There are A LOT of moody presets out there to help you edit your photos in Lightroom.
But, just because there’s a wide variety of moody presets, doesn’t mean you have a whole lot of options. Especially when it comes to making the skin tones in your portraits look flawless.
One of the biggest complaints that I see in the preset world is that many of them alter the look of skin tones in portraits.
I don’t know about you, but I like to have my skin tones look natural. Not some funky orange, yellow, or drab color.
So, when I set out to create presets for myself and for my shop, I HAVE to make sure that they cover a few bases.
First, they HAVE to make skin tones look great.
If the presets that I create don’t work well with most skin types, then they get discarded. I test and test and test some more until I know that they will make skin look great- and not some funky unnatural color.
Secondly, the preset collections absolutely MUST be versatile.
If one preset doesn’t work well with an image, then a new preset is created to balance out any differences to create a more consistent look.
I don’t like to create a bunch of random presets and stuff them in a zip folder for others to download. Instead, I make sure that a well-rounded collection has been crafted to edit just about any type of photo in any type of lighting condition.
This especially goes for moody photos and why I feel confident saying that these presets are some of the best.
I have created my fair share of moody presets over the years, but the following presets are the ones that have made the cut. I have trimmed the fat and have only kept the best of the best inside the shop & these are the best moody presets that you can get for your money.
Recollections Presets
Think using presets limits your style options? Think again!
Recollections was designed to allow your unique vision & style come to life – in less time.
Simply choose your desired editing style, mix & match the presets included, and watch your imagination run free. With the mix and match options, the style possibilities are truly endless.
This set comes with 16 core presets and 10 enhancer presets.
The core presets will provide the base look to your photos, while the enhancer will add more individuality, creativity, and style.
Storyteller Presets
Bold. Crisp. Classic.
That’s the style you’ll get with the Storyteller collection (and they create a flawless moody look).
I had so much fun creating these presets. I wanted to create a style that was clean, but creative. Trendy, yet timeless. Colorful, yet slightly de-saturated.
These have made the perfect addition to my collection, especially for weddings. When shooting outdoors during all times of the day, the colors in these presets help calm everything down while still giving off that clean and classic look.
It’s easy to go full out moody or just add a subtle hint, which makes it by far the most robust collection in the shop!
These color & monochromatic Lightroom presets were carefully crafted to result in natural-looking skin tones, beautiful vibrant colors, and a consistent editing workflow.
Night & Day Presets
Monochromatic and mood. Where can a photographer go wrong with these?
16 black & white presets to create style & mood in just 1 click. While many of the above sets have their own black & white presets included, this is the only set that provides such a vast range of black & white options.
Bold and crisp. Ashy and gray. Trendy and subtle.
There are so many looks and styles that you can get with this single collection. If you love black & white photos, then you won’t want to be without these! Grab them here
Photo credit: Jennifer Rose Photography
If you found this guide helpful, here are some other Lightroom resources that you might enjoy:
New to Lightroom presets? Get started with this step-by-step guide and download a FREE starter pack.
What’s your editing style? Here are 5 Lightroom editing styles that you can easily replicate.
Getting started with Lightroom: These are the best import settings that you should be choosing.
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