How to Quickly Make Better Photos With Local Adjustments in Lightroom

Many photographers find that their photos look flat or uneven, even after applying overall edits. Certain areas might be too dark, too bright, or lack detail, leaving images that don’t fully shine.

Local adjustments in Lightroom fix this by letting you target specific parts of a photo for exposure, color, and clarity changes. With tools like brushes, gradients, and masks, you can make precise edits quickly without affecting the whole image.

Using these adjustments, your photos gain depth, balance, and a professional finish, making every shot stand out with minimal effort.

How to Save Local Adjustments as Presets

Local adjustment presets are a great way to speed up your editing. You can save settings from tools like the brush, radial filter, or graduated filter and reuse them on other photos. Luckily, Lightroom makes this process simple.

Start by opening the tool you want to save as a preset. For example, select the Radial Filter. Adjust the settings just the way you like. This could include exposure, contrast, clarity, or color temperature.

Once your adjustments are ready, look for the “Create Preset” button in the panel. Click it, and a small window will appear. Give your preset a clear name, like “Sunlight Warmth”, and choose which settings to include. Be sure to select only the adjustments you want saved.

In our case, it’s a radial filter that adds some nice warmth and clarity to the sunlight. After naming it, click Create. Your new preset now appears in the local adjustments preset list.

Local adjustment presets are different from regular presets. They only affect the tool you saved them from, not the whole photo. This makes them perfect for targeting specific areas, like skies, skin, or shadows.

Next time you want the same effect, simply select the tool and choose your saved preset. This will apply all the saved adjustments instantly, saving you time and keeping your edits consistent.

Importing and Exporting Local Adjustment Presets

Local adjustment presets use the same “.lrtemplate” file format as standard develop presets. That means they are easy to share, move, or back up. You guessed it, this makes managing your presets much simpler.

How to Import a Local Adjustment Preset

1. Open Lightroom and go to the Develop module.
   

2. Click the Local Adjustment tool you want to use, like the Adjustment Brush, Graduated Filter, or Radial Filter.
   

3. In the panel, click the preset dropdown. Then select “Import Presets.”
   

4. Navigate to the folder with your “.lrtemplate” files. Select the preset and click “Import.” Lo and behold, it now appears in your list.

How to Export a Local Adjustment Preset

1. Create a preset by adjusting a photo using your local tools.
   

2. Click “Create Preset” at the bottom of the local adjustment panel.
   

3. Name your preset and choose which settings to include.
   

4. Click “Export.” Choose a folder to save the “.lrtemplate” file. Now you can share it or keep it for later.

Say you just made a new local adjustment preset for a portrait. Export it using the steps above. If you download presets from a friend or website, import them, and they will be added to the preset dropdown under the correct tool. Everything stays organized and ready to use.

Read also: How to Quickly Make Better Photos With Local Adjustments in Lightroom

Conclusion:

Using local adjustments in Lightroom gives you more control over your photos. You can fix problem areas, enhance details, and create consistent edits across multiple images. Saving these adjustments as presets saves time and keeps your workflow organized. Importing and exporting presets makes it easy to use your favorite edits on any computer or share them with others. By using these tools, you can make your photos look more polished and professional with less effort.

FAQs:

1. What are local adjustments in Lightroom?
Local adjustments let you edit specific parts of a photo instead of the whole image. You can change exposure, color, or clarity in just one area using brushes, gradients, or masks.

2. Why should I use local adjustments?
They help fix areas that are too dark, too bright, or lack detail. Your photos gain depth, balance, and a professional look.

3. Can I save local adjustments as presets?
Yes. You can save your settings from brushes, radial filters, or graduated filters as presets. This lets you apply the same adjustments to other photos quickly.

4. How do I create a local adjustment preset?
Open the tool you want to save, adjust the settings, and click “Create Preset.” Give it a clear name and select the settings to include. Click “Create,” and it will appear in your preset list.

5. How are local adjustment presets different from regular presets?
Local adjustment presets only affect the tool you save them from, not the whole photo. Regular presets apply changes to the entire image.

6. How do I use a saved local adjustment preset?
Select the same tool, open the preset dropdown, and choose your saved preset. The adjustments will apply instantly.

7. Can I share or move local adjustment presets?
Yes. They use the “.lrtemplate” file format, so you can export, import, or back them up easily.

8. How do I import a local adjustment preset?
Open the Develop module, select your tool, click the preset dropdown, and choose “Import Presets.” Find the “.lrtemplate” file and import it.

9. How do I export a local adjustment preset?
After creating a preset, click “Export,” choose a folder to save it, and the file will be ready to share or use later.

10. What is the benefit of using local adjustment presets?
They save time, keep your edits consistent, and make it easy to apply the same professional-looking adjustments across multiple photos.