B&W Berkeley is a free black and white Lightroom preset that gives digital photographs a retro film effect. It replicates the unmistakable charm of old film without the unnecessary grain. Its rich tones that will make your photo look refined even in the absence of color.
Collection: Black and White Presets, Portrait Presets, Warm Presets
Best for: Portraits, Natural Lighting, Landscapes
Style: Vintage, Sepia Tones
If you want to get that analog sepia look, this is the preset to go for. Given its versatile vintage style, you can try it on various types of photography, from portraits to landscapes. You will get clear and crisp tones each time. B&W Berkeley will look stunning on prints and even onscreen as a casual Instagram filter.
Adds Light and Brilliance
Brightening. As a monochrome filter, the preset first switches treatment to black and white mode. It is good to note that it uses the older 2010 process of Lightroom that handles light and tones differently.
The present blends an increase in fill light with a slight decrease in exposure. It then draws out some details by moderating the intensity of tones with a boost in the recovery slider.
You can examine the result in the woman’s expressive portrait above. The After photo is more illuminated, even radiant. There are less intense shadows on her face, too, thus revealing more of her expression and facial features.
Lightens and Intensifies Tones
Vibrant. B&W Berkeley preset makes up for its lack of color by producing light yet rich tones. It retains much detail in both light and dark areas and amplifies its midtones. It does these by lightening blacks and increasing both clarity and contrast.
To accentuate the extremities in tone and to further its charming retro look, B&W Berkeley adds brown to highlights and pink to shadows. The former is more amplified that the latter to create a browner, almost sepia, aesthetic.
Creates a Custom Tone Curve
Blended. This preset more finely adjusts tones in the tone curve. It thoroughly tweaks them so that there are no overblown highlights or harsh shadows. Besides, the narrowed tonal spectrum does add to the old film motif.
You can observe the effect yourself in example photo above. The After photo looks lighter and brighter, and the children are more evenly illuminated. You can also observe how the preset handles dark tones by noting the muted leaves in the background.
Finally, note the details on their clothing and the flattering radiance of their skin. This example shows how B&W Berkeley handles portraits professionally, and well.
Amplifies the Luminance of Blue and Magenta Tones
Brilliance. B&W Berkeley increases the luminance of blue and magenta tones in the mix channel. These are most noticeable on the sea, sky, and skin. You can observe this in the example above. Look at the bright tones in the background — now brilliant whites — and skin tones of the woman going down the steps.
In contrast, the preset lowers the luminance of all other colors in the mix channel, at varying degrees. It optimizes the tones to show more depth and detail.
B&W Berkeley is for Lightroom Mobile, Desktop and…
Like all our presets, you can absolutely use B&W Berkeley 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.
If you want more presets like this, be sure to check out our black and white presets and Lightroom presets for portraits.
- 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 BeArt
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