A vibrant portrait of a woman wearing yellow pants and sunglasses

Perfect Portra


Perfect Portra free Lightroom preset makes portraits look stylishly cinematic with its dramatic tones. It also undersaturates hues to create an elegant matte look.

You can use this preset on various portraits, from selfies to fashion photography, whether shot indoors or outdoors. It, after all, applies a versatile analog film look that enhances skin tones and mutes unwanted shadows.

? Tip: Perfect Portra makes a great Instagram filter! Not only does it give your feed a cohesive look, but it also makes photos expressive and professionally captivating.

Draws Out Light and Color

A vibrant portrait of a woman wearing a white shirt

Bright and Vivid. The preset begins by enhancing the basics elements of the photo. It heightens both light and color by amplifying exposure and contrast. These also set a base for Perfect Portra’s succeeding tweaks in color and tone.

You can easily notice the result in the example above. The subject in the After photo is much more illuminated, and the wall behind her now acts as a nice contrast. See how these draw attention to the subject more effectively.

Lightens Blacks

A dramatic and cinematic portrait of a woman behind a glass panel

Matte Blacks. One of Perfect Portra’s unique film effects can be found in its black tones. They are soft and tender, thereby producing the preset’s cinematic matte look. This also makes dark tones appear less harsh on portraits.

You can compare the before and after photos in the example above. The original picture looks dim; the subject is not as visible against the glass panel’s glare and reflection. See how Perfect Portra resolves these problems in the After photo. The subject is now more visible, her skin tones look more complex, and the matte tones give it a dramatic mood.

Now, take note of the dark tones: they look stylistically muted in the After photo. Examine the woman’s black off-shoulder top and the dim cafe interior. Perfect Portra makes them less intense and brings out some subtle hues.

Moderates the Intensity of Highlights

A man in a gray hoodie looking up into the sky with eyes closed

Cinematic Brilliance. The preset also mutes the highlights to make sure that no bright areas look overblown. It is, after all, important in any portrait. This is also a necessary adjustment given its previous boosts in brightening.

As you can see in the photo above, this setting goes hand in hand with the lightening of blacks. Perfect Portra blends these tones to preserve detail and draw out its cinematic look and feel. In the After photo above, see how the lighting looks accentuated, especially on the man’s face. It is not too bright; it is only enough to illuminate the subject further. Overall, this effect visibly transforms the entire atmosphere of the image.

Undersaturates Cool Colors

A cinematic portrait of a couple with their foreheads touching

Dim Hues. These settings in color also contribute to Perfect Portra’s matte texture. As with all its settings, these are optimized for portraits and a cinematic look.

The preset lowers the saturation of green, aqua, and blue hues, and refines these through a custom camera calibration. You can notice this effect the most when shooting outdoors; these three colors are after all commonly seen in nature.

Perfect Portra applies the same improvements on purple and magenta as well. This means that skin tones would look light and airy. You can easily notice it in the After photo above. See how the couple’s faces look more complex yet delicate.

Perfect Portra is for Lightroom Mobile, Desktop and…

Like all our presets, you can absolutely use Perfect Portra preset as is, right out of the box. With any preset, you might need to make adjustments to accommodate your specific camera, settings, lighting and subject matter.

  • Entirely Adjustable
  • Compatible with Lightroom 4, 5, 6 and CC
  • Performs with both PC, Mac, and Mobile
  • Applicable to both RAW and JPG images
  • 100% Free


Free Lightroom Preset by Forrest Lane

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