Why You May Want to Invest in Paid presets
While free Lightroom presets can be useful when you’re first learning how to edit or want to quickly try out some different styles, paid presets often offer significant advantages for serious photographers.
Higher Quality
Paid presets are typically created by professional photographers and retouchers who have invested a lot of time into researching and developing sophisticated preset packs. They are able to charge for their presets because of the skill, knowledge, and expertise that has gone into making them. Free presets, on the other hand, can be hit or miss in terms of quality.
More Versatile and Robust
Premium presets usually provide a wider range of styles, looks, and options to choose from. They may include presets for portraits, landscapes, street photography, weddings, etc. within the same pack. The preset creators are also able to offer more granular control over effects using advanced tools like color grading, curves, split toning, etc. This allows for more versatility and customization. With free presets, you’re stuck with whatever limited options are provided.
Regular Updates
High-quality paid preset creators frequently update their packs to take advantage of the latest features in Lightroom. They also work to improve existing presets based on user feedback and the evolving trends in photography. Free presets are often not maintained or updated by their creators, so they can become outdated over time.
save time
Using professionally-designed presets that you can trust will ultimately save you a lot of time editing your photos. You won’t have to spend as long adjusting settings to get the look you want or fixing presets that don’t work well. You can simply choose a preset, tweak it slightly, and you’ll have a polished edit in minutes. For many photographers, the time savings alone is worth the investment in paid presets.
In the end, both free and paid presets can be useful in their own ways. But when you need robust, high-quality presets that provide consistent results and save you time, paid options are worth considering. The initial upfront cost will be quickly recouped through increased efficiency and better final edits.