Lightroom presets are often described as a one-click solution. A magic pill for your editing woes! Are they really all that, though? Presets are files that remember settings for a photo edit. So when you click on a preset, the settings are automatically adjusted! They're used in Lightroom, although Photoshop has similar files called Actions. Capture One has its own version of these files, called Styles.

So it sounds like a dream that you can press one button and the photo is edited, right?! 
Well..... it's not quite that simple. Let's break down the good and bad of presets.
 

The good.

• Yes, presets can be huge timesavers! If you find yourself making similar edits to A LOT of photos, then you should consider saving those settings as a preset (or purchasing a preset that fits your style). And if you're doing work that is heavily reliant on an ultra-fast workflow (like real estate photography), then using presets to help batch edit photos can make a huge difference.  {There happen to be architectural presets sold in The Grove Shop! Check them out if you're considering incorporating into your workflow.} 

• Looking to get creative or find a new style? Presets are a great, inexpensive way to explore. There are loads of free presets available online if you do a bit of Googling, and they come in a wide range of styles. For interiors, you'll most likely not want to get too crazy in terms of editing style, but definitely take time to experiment!

The not-so-good.

• Presets are often played up to be a one-click solution when in reality there is no such thing. I repeat: There is NO one-click solution. Each unedited photo is unique, so the exposure, contrast, lighting, color tone, etc... are all different! This means that no one preset is able to compensate for every possible situation. So when using presets, you almost always have to do some tweaking.  Sometimes it's a small adjustment like raising the exposure a bit, but other times you need to adjust much more. 

• Expectations need to be kept in check. What I mean is, presets are often sold as the solution for making unimpressive photos suddenly amazing. In reality, the photo needs to be good to begin with - in focus, good composition, lighting sources used properly - and the presets are just there to give the finishing touch. If a photo is terrible quality to begin with, there's only so much that editing can do!

So should you use presets or not?

That's something you need to decide for yourself.
Here's what I do: 

• For real estate or vacation rentals, I use the architectural presets and brushes available through The Grove Shop because I know that I can apply them quickly and they take care of nearly all my edits. I then adjust the lens correction, verticals, and make any glaring fixes that need to be made.
• For architectural and interior design clients, I often use a preset as a starting point, knowing that I'll be adjusting most settings at least a little bit. Some photos are very close to finished and don't need a preset (because I adjust very little), and others I just want a starting point that gives me more direction with my adjustments. There's no batch editing with these; I go through each one individually!

Want to see presets in action? Watch a quick edit using the Architectural Bundle Collection from The Grove! 

xo,

Natalia