Let’s go right back and start from the very beginning. For those already familiar with exposure, temperature and tint then feel free to move onto the next section.

If you’re thinking, what the heck is temperature then stick around, and I will walk you through each setting so you understand what each slider does and how to adjust your Lightroom Preset like a pro.

Light

Exposure

In my workflow, exposure is the first setting I adjust as it has the most significant impact on my images. The exposure determines how light or dark you want your images to look.

I love bright, light and airy photos, so I always boost my exposure by +0.5 to +1.5. I especially need to use this is if I have taken an image on my phone as they quite often come out a little underexposed (darker) for my style. 

If the image is overexposed (too bright) or you prefer a dark, moodier look to your pictures, you may want to pull down the exposure until the image looks right to you.

Remember there is no right or wrong – stylising your images is entirely personal so go with what looks good to you.

Contrast

Contrast defines areas of lightness or darkness. You will notice if you pull it to the left, the darker areas become lighter and the picture looks flatter. Pull the slider to the right, and you’ll see that the shadows become darker and it makes your image pop. 

Shadows and highlight

Highlights will only concentrate on the lighter areas of your image. Push the highlights up, and it will brighten them, push it down, and it will darken them. 

Shadows do the opposite. Push it up, and it will lighten the darker areas of the image and push it down to darken them. 

To make your image stand out, pull down your highlights and lift your shadows.