Create Lightroom Presets That Save Hours of Editing | Simple Workflow
In this Lightroom Classic tutorial, I show how to create a simple preset that gives your RAW files a consistent starting point, helping you edit faster and more efficiently.
🎯 Editing doesn’t really begin when you open a RAW file — it begins with the starting point you give it.
In this video I walk through a simple Lightroom workflow that can save a surprising amount of time and mental energy: creating your own custom presets.
These aren’t dramatic “look” presets or trendy styles. Instead, they’re neutral baseline adjustments that give you a reliable foundation every time you start editing.
RAW files are flat by design, and every camera — and every shoot — behaves a little differently. By creating presets tailored to your cameras, your clients, or your shooting situations, you can make sure every image starts from a predictable, consistent baseline before you begin the creative part of editing.
📸 In this tutorial we cover:
• What a Lightroom preset actually is
• Why RAW files appear flat when first imported
• Creating camera-specific presets
• Using presets to reduce editing time
• Applying presets with one click
• Applying presets automatically during import
I also demonstrate the process using a wildlife image of a Red Kite photographed in Marlow, UK, showing the full workflow from preset creation through to the finished image.
The adjustments themselves are deliberately simple — because the goal isn’t to create a look.
The goal is consistency, efficiency, and a dependable starting point for your editing workflow.
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On this channel I share practical photography workflows, image processing techniques, and the thinking behind how photographs are made — not just the gear.
Chapters
00:00 Introduction – Why presets save time
00:22 Why RAW files look flat
00:50 Why consistency matters in editing
01:12 Presets vs “look” presets
01:37 What a Lightroom preset actually is
02:03 Camera-specific presets explained
02:30 Client-specific presets example
02:52 Creating a neutral baseline
03:18 Example image: Red Kite in flight
04:39 Creating a preset in Lightroom
05:01 Adjusting highlights, shadows and contrast
06:21 Adding clarity, vibrance and saturation
07:27 Sharpening and noise considerations
08:16 Lens corrections and profiles
09:10 Saving your preset
10:04 Applying presets with one click
10:53 Applying presets during import
12:08 Finishing the edit – cropping and masking
17:01 Why presets simplify your workflow
17:56 Why your presets will be different
18:21 Experimenting with your own presets
18:45 Viewer question – how do you use presets?
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Michael
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