How to Use (and Install) Lightroom Presets to Improve Your Photography

Did you know that there is a way that, with one click of a button, you can instantly improve your photography for your blog? With Lightroom presets, it's completely possible! You can literally edit hundreds of photos all at once by implementing savvy these filters into the Lightroom platform and see them transform before your eyes. Today, we are interviewing Alina Dinh from Dreamy Presets to uncover how to use, install, and transform your photography with these beautiful Lightroom presets. Read on to discover how you can begin to instantly change your photography with these tools! *And make sure to scroll below for an exclusive IFB offer!

1. Firstly (for those of us who aren’t tech savvy), what is a preset and what kind of technology do you need to use them?

Presets are custom photo filters made to use with Adobe Lightroom – a photo editing software which is used by millions of professional photographers and bloggers around the world. Presets allow you to edit high-resolution images with the click of a button, creating professional-quality photos to add to your website or blog.

2. Why should bloggers consider using presets for their photography?

Presets allow you to instantly enhance the quality of your photos, without having to invest in a top-of-the-line camera or lens. They can significantly reduce the time you have to spend at the computer editing photos, giving you a consistent look across all your photos and the ability to edit multiple photos at once. Presets will basically save you a lot of time (without compromising on quality), allowing you to focus on other aspects of your blogging business.

3. Is there added value for using presets vs. not using presets?

Absolutely! As they say, time is money and investing in presets will reduce the hours you spend manually editing each individual photo. Once you start using presets, it will completely transform your editing workflow and free up your time for more important things.

4. Are presets easy to use and install?

Yes, presets are surprisingly easy to use and all you need to do to install them is copy and paste the files into a Lightroom folder. Then you’re ready to go! You can follow our step-by-step instructions for installing Lightroom presets here.

5. Can I edit a whole set of images at once using presets? How do I know they will look good on all the images in the batch?

Being able to edit multiple images with one click of the button is the beauty of using presets and you can follow our instructions to do that here. Because each image will have its own lighting and color profile, it will react slightly differently to the preset. But they are super easy to tweak, so you can make adjustments after it’s been applied if the result is not exactly what you want. Many professional bloggers use presets to apply a “base look”, then tweak the images after to add their unique style and flair.

6. Will I see an instant difference in my photographs using presets?

Definitely. And if you want proof, you can use Lightroom’s preview feature which allows you to see your original photo and its edited version side-by-side. Pretty neat!

7. Will using presets improve my photography?

Great photography is half shooting and half post-processing, so using the right presets to enhance your images can dramatically improve the quality of your photos and their “wow” factor. This is particularly true if you don’t want to invest in expensive camera gear or spend hours manually editing each and every shot.

8. What makes your presets stand out for fashion and lifestyle bloggers? Can they be used in other niches too?

As a fashion or lifestyle blogger, your images represent your brand and aesthetics. They are the first thing that brands see and will leave a lasting impression. My preset collections allow you to apply the same aesthetic to all of your images with a simple click of the button. All you have to do is select the preset that reflects your brand and style. This is true for any niche in which photography is a feature, meaning they’re certainly not just limited to fashion and lifestyle bloggers.

9. Can presets be applied to other media aside from photos?

Absolutely! Presets can also be applied to videos in a similar way to images and we have instructions to help you do that right here.

10. How did you come up with the idea for Dreamy Presets and the different preset collections?

I used to run my own fashion blog and after getting hundreds of emails asking how I edited my photos, I decided to launch two preset collections to help my readers recreate similar aesthetics quickly and easily. The response was overwhelmingly positive, so I decided to create a website dedicated to my presets, which was how Dreamy Presets was born.

Each preset collection I create is designed to help my clients achieve a specific aesthetic that speaks to their brand. Whether that be a minimalistic look, light and airy or bold and colorful, my presets give them the flexibility to create a look that is distinctly theirs….while saving them heaps of time!

11. Do you offer other products besides the Lightroom Presets?

Yes, Dreamy Presets also offers products designed to directly enhance a blogger’s business, such as media kits, creative templates and brand pitch emails. In fact, one of our best sellers is the “Ultimate Blogger-Brand Collaboration Toolkit” which contains a range of email and media kit templates, pricing and collaboration strategies and a list of marketing agencies to collaborate with, not to mention one of our best-selling Lightroom preset collections.

12. What is one tip you would give to bloggers who are considering using Dreamy Presets for their photos?

Take a look at the Dreamy Presets portfolio and if one of our aesthetics speaks to your brand, then take the plunge! You’ll be able to instantly create stunning, professional-quality images to use on your website or blog and have a whole lot of extra time to spend doing things you really love! You can see some other photos for inspiration right here.