LR Edit: How to Make Cinematic Presets in Lightroom 2025,
Therefore, Creating cinematic presets in Lightroom is a great way to add a dramatic, film-inspired look to your photos. In other words, Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to make your own cinematic presets:
📸 Step 1: LR Edit: How to Make Cinematic Presets in Lightroom 2025, Choose a Base Image:
Therefore, Pick a photo that has good dynamic range and lighting. This will help you see how your adjustments affect highlights, shadows, and tones.
🎞️ Method 2: Basic Adjustments (Tone & Exposure):
Therefore, Start with the Basic panel:
- Exposure: In other words, Adjust to correct overall brightness.
- Contrast: Increase for more drama.
- Highlights & Shadows: Lower highlights and raise shadows for a moody look.
- Whites & Blacks: Create some clipping for a filmic feel.
- Clarity: In other words, Slightly increase to enhance midtones.
- Texture: Slightly increase or leave neutral.
- Dehaze: In other words, Add a touch of depth.
🎨 Step 3: LR Edit: How to Make Cinematic Presets in Lightroom 2025, Tone Curve (Key for Cinematic Looks):
- In other words, Use an S-Curve:
- However, Lift the blacks slightly for a faded look.
- For instance, Lower the highlights slightly for a soft glow.
- However, Adjust the midtones for contrast.
However, You can also add slight tints in the Red, Green, or Blue curves for color grading effects (e.g., teal shadows and orange highlights).
🧡 Method 4: HSL / Color Grading:
- However, Go to the HSL panel to tweak specific colors:
- Desaturate greens and yellows for a muted, cinematic palette.
- For instance, Boost orange and teal (classic film look).
- For instance, Use Color Grading (or Split Toning if using an older version):
- Above all, Add cool tones to shadows (teal/blue).
- Above all, Add warm tones to highlights (orange/amber).
🪞 Step 5: LR Edit: How to Make Cinematic Presets in Lightroom 2025, Calibration Panel (Hidden Gem):
- Above all, Tweak the Red, Green, and Blue primary sliders for subtle shifts in color rendering.
- In addition, Often used to push skin tones toward orange and shadows toward teal.
🌫️ Method 6: Effects & Finishing Touches:
- Grain: Add grain for a filmic texture.
- Vignette: Add a slight vignette to draw focus inward.
- Sharpening: Moderate, depending on your image.
💾 Step 7: LR Edit: How to Make Cinematic Presets in Lightroom 2025, Save Your Preset:
- Above all, Click the “+” next to the Presets panel.
- In addition, Choose “Create Preset”.
- After that, Check all the settings you want to include.
- Above all, Give it a name (e.g., “Cinematic Warm Fade”).
- In addition, Save it in a new or existing preset group.
In conclusion, Want me to create a custom cinematic preset recipe (with values) for a specific photo style or mood (e.g., “dark sci-fi,” “sunset romantic,” etc.)?
