Fix My Photo is a series of free Lightroom presets that are designed to help you solve the usual problems in photography. Each targets a specific element in light, tone, and color.
Contrast Darks free Lightroom preset optimizes tones for a clear and vivid photo. Its darkened tones add depth throughout the image, making elements look more defined. Its adjustments enhance contrasts to make portraits, landscapes, and urban scenes more attractive.
This is a versatile preset fix, so you can use it on any photo that you want to enhance.
When do I use this preset?
Use Contrast Darks if you want to instantly make your subjects and scenes pop. If your images lack look flat, this preset would enhance definition and contrast.
This preset fixes the following problems:
- Faint tones
- Lacking definition
- Washed out
How do I use it?
Simply apply it like any other presets. You can use it as is or as a base. If you wish to tweak the look further, try adjusting shadows and contrast levels. You can find more tips in the samples below.
The best way to use this, like all our Fix My Photo presets, is to keep it on your Lightroom’s Preset panel. It would make the fix accessible, and batch processing quick and easy.
Accentuates the Subject
Focused Portraits. As you can examine in this After photo, Contrast Darks instantly sets the foreground, the subject, apart from the background. The woman looks more defined now and there is better visual depth overall. Notice how the effect works well in this example, given a light background a vividly detailed subject.
This is particularly useful when photographing portraits. The preset helps draw attention to the subject and adds a professional look and feel.
Tip #1: Add Vignetting. If you want a film effect to complement the tonal contrast, add vignetting. Not only would it match the overall look, but it would also act as a frame for your portrait.
Adds a Modern & Professional Polish
Smooth and Vibrant. The modern aesthetic in photography calls for vibrant colors and contrasting tones. This preset helps you achieve exactly that; it lowers the levels of blacks to augment the tonal range and deepen dark regions.
Like the example above, you can use this aesthetic