Prolost Graduated Presets for Lightroom, Version 2.1

With the release of Lightroom 2015.1/6.1, I’ve updated my Prolost Graduated Presets to version 2.1. You’ll recall that these Lightroom Develop presets, arranged in gradations, allow you to dial in common color adjustments by previewing and reacting, rather than moving a bunch of sliders (if you haven't seen this in action, watch this video). This updates adds the following three preset groups:

• Dehaze, as detailed here, not only makes it easier to visually adjust the new Dehaze effect, it makes it possible for Lightroom 6.1 users to do so.
• Fade, which ramps in an adjustable vintage fade effect.
• Exposure II (JPEG), which allows you to adjust the exposure of non-raw photos with more pleasing results than Lightroom’s built-in exposure control.

If you bought Prolost Graduated Presets 2.0, 2.1 is a free update.

For the scoop on Dehaze, see the previous post. Read on for the details on the other new groups.

Fade

A big part of the nostalgic, vintage look popular in many photo apps and presets (including the Prolost Bespoke Vintage Presets) is a fading of the black levels toward a hazy gray. I found myself wanting to dial on this fade more precisely than presets ordinarily allow, so I created the Fade group.

The Fade presets work brilliantly in conjunction with other presets, even those that modify the Tone Curve. In this example, the sunset colors are enhanced by the Blockbuster Cyan group, and which causes the Fade effect to take on a blue-green tint.

Exposure II (JPEG)

In version 2.0, I introduced the Color Temperature II (JPEG) group, which provides a more pleasing warm/cool adjustment than Lightroom’s built-in white balance controls. You can watch me demonstrate the difference here.

An iPhone shot with Temp and Tint at zero.

Warming up the shot with Lightroom's Temp slider makes the image look yellow and bright.

Warming up the image with the Prolost Color Temperature II presets gives a pleasing warmth that doesn't wash out colors.

In 2.1, I followed up on this by doing the same for Exposure. Again, this preset group is specifically designed for editing non-raw shots, where Lightroom’s controls are sometimes not at their best.

Here’s a comparison of increasing the exposure of an iPhone 5s shot using Lightroom, and then using the new Exposure II (JPEG) presets:

Original iPhone shot with Exposure at zero.

Increasing Lightroom's Exposure setting causes the image to blow out and lose contrast.

Increasing the exposure using the Prolost Exposure II (JPEG) presets preserves both highlight and shadow detail.

Availability and Requirements

The Prolost Graduated Presets version 2.1 are available now on the Prolost Store, and still work as far back as Lightroom 4.0, with the exception of the Dehaze group, which requires Lightroom 2015.1/6.1.

To upgrade your presets from version 2.0, go here.

If you’re using Lightroom 2015.1/6.1 and you’d like to try this crazy workflow, the Dehaze group is available on it’s own for free.

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