Enlighten Me: Three Looks One Image With Lightroom 4+ Presets

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As you may or may not know, we launched our NEW Lightroom Presets Wednesday.  And in case you missed it, we have a small sample pack for free too.

buy-now-300x791 Enlighten Me: Three Looks One Image With Lightroom 4+ Presets Blueprints Lightroom Presets Lightroom Tips

Every time we release a set, I have the privilege of editing some amazing images sent to me by testers and a few photographers I admire. One such photographer, whose work I love so much, just so happens to be one of my friends from early childhood.

Here’s the story about this photo.

While this is my professional blog, I have to tell you a short personal story… This goes back 35+ years to when I was 5 years old and just moved to Marietta, Georgia. I was in class and became friends with a girl named Kelly Harmon.  She was as sweet and cute as can be with a big dimple in her cheek as she smiled. She tells me that I was shy back then.  Can you believe that?  She said the class used to scream “shout it out Jodi; shout it out” when I would get up for show-n-tell.  Anyway, we were extremely close through Elementary School and part of Middle School.  And as often happens, we found other friends, and didn’t see each other as much. By the end of high school, we had lost touch…

Fast forward to adulthood.  I was reading posts on a popular photography forum many years ago and came across her name, or maybe she came across mine.  I think we both found each other. We private messaged each other and were so excited to learn that both of us found photography.  That girl with the big dimple who I called my best early childhood friend was a photographer too. For the past number of years, I get holiday cards from her, and her card is always the one I drool over most.  Her photography is stunning – it speaks to me.  And I hope it speaks to you.  I am so proud of her!

Introducing my friend: Kelly Roper – and her amazing photography…

To start with, Kelly photographs a lot of children for editorial shoots for magazines. These were for Babiekins Magazine Decemeber 2011 (page 81-90, if you want to check out more published images from this shoot).  I am hoping she will soon guest write to tell you more. Make sure to leave her a comment if you want her to write about editorial shoots.  Often the models are wearing incredible clothing and beautiful accessories, like the headband shown.  The only makeup the model has on is a touch of blush and chapstick – and some glitter I believe – on her shoulders.  She did not have any eye makeup on.  Her eyelashes are just that amazing.

Here is the original, straight out of camera image.  Shot with an 85mm lens, f3.5, 1/250, ISO400.

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Here is the first edit.

Lightroom Presets from MCP Enlighten: Vibrant, Ginger, Lighten 1/3 Stop, See Clearly.  Then used the following Enlighten brushes: Soften Skin (on the skin) and Sharpen (on the eyes and the headband)

clean-edit-kelly Enlighten Me: Three Looks One Image With Lightroom 4+ Presets Blueprints Lightroom Presets Lightroom Tips

A More Artistic Edit for the second one.

Lightroom Presets from MCP Enlighten: Soft & Bright, Lemon Water, Cool Afternoon, Lighten 2/3 Stop, See Clearly, Midtone Contrast Medium.  Then used the following Enlighten brushes: Soften Skin (on the skin) and Sharpen (on the eyes and the headband)

kelly1-single-image1 Enlighten Me: Three Looks One Image With Lightroom 4+ Presets Blueprints Lightroom Presets Lightroom Tips

Now for a black and white look.

Lightroom Presets from MCP Enlighten:  Splash B&W, Lighten 2/3 Stop.  Then used the following Enlighten brushes: Soften Skin (on the skin) and Sharpen (on the eyes and the headband)

kelly-bw-single Enlighten Me: Three Looks One Image With Lightroom 4+ Presets Blueprints Lightroom Presets Lightroom Tips

The examples were made in Lightroom too, using our Display It for Web Lightroom Presets. This was one with just a branding bar.

So, which look fits your style best?  The clean, color popped image, the artistic toned image or the black and white??? Tell us in the comments below.

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  1. Tara Fletcher on May 15, 2014 at 10:40 pm

    In LOVE! I am completely in love with these presets. They are worth every penny! I love ‘Pop’ and ‘Earl Grey’. I didn’t feel that the white balance and exposure presets were necessary, because I have always done them by hand, but these make editing SO much faster. You can just click a button instead of adjusting the sliders! The individual color adjustments are amazing. Adjusting the color sliders can be so time consuming and these presets put them all at your fingertips with one click! I have been looking at these presets for a long time and my only regret is that I didn’t purchase them sooner. I can’t wait until the new Lightroom presets are released! (Posted on 1/28/14)

  2. EDGE Photography on May 15, 2014 at 10:40 pm

    A Must Have For ALL LR Users I don’t think I ever told you but thank you for creating the “Enlighten” set for LR! I literally use it everyday and now I’m not sure what I would do without it. My workflow is super streamlined now that I have almost mastered all the presets and the brushes! I am not a Photoshop user and use LR5 with “Enlighten” for literally every shoot! It works with LR4 as well so if your concerned about having to upgrade to access this set of tools, there is no need, just buy it and get to it! (Posted on 11/13/13)

