Lightroom presets are one of the most talked-about tools in photo editing. They promise faster workflows, consistent edits, and professional-looking photos with just a few clicks. But for many beginners and even experienced photographers, presets can still feel confusing.
Are Lightroom presets actually useful? Do professionals really use them? Are paid presets worth it, or are free ones just as good?
This guide breaks everything down clearly and honestly. By the end, you will understand exactly what Lightroom presets are, how they work, when they are worth using, and how to choose the right ones for your photos.
What Are Lightroom Presets?
Lightroom presets are saved editing settings that apply a specific look or style to a photo. Instead of adjusting exposure, color, contrast, tone curve, and detail settings manually every time, a preset applies those adjustments instantly.
A preset does not edit your photo permanently. It simply applies a set of instructions inside Lightroom. You can always adjust the settings after applying a preset to fine-tune the final look.
Presets work in Lightroom Mobile, Lightroom Desktop, Lightroom Classic, and Adobe Camera Raw. They are commonly used for portrait photography, wedding photography, lifestyle photos, indoor photos, travel photography, and content creation.
At their core, presets are tools that help you edit faster and more consistently, not shortcuts that replace skill or intention. If you are new to presets and want an in-depth explanation with visual examples and step-by-step Lightroom navigation, our What Are Presets 101 blog is the best place to start.
How Do Lightroom Presets Work?
When you apply a preset, Lightroom adjusts multiple editing sliders at once. This can include changes to exposure, highlights, shadows, white balance, contrast, color grading, and detail.
Presets work best when your photo is properly exposed or close to it, lighting conditions are similar to what the preset was designed for, and you make small adjustments after applying the preset.
It is normal and expected to tweak a preset after applying it. Things like exposure, warmth, and contrast often need small changes depending on lighting, skin tones, and camera settings.
A preset is a starting point, not a finished edit.
Do People Still Use Lightroom Presets?
Yes, Lightroom presets are still widely used and more relevant than ever.
Modern presets are designed to be flexible, subtle, and adaptable across different lighting conditions. Many creators use presets as part of a workflow rather than relying on one-click edits alone.
Presets are commonly used by professional photographers, content creators, influencers, small business owners, bloggers, and everyday users editing personal photos. As photo sharing continues to grow on social media and websites, consistency and efficiency matter more than ever. Presets help achieve both.
Do Professional Photographers Use Lightroom Presets?
Yes, professional photographers use Lightroom presets regularly.
Many professionals create their own presets or customize purchased presets to match their personal style. Presets help photographers maintain a consistent look across galleries, speed up editing workflows, reduce decision fatigue during batch editing, and deliver cohesive results to clients.
Using presets does not mean a photographer lacks skill. Presets are tools. Skill comes from knowing how and when to use them.
Are Lightroom Presets Worth Buying?
For most people, Lightroom presets are worth buying. Paid presets typically offer better color balance, more refined skin tones, consistent results across lighting situations, ongoing updates and support, and presets designed for specific use cases such as indoor photos, portraits, or lifestyle content.
If you value your time and want a polished, professional look without spending hours editing each photo, presets can be a worthwhile investment. Presets are not magic. They work best when paired with basic editing knowledge and realistic expectations.
What’s the Difference Between Free and Paid Lightroom Presets?
Free presets can be helpful for experimenting and learning, but they often have limitations. Free presets are usually very basic, may not work well across different lighting conditions, often require heavy adjustments, and can cause unnatural skin tones or color shifts.
Paid presets are typically tested across many photo types, designed for natural skin tones, balanced for indoor and outdoor lighting, more flexible and adjustable, and supported with instructions and updates.
Paid presets are not better simply because they cost money. They are better because time, testing, and expertise go into creating them. For photographers and creators who want more refined edits, consistent skin tones, and presets designed for specific lighting situations, full Lightroom Presets Collections can be a helpful next step.
Where Can You Get Lightroom Presets?
Lightroom presets are available from many sources, including independent preset creators like Lou & Marks, photography brands, online marketplaces, and Adobe.
When choosing presets, look for clear before and after examples, honest descriptions of lighting conditions, compatibility with Lightroom Mobile and Desktop, installation instructions, and real customer reviews.It is generally best to purchase presets from creators who specialize in a specific editing style or photography niche.
If you are looking to explore a variety of Lightroom preset styles in one place, you can browse all Lou & Marks Lightroom presets to see different editing looks designed for portraits, indoor photos, lifestyle images, and everyday photography.
Do You Need Lightroom Premium for Presets?
This depends on how you use Lightroom. In Lightroom Mobile, you can install and apply presets without a paid subscription, although some advanced tools require Premium. Presets still work without Premium, but editing options are more limited.
Lightroom Desktop and Lightroom Classic require an Adobe subscription and allow full access to presets and editing tools. Many people successfully use presets in the free Lightroom Mobile app for everyday photos and social media content.
How to Choose the Right Lightroom Presets for Your Style
The best presets are the ones that match your photography style and lighting conditions. Before choosing presets, consider whether you shoot mostly indoors or outdoors, whether you prefer bright and airy or moody and film-inspired edits, how important natural skin tones are to your photos, and whether you want subtle edits or bold transformations.
Look for presets designed specifically for indoor lighting, natural light portraits, lifestyle and content creation, or film-inspired edits depending on how you shoot. Choosing presets based on how you actually photograph will lead to better results and less frustration.
Are Lightroom Presets a One-Click Solution?
Yes and no. Lightroom presets can absolutely be applied in one click. When you select a preset, Lightroom instantly applies a complete set of editing adjustments to your photo. For many images, especially those taken in good lighting, this single click can be enough to achieve a polished, finished look.
That said, the best results usually come from using presets as a starting point rather than a final step. After applying a preset, it is common to make small adjustments such as correcting exposure, fine-tuning white balance, or slightly adjusting contrast. Many presets also include an opacity or amount slider, which allows you to control how strong or subtle the preset appears on your image.
Using the opacity slider is often the easiest way to customize a preset. You can make the edit stronger for a more dramatic look or reduce the intensity for a softer, more natural result without changing individual settings.
This approach keeps photos looking natural and tailored to each image rather than overly processed. Presets are designed to speed up editing while still giving you control over the final result.
The Takeaway: Are Lightroom Presets Worth Using?
Lightroom presets are powerful tools when used correctly. They save time, improve consistency, and help photographers and creators achieve a polished look without starting from scratch.
Presets are not about replacing creativity or skill. They are about working smarter, editing more efficiently, and building a cohesive style across your photos.
Whether you are a beginner or a professional, understanding how presets work and choosing the right ones can make photo editing simpler and more enjoyable. If you want to see how different editing styles look in practice, you can explore all Lightroom presets by style and lighting type to find options that fit your photos.
