
Lightroom presets are the key to consistent editing and speeding your workflow when post processing your image RAW files. However, presets take time to set up, especially if you want to try different looks or emulate your favourite photographers. So how can you save a ton of time?
Why not use the power of AI and ChatGPT to assist you in designing Lightroom presets for your photography?
Get Some Ideas from ChatGPT about Lightroom Presets
It may be dreamy landscapes or the stark monochrome of David Bailey: a vintage film vibe, or a cinematic recreation.
Start by asking ChatGPT for some ideas, or if you know what you want use ChatGPT to suggest where to start.
For example:
Prompt: “I want to create a Lightroom preset inspired by the vibrant tones of summer evenings. Can you suggest adjustments to colour, tone, and effects?”
ChatGPT’s Response:
- Increase Vibrance and Saturation by 20-30% for rich colors.
- Adjust Highlights down (-20) to retain detail in bright areas.
- Boost Shadows (+15) for a balanced look.
- Add a warm Temperature shift (+5 to 10) for a golden glow.
- Slightly increase the Texture and Clarity (+5 each) to enhance details.
Try Out Different Themes or Styles in Lightroom Presets
ChatGPT can also help you create presets based on specific styles, such as “cinematic,” “moody black and white,” or “retro Polaroid.”
Prompt: “Can you suggest settings for a moody black-and-white preset?”
ChatGPT’s Response:
- Convert to Black & White.
- Reduce Highlights (-25) for a soft, dramatic feel.
- Increase Whites (+10) to add contrast.
- Decrease Shadows (-15) and Blacks (-20) for depth.
- Add a subtle Vignette (-10 to -15).
- Adjust the Tone Curve for an S-shaped contrast boost.
Get a Detailed Lightroom Preset Description
If you ask ChatGPT for detail, it will offer a specific Lightroom preset description. Here is one I requested to recreate the style of the UK social documentary photographer, Martin Parr.
Basic Settings
- Exposure: Adjust to match the scene, keeping it slightly bright (+0.10 to +0.20).
- Contrast: +25
- Highlights: -10 (to retain detail in bright areas like skies).
- Shadows: +20 (to lift dark areas while preserving some depth).
- Whites: +10
- Blacks: -15 (to create deep, rich blacks).
Tone Curve
- Highlights: Lift slightly to brighten light tones.
- Lights: Increase for midtone contrast.
- Darks: Decrease to deepen shadows.
- Shadows: Lift slightly for a soft matte effect.
Final Curve: A subtle S-curve for contrast, with a slight lift at the shadows.
HSL Panel
Hue
- Reds: -10 (for warm, natural skin tones).
- Oranges: -5 (minor tweak for richer tones).
- Yellows: -5 (to lean toward golden highlights).
- Greens: +10 (to make grass and foliage more vibrant).
- Blues: -5 (for deeper skies).
Saturation
- Reds: +20
- Oranges: +15
- Yellows: +20 (for punchy highlights).
- Greens: +25 (for vivid foliage).
- Blues: +15 (for rich skies).
- Purples/Magentas: +10 (subtle but balances overall tones).
Luminance
- Reds: +10
- Oranges: +5
- Yellows: +10
- Greens: +15
- Blues: -5 (to give skies a bit more depth).
Color Grading
Shadows:
- Hue: 230 (blue tones)
- Saturation: 10 (just a hint for depth).
Midtones:
- Hue: 60 (yellow-green tones)
- Saturation: 15 (to warm midtones).
Highlights:
- Hue: 50 (gold tones)
- Saturation: 20 (for a sunny, nostalgic glow).
Blending: 60
Balance: +10 (favour highlights).
Detail Panel
- Sharpening: Amount: 60, Radius: 1.0, Detail: 30, Masking: 10.
- Noise Reduction: 10 (retain texture but clean up any noise).
Lens Corrections
- Enable Profile Corrections.
- Remove Chromatic Aberration.
Effects
- Dehaze: +5 (adds subtle depth).
- Vignette: 0 (avoid heavy vignettes; Parr’s style is clean).
Lightroom Presets as an xmp File
ChatGPT can also create an XMP file, which you can upload directly to Lightroom. If you don’t know how to upload the file, just ask ChatGPT.
Conclusion
AI is changing photography, as it is in all fields of endeavour, and we photographers are just getting to grips with its potential. Like it or not in five years it will be part of our lives. The trick will be to work with it, not for it.
Using AI we can work smarter and speed up our workflow. Lightroom can only help develop our creativity, and eventually, the sliders in Lightroom will be a thing of the past.