  3. JHillier on May 15, 2014 at 10:40 pm

    BEST PRESETS EVER!! Enlighten presets have shortened my editing time to HALF! I am not sure I would be so efficient since that was where I was struggling! Time management is my weakness and now it is a strength thanks to MCP Enlighten presets! (Posted on 6/6/13)

  4. Jodi on May 15, 2014 at 10:40 pm

    Speeds up my workflow I love the Enlighten presets! With Enlighten you have a complete workflow that is simple and fast to use from start to finish. The brushes are amazing and user friendly. Enlighten has 4 simple steps. First prep your photos white balance and lighting. Next, style your photo with options such as haze, matte blend, or b/w. Then have fun with enhancing your image with an awesome overlay (l love chamomile) and in this step you can tweak your individual colors by increasing or decreasing the intensity. Last, complete your photo by adjusting shadows, tones, and contrast. Here you can also adjust noise or sharpen. Plus so much more. I don’t have a lot of time to spend editing for hours and hours. Enlighten has cut my post processing time in half. I rarely use PSE now. I can’t say enough about Enlighten…it’s awesome! If I were only allowed one set of actions or presets this would be my choice! It is worth every penny! (Posted on 5/2/13)

  5. Lilly on May 15, 2014 at 10:40 pm

    Perfect for everything! I recently purchased Enlighten Presets for LR4 and I’m so glad that I did. I absolutely LOVE these presets and brushes. They are easy to use, and you can stack to get several different looks… I have my favorites already, I often use the Lemon Water Overlay, give my images that extra pop…Now to save up and purchase the Quick Clicks Collection…Thanks Jodi and the rest of the MCP crew. =) (Posted on 3/28/13)

  6. KendraJane on May 15, 2014 at 10:40 pm

    Have to share, this is a system that WORKS! I bought the enlighten MCP presets a few months ago as a final attempt on finding presets that could work for me. Let me tell you, I am one happy photographer. These presets and the workflow are perfect for me and I now save sooo much time by just being able to work in Lightroom! I am a wedding and portrait photographer and I was looking for a system in Lightroom that would give me the results I wanted and help me speed things up. All the presets I have bought in the past didn’t work, I’d buy a a pack and maybe get use out of a couple of presets, and not dependably. The effects were too strong for my taste and didn’t lend themselves to different kinds of lighting. Before MCP I would run through my images in Lightroom to make minor corrections and then load in Photoshop to do all creative editing and skin touch ups. Weddings literally took forever to finish.Now with MCP enlighten and the brush set I no longer need to spend extra time in photoshop… It is amazing!!! The process contains several steps to get the look you want to achieve without over doing it. The presets in this bundle are very customizable and that is just what I needed! My images look great and I have lost nothing but wasted time by not using photoshop!! Thanks MCP (Posted on 8/19/13)

  7. Barefoot Photography by Jess Roberts on May 15, 2014 at 10:40 pm

    Amazing set – speeds up workflow at ton! I use Lightroom for all my editing and am beyond thrilled with the Enlighten set. I am able to transform my images into works of art with every customizable click. LOVE this set and will definitely recommend it to others! (Posted on 3/27/13)

  8. Alyssa Maisano Photography on May 15, 2014 at 10:40 pm

    So so happy. Cuts my editing time in half! I am so so pleased with these presets. I could use them all day. I’ll be using only these for a long time. So many great features! I love the “clean” preset under Style Your Photo. So easy to use!! Thanks! (Posted on 3/26/13)

  9. Loreta on May 15, 2014 at 10:41 pm

    Best Lightroom Presets Ever! Jodi and the MCP Team: you have outdone yourself with Enlighten! I will be your new spokesperson! I LOVE IT! Worth 10x the cost! Unlike most presets, Enlighten gives you more control without really having to make any major adjustments after you “click”. This is HUGE time saver. It is so precise and specific. I have been waiting on a product like this for Lightroom for years. I have a feeling Photoshop is going to be very lonely from this point forward. Thank you! (Posted on 3/21/13)

  10. Tablizo Photography ~ mtmphotos on May 15, 2014 at 10:41 pm

    Enlighten Lightroom Presets Absolutely LOVE the Enlighten Lightroom Presets! Big THANK YOU to the entire MCP staff for developing such easy to use presets. Beautifully designed and I’m an addict for all your Lightroom products! (Posted on 3/20/13)

