To Use Presets or Not? (Page 2): I don't use them. As the photographer, I prefer to make my own adjustments. I have some that I use on 99.99% of my photos and those I have programmed...

rmalarz Loc: Tempe, Arizona

I don't use them. As the photographer, I prefer to make my own adjustments. I have some that I use on 99.99% of my photos and those I have programmed as Actions. Otherwise, I prefer my own tweaks, not someone else's.
--Bob

Marlz wrote:

A question was asked about installing presets in LR. I am curious to know what y'all think about packaged presets? The ads for them make them look fantastic. I have played around with them. It seems like it takes longer to find something I like than to simply make my own adjustments. Of course there are effects that I don't know how to get myself, but often these look unnatural to me ... comments?

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Kmgw9v wrote:

There are good presets, and there are bad presets.
The good ones are good; the bad ones are horrid.

Good answer, but I prefer not to use any.

Toment Loc: FL, IL

I’ve tried to use them, but end up doing it myself. Presets are good for some sketch effects, etc, but always need a little tweaking.

lamiaceae Loc: San Luis Obispo County, CA

Seeing as I don't use Lr my comments are more in general. The point of Presets is that you can use them over and over. But personally I like experimenting on my own when I do, and learning more Photoshop as I go. I use Topaz and Nik filters with Ps CS6 sometimes. I've also found them unpredictable yet interesting and fun. My images usually get to be unique as I rarely can remember the specific things I did to an image outside of my usual work flow.

mizzee Loc: Boston,Ma

I use them as a starting point and coach.

BooIsMyCat Loc: Somewhere

I use presets to learn how to make certain adjustments I may not be familiar with. Once I learn how to do that, I won't use the preset any longer.

Just my opinion but once you use a preset, is that photo yours any longer or is it more like a collaboration between you and the person who created the preset?

Marlz

Again, a great gamut of thoughts and insights on presets. Our first big snow is coming today; the winter is just starting. I think I will have lots of time to experiment. I need someone skilled in LR to sit down beside me. That is how I learn best. Any takers? lol Have a great Sunday, everyone!

traderjohn Loc: New York City

BooIsMyCat wrote:

I use presets to learn how to make certain adjustments I may not be familiar with. Once I learn how to do that, I won't use the preset any longer.

Just my opinion but once you use a preset, is that photo yours any longer or is it more like a collaboration between you and the person who created the preset?

"just my opinion but once you use a preset, is that photo yours any longer or is it more like a collaboration between you and the person who created the preset?"
I think the same can be said for any picture that you import into any photo enhancing program. You may move the sliders to compensate for a photo you want to look better. Someone else developed that program. You and that person have entered into your dreaded collaboration.

texaseve Loc: TX, NC and NH

I love presets.... I agree some are bad. You have to look at what you are getting.

Vince68 Loc: Wappingers Falls, NY

Marlz wrote:

A question was asked about installing presets in LR. I am curious to know what y'all think about packaged presets? The ads for them make them look fantastic. I have played around with them. It seems like it takes longer to find something I like than to simply make my own adjustments. Of course there are effects that I don't know how to get myself, but often these look unnatural to me ... comments?

A preset is only a starting point in the processing of your photo. Remember, the person who made that preset made it based on a photo he/she took with their own camera settings in the light that was available to them. He/she then made adjustments in Lightroom to that photo before using other photo editing software to finish his/her processing of that photo. When you apply that persons preset to one of your photos, it more than likely will not look close to what that photographers image looked like on his/her website where you viewed the preset and bought it.

Again, a preset is a starting point, not a one click final adjustment to an image. Some of them are pretty good starting points, and others, well not so good.

DWU2 Loc: Phoenix Arizona area

Marlz wrote:

A question was asked about installing presets in LR. I am curious to know what y'all think about packaged presets? The ads for them make them look fantastic. I have played around with them. It seems like it takes longer to find something I like than to simply make my own adjustments. Of course there are effects that I don't know how to get myself, but often these look unnatural to me ... comments?

Here's one writer's view on this topic:
https://fstoppers.com/originals/stop-wasting-your-money-lightroom-presets-282258

Bear123 Loc: Wild & Wonderful West Virginia

Have bought a few and rarely use them. When used they still need to be tweaked. Not sure they save any time.

Flyerace Loc: Mt Pleasant, WI

I've purchased several sets of Trey Ratcliff's presets. I was just starting to use LR and wanted to learn what different effects produced. I looked at the settings of the preset, then went into the various areas and recreated the effect of the preset. Then made the adjustments I wanted. Then saved the new settings under my own presets. It makes sense to use something you might want for certain photos. I like them. I don't think anyone needs thousands, but I like what I have and enjoy them. Have fun using them!

speters Loc: Grangeville/Idaho

Marlz wrote:

A question was asked about installing presets in LR. I am curious to know what y'all think about packaged presets? The ads for them make them look fantastic. I have played around with them. It seems like it takes longer to find something I like than to simply make my own adjustments. Of course there are effects that I don't know how to get myself, but often these look unnatural to me ... comments?

I do have a lot of presets, but I have never bought any "packaged" presets, all the one'a I use are my own, and yes of course, they are a big time saver! There is really nothing to think about them, that's just the facts!

Marlz

Flyerace wrote:

I've purchased several sets of Trey Ratcliff's pre... (show quote)

This makes sense to me; I don't know how to make and save my own presets, but I am sure I could find tutorials, and it sounds like a fun project. I also would not know how to separate what I make from the ones that already exist within LR. The learning never q;uits, does it? :)