Do you want to give your photos a cinematic feel? Are you tired of spending a lot of money on presets that don't quite deliver?

Creating your own cinematic presets for Lightroom is a fantastic way to achieve that movie-like vibe and transform ordinary shots into stunning images (just like the ones from your favorite photographers). The best part? You can do it in just 10 minutes (or less). Let’s learn how.

WHAT DOES CINEMATIC MEAN?

The term "cinematic" gets thrown around a lot on social media, but what does it really mean? For me, it's all about creating photos that evoke emotions and tell a story, just like a film does. A cinematic photo should look like it could be a still frame from a movie.

But which movie? Have you ever considered how many different genres of films we can count? So, take a moment to think: what does "cinematic" mean to YOU? What kind of look do you envision? Is there, specifically, a photographer you think about?

Generally speaking, the most popular cinematic look on social media right now features muted blacks, desaturated colors, high(er) contrast, and cooler tones. Here’s an example, street photo I took in Japan, before & after color grading.

If you want to take things to the next level though, think about how movies are color graded. Consider the use of colors and color combinations too.

You might be drawn to the popular teal and orange color palette, which involves enhancing those two colors in the color grading panel (and choosing the right subjects to work with (!!!)).

Or, you might prefer movies where certain scenes use specific colors to evoke specific emotions like red for passion, anger, yellow for cheerfulness, blue for nostalgia…
I like to take the movie "Joker" (2019) as an example: next time you watch it, notice how some scenes are dominated by a single color to communicate a specific emotion.

What if you prefer a more "fantasy" saturated cinematic look? This style uses vibrant, rich colors to create a surreal, dream-like atmosphere, making your photos feel like they're straight out of a fantasy film. 

Now you understand how different the final look could be (I love @watchluke - he was also a 2023 Lightroom Ambassador and he creates the most beautiful edits, saturated but still look cinematic)

HOW TO PRACTICALLY ACHIEVE THAT LOOK

It all BEGINS WITH SELECTING THE RIGHT IMAGe.

Here’s a truth not everyone may want to hear: while you can technically turn any image into a cinematic one, not every photo will look amazing with this style. The subject and story behind the image are crucial.

As a travel photographer who also shoots food, imagine trying to apply a cinematic look to one of my food photos. I might achieve a slight cinematic vibe, yes, but the impact of the final result heavily depends on the initial image anyway.

On the other hand, if you’re a street photographer, you’re in luck. Street images often come with built-in stories and emotions (assuming you’ve captured the right moment). So then it’s all about enhancing that narrative and atmosphere in Lightroom.

The right image also requires the perfect color combination, lighting, and contrast to truly shine. Talking about light, that brings me to the next point.

CORRECTIONS FIRST

Ever wondered why buying an expensive or inexpensive package of Lightroom presets often leaves you feeling disappointed with the results? It’s because the presets were developed - by the photographer - on images shot in different lighting conditions, with varying contrast, colors and color combinations. Since the starting image is different, it always needs correction first. Indeed look what happens if I apply the “cinematic settings” from one of my photos (on the left) to another (right). Horrible result.

So, to create your own cinematic presets for Lightroom in 10 minutes, the first step is correction.

Start by analyzing your image: is there a lighting issue (too bright or too dark? Needs more contrast?) or a color issue (white balance off? Colors too saturated?). This initial step is crucial for creating a solid foundation for color grading.

In Lightroom, your best friends in this phase are the Light Panel and the Color Panel. Don’t forget about the Optics and Geometry panels for lens correction and fixing perspective issues.

Practical example: if your photo is too bright and flat, but you want it darker and more contrasty, decrease Exposure and increase Contrast (darken shadows - brighten highlights) in the Tone Curve.

TIME TO COLOR GRADE

Once you have your "white canvas" (the corrected image) ready, it’s time to move on to color grading. Contrary to what many believe, color grading isn’t confined to the Color Grading panel alone. It also involves adjusting the level of contrast and the type of light in your image.

As mentioned earlier, the cinematic look can vary, but there are some general characteristics to aim for: muted blacks, desaturated colors, higher contrast, and cooler tones.

Practical Example:

To achieve muted blacks, you can adjust the tone curve like this (image below)👇 If you want to desaturate colors, you can either desaturate individual colors in the Color Mixer panel, or decrease the overall vibrancy of the image.

What about the color grading panel? How to use it?

Let’s be honest: it’s impossible to cover all the nuances of color grading in one post. However, I’ll share a key strategy with you.

Start by thinking about the message you want to communicate with your cinematic photo. Next, consider which colors can help evoke that message. For example, if you want to convey nostalgia, which suits the weather or mood, try adding a touch of blue to the Global Wheel.

As mentioned earlier, your editing choices will depend on the specific look you’re aiming for. If you’re trying to imitate a particular movie scene, analyze it: what colors do you see? Is there a dominant color - green, blue, yellow? What emotion does the scene evoke?

Alternatively, if you’re inspired by a photographer you admire, study their photos. For example, do their greens appear warmer or cooler? Are their blacks muted or deep, intense? (i.e. I love Alex Pantela’s editing, his greens have a warm tone but avoid that "dry" look…just beautiful!)

My pro tip is to always work with a reference image in mind. This will guide your color grading choices and help you achieve a more cohesive and intentional look.

Save your own preset

Now that your photo is corrected and graded, it’s time to save your own preset. This is the easiest part. Simply click on the Preset panel, then click on the “+” icon and select "Create Preset"

You can choose which settings to save. I usually recommend not saving White Balance, Geometry, and Masks, as they will vary with each photo. Instead, focus on saving the contrast adjustments, Color Mixer settings, Color Grading, and Color Calibration.

Keep in mind that presets will always need some adjustment to fit each specific photo. My advice is to create different presets based on factors like the day you shot and the weather conditions. This way, you can better match the lighting situation and achieve more accurate results.

Conclusion

I promise that when you have a clear idea in mind, editing takes less time, and creating your own cinematic presets for Lightroom can be done in under 10 minutes. In fact, I have a recommendation for you 👇

If you want to edit your photos faster, professionally and more efficiently, don’t miss out on my free masterclass “3-STEP BLUEPRINT TO EFFORTLESS, PROFESSIONAL LIGHTROOM EDITS.”

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Drop a comment below to let me know if you have any questions or if this post was helpful for you! I’d love to hear your thoughts and feedback. If there’s something specific you’d like more information on or if there’s a topic you’re curious about, feel free to ask. Your input helps me create content that’s more valuable to you!

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