  11. Imagination Framed Photography on May 15, 2014 at 10:41 pm

    If I could only have one MCP product this would be the one. I am so pleased at how much time this has saved me already. I love the number of choices and the local brush adjustments are perfect. I work so many hours a week outside of my photography the time savings while still hitting my expectations is perfect. As much as I like my other MCP products if I could only have one this would be the one! (Posted on 3/16/13)

  12. Amanda Brayton Photography on May 15, 2014 at 10:41 pm

    Amazing and so easy to use! These presets are simply amazing! So easy to use, and you get fast beautiful results! Totally worth the money. You will not be disappointed! You can use these presets on any kind of photos. I can’t wait to use them again! (Posted on 3/15/13)

  13. Kristin Thompson on May 15, 2014 at 10:41 pm

    User Friendly and Shockingly Good! Review byI’m an amateur photographer, still learning how to “get it right in camera,” so I often rely on LR to help me clean up my work. These presets provide consistent results every time I use them and they have revolutionized my workflow and my photography! The system is easy to install, easy to use, and downright enjoyable to play with. The brush presets are a dream come true! I usually avoided the brush tool in LR (because I’d always over-do it!), but this system is truly customizable and user-friendly. They allow for very-fine adjustments to so many aspects of the photo. You will want to spend your entire workflow in LR once you start using these presets – and you’ll be surprised and pleased at the amazing images you’re able to turn out. And even though the description indicates that you’re getting around 200 presets, you’re actually getting MANY more – once you start mixing and matching and adding brush treatments. Love these presets! Thanks again for taking the time to make them so wonderful and useful!(Posted on 3/14/13)

  14. Leslie Bowen on May 15, 2014 at 10:41 pm

    Perfect for those new to LR too I recently received Lightroom 4, (I’m a photoshop gal) so I had no idea how to find my way in LR4. So those who are new to LR4, I highly recommend MCP Enlighten! It is simple to use, and so diverse, you have matte presets, grunge presets and everything in between! (Posted on 3/6/13)

  15. Leigh Demshar on May 15, 2014 at 10:41 pm

    Gives you control over your images. “My favorite part by FAR is section 4, which really gives you control over the brightness and exposure settings of highlights, midtones and dark tones. For someone coming from a traditional photography (darkroom) background, you know that tonality and detail are the most critical parts of an image. This section gives me that control, which can otherwise be overwhelming with all the sliders in LR4.” (Posted on 3/6/13)

  16. Casey Cooper Photography on May 15, 2014 at 10:41 pm

    Something for everyone. This is a great preset collection for a one-stop place to perform the optimum non-destructive enhancements to both your Raw and JPG photos. From basic corrections to creative touches, this collection has something to satisfy every unique style. (Posted on 3/6/13)

  17. Sue Zellers on May 15, 2014 at 10:41 pm

    Create beautiful photos Review byI love these presets. It is easy to stack different presets for a custom look. And the brushes allow you to fine tune details in your photos. With these you’ll be able to simply create beautiful photos. (Posted on 3/6/13)

  18. Ann Bennett Photography on May 15, 2014 at 10:42 pm

    Most customizable set of presets! Before using MCP Enlighten for Lightroom 4, I had not been a big Lightroom user. Now that I have this set, I will be using Lightroom much more often! This is the most customizable set of Lightroom presets that I have ever used. The brushes are particularly useful. MCP Enlighten saves me time on editing! (Posted on 3/6/13)

  19. Jean Smith Photography on May 15, 2014 at 10:42 pm

    Best presets available. So much control. SO much control, yet so easy with a click of a button. These blow all other presets out of the water. Love them! (Posted on 3/6/13)

  20. hydrangia91 on July 31, 2015 at 12:37 am

    I am so excited I want to scream! Great tutorials with purchase I bought “Enlighten Presets.” I have had some experience with presets, but nothing compares to this set. It is a game changer for me. Thankyou from Vancouver Island

  21. amandayawn on November 27, 2017 at 7:55 am

    I downloaded the MCP Enlighten Lightroom Presets to make adjustments to my Christmas card photos. The instructions are clear and the actions are very well organized. More importantly, the presets really made perfect color depth adjustments to my photos without requiring additional tweaks. Great product and a great value!

  22. mjroaportfolio on November 27, 2017 at 12:03 pm

    I find all the presets and actions from MCPactions very useful andversatile. I use my Enlighten Lightroom Presets 85% on my all editingprocess. I also love their Inspire Photoshop Action when working on PS.They are basically my go-to presents/actions. No regrets and best purchaseI made.

  23. KimLangley on November 27, 2017 at 4:03 pm

    I use MCP Enlighten Presets almost exclusively for my portraitbusiness. Absolutely love the clean look of the preset. I don’t know whatI’d do without my MCP presets!

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