Tourism boards, travel companies, and agencies send photographer Melissa Findley around world. “I have spent most of my career capturing places that provoke an emotional connection to nature and our place within it,” she says. Her images highlight the unique landscapes, wildlife, and people of destination. She also uses her skills for conservation. “I believe that through high-quality imagery, I can begin a conversation that encourages people to take action in support of tangible and meaningful conservation measures that preserve our beautiful world.” We recently asked her share six of her Adobe Photoshop Lightroom presets, plus a few tips.
Tip: Check the histogram.
Lightroom’s histogram is a graphical representation of the ambient light levels in an image. A balanced histogram means an image has valuable information you can work with; for example, you can recover some shadow details during post-processing. However, clipped highlights mean that some details may be difficult or impossible to recover.
Before and after applying the Cotton Candy preset.
Tip: Don’t be discouraged by first impressions.
Raw files can appear dull and flat at first; however, a few small adjustments can go a long way. Bring images to life in Lightroom by adjusting the white balance first, and then adjust the global sliders to create depth. Use gradient filters where they’re needed.
Before and after applying the Deep South preset.
Tip: Customize edits for a brand-specific style.
I often work with Lightroom’s Tone Curves and HSL controls to make colors either more true to the scene or interesting and unique. Another way I focus on particular colors and areas of the image is by using the Brush tools.
Before and after applying the Ethereal Scenes preset.
Tip: Explore split-toning.
I love using split-toning as it allows you to add a color to the highlights and another to the shadows. I frequently take advantage of this, adding a bit of coolness to shadows and warmth to the highlights.
Before and after applying the Gold Dust preset.
Tip: Understand the limitations of inspiration.
Seek inspiration, but don’t mimic it. Be your most dedicated self, stand true to your craft, and work exceptionally hard.
Before and after applying the Lavender Dawn preset.
Tip: Anyone can grow their photography skills.
The best piece of advice I’ve ever heard is, “The grass is greener where you water it.” While this advice referred to the success of a romantic relationship, it translates to many areas of our lives and career. The grass is greener where you water it: It takes time, care, and love. Don’t look elsewhere, don’t compare to your neighbor’s grass, or the grass you see on a highlight reel. Instead, shift your focus to understand that growth is necessary, essential, and beautiful.
Before and after applying the Alpine Dreams preset.
Installing presets.
Having trouble getting presets into Lightroom? Follow these instructions.
For Lightroom (must have version 1.3 or later):
For Lightroom Classic (must have version 7.3 or later):
Learn how to make these edits and save as presets directly in Lightroom (desktop and mobile):
Lightroom offers a range of photo editing tutorials called Discover edits that show you the edits made to a photograph. You can view the before and after photos and the editing process to know what it took for the photographer to achieve the result, and save the edit as a preset to apply to other photos.
To access Melissa’s Discover edits, click each link below to open each Edit in this preset pack to see how the edits were applied in Lightroom:
To view the Edit:
To save the edits applied as a preset:
Follow Melissa Findley on Lightroom to view more of her Discover edits and interactive tutorials.
