New to presets? No worries. In four steps you'll go from a flat RAW file to the exact cinematic look you see across this site. Takes under two minutes once you know the moves.
Step One
Apply the Preset
Open your RAW file in Lightroom and import the preset as usual. One click sets your base look, color and mood all at once. If you can, start with a slightly underexposed file. It's much easier to lift shadows back in than to recover blown highlights.
Before / After
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After
Step Two
Adjust the Basics
The preset gets you most of the way there. Now fine-tune Exposure, Temperature, Highlights and Shadows to match your specific lighting. Every photo is different, this step is what keeps the look from feeling generic instead of yours.
Step Three
Use Masks for Precision
This is where a flat edit turns into a cinematic one. A Radial mask on the face brings back light and detail where it matters. A Linear gradient controls the direction of light across the whole frame. Brush masks handle anything smaller and more specific.
Step Four
Final Touches
Zoom in and check the details. Small nudges to Shadows, Whites or Texture at this stage make the difference between a good edit and a great one. It takes seconds, don't skip it.
Watch It Live
No cherry-picked examples. These are real photos sent in by customers, edited from scratch, RAW file to final result, start to finish.
Quick Questions
Do I need a RAW file, or will a JPG work?
Presets work on JPGs too, but a RAW file gives you far more room to adjust Exposure, Highlights and Shadows without losing quality. If you're shooting specifically to edit, shoot RAW.
How long does a full edit actually take?
With the preset doing the heavy lifting, most photos take under two minutes from import to final export, including masking.
My result doesn't look exactly like the examples. Is something wrong?
No. A preset reacts to your original photo's exposure and white balance, it isn't a fixed filter that looks identical every time. If it looks flat right after applying the preset, that's normal, step 2 and step 3 above are what finish the look.
More about installing, orders or compatibility? Check the full FAQ →
The Result
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After
Get This Look
Every edit above starts with a preset
Four steps, two minutes, the exact cinematic base used across this entire site.
Shop the Presets