look to your feed. I always recommend you only use 1 or 2 presets because if you use 30 presets, all of your photos will look different.
Remember, you need to keep your brand and feeds cohesive!
A word of caution…
Like any editing tool, use your photo presets sparingly.
You want your photos to look natural and pleasing to the eye. Crazy colors and over editing is a tell tale sign of a bad photo that you tried to make look better. 😉
Today I want to share with you my favorite presets EVER that I love for all of those reasons and more and give you a quick tutorial on how to use them!
After searching for some time, I discovered Loox Presets and I was immediately hooked for so many reasons:
1. They are VERY inexpensive.
2. They have a HUGE variety. Every kind of edit you could want, they have a preset for!
3. I love that they have desktop and mobile versions so you can edit on your phone, but also on your computer!
4. They pair perfectly with the free Lightroom App, which is so easy to download and work with.
5. They are SO easy to use. This was a huge one for me as I am not a big fan of learning new technology!
Below are some fun examples showcasing many of my photos before and after applying Loox Presets.
Original, Loox Peach, Loox Minimal Black
As you can see, they can really change the look and feel and give you a custom branding aesthetic on your images.
My go-to on my phone are the HOME presets for lightening and brightening my images. This helps them look similar to the images I take in studio, so that my entire feed flows well.
How to use…
Here is a super quick tutorial video I made you on how Loox presets work with your phone and the free Lightroom App.
Loox Presets really tic all of the boxes when it comes to ease, price and end result.
And, because it’s my birthday coming up, they have generously offered you 15% off your order between now and 10/1!
Click this link to get your discount!! (no code needed, applied at checkout!)
Also, stay tuned because I have a GIANT birthday giveaway coming up and I will be including a Loox Preset of your choice, as well as TONS of other amazing gifts!
P.S. Now that you know how to edit your photos, you also don’t want to miss my video on how to be more confident in your photos.
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