Editing presets will not help your business, don’t buy into the hype. You may be surprised by that, considering the fact that literally thousands of photographers are selling presets under the guise of “increasing your workflow” and “cutting down editing time”. This is true in very few instances, but really only if you are creating your own presets for personal use. Buying other photographer’s presets are a waste of money… and here’s why.
Lighting Situations
It is absolutely impossible, or extremely rare, to apply a bought preset to one of your own images and not have to make adjustments. Think of presets like Instagram filters—they look terrible.
Every single lighting situation is going to be different between photographers, it doesn’t matter if it’s during golden hour or not, every individual photographer has their sweet spot with their camera settings for different lighting situations. Because of this, applying a universal preset to another photographer’s image and expecting it to look perfect is unrealistic. If five different photographers took a photo of the exact same thing, you can pretty much guarantee every single photo won’t look the same because of differences in settings, equipment, and editing styles.
To give you a better idea of what I’m talking about, I gave some examples below. This image was taken during golden hour, which every photographer can agree on is the best lighting during the day. On the left is my personal edit, created with personal presets that I made myself in order to keep color grading consistent throughout my work. On the right is the exact same image, but it has been edited by applying a preset by the extremely popular Dirty Boots and Messy Hair. No adjustments have been made after the preset was applied. As you can see between the two photos, the one on the left is properly exposed and edited to accentuate the golden lighting, while the one on the right looks muddy and dull. In order to make the image on the right look halfway decent with the applied preset, I would need to make a lot of adjustments to white balance, exposure, shadows, etc.
After seeing those images, you may say, “Well, Lindsay, that’s just one example of one preset”, which is why I’ve provided another example below! Again, both of the images are the exact same, the only difference is that the edit on the left is my own and the one on the right is edited with the Mastin Labs Portra preset with no adjustments made after applying. As you can see, the idea of presets is completely pointless because in the end it will only make you work harder to create an edited image that aligns with your brand.
They Don’t Teach You Anything
Another reason why I highly recommend you not buy presets is because they will do absolutely nothing to help you. If you are a brand new photographer and are still trying to figure out what your brand and editing style is, it is super important that you completely ignore the photographers trying to sell you their presets because the last thing you want as a new business owner is to have images that look the same as someone else’s. The point as a business owner is to create a business that reflects your own editing, creative mind, and passion for your work!
Instead of buying presets, teach yourself Lightroom through the use of one of the greatest free photographer resources: Youtube! Below is a really great video on learning the basics of Lightroom and photo editing. The best thing you can do for your work is to learn how to use Lightroom effectively in order to create something unique and different! The key to a successful photography business, on the creative side of things, is taking no shortcuts but instead learning as much as you can.
Invest Your Money
Somewhere Else
When you are first starting your business, you have a limited budget. Don’t waste it on presets! Instead, invest your money in education that will help your business grow in the right direction. There are some AMAZING photographers out there who are completely dedicated to helping photographers grow in a unique way that will help you set apart your brand. Invest in mentor sessions, workshops, and classes, all of which will give you the confidence to set out on your own. Below are a few resources that have really helped me personally to grow my business!
Setting Yourself Apart from the crowd
I’ve mentioned it before, but the photography industry as a whole is very saturated with photographers that piggyback on one another with the same editing style, same copy on their websites, and same message. There’s no creativity, because their work is based on the latest trend on social media. There’s no difference that sets themselves apart from other photographers, and they are all undercutting everyone else in the industry with their extremely low pricing. What I’m saying may be harsh, but it has to be said, because the photographers who show no authenticity are hurting the industry.
Don’t get caught up in comparing your work to everyone else. You started your photography business because you are passionate about it, so use that passion to create something unique that will set your business apart from everyone else! Find inspiration in God’s incredible Creation, find inspiration in your daily lives, and never stop learning.
Your future clients are looking for work like yours, so embrace your own style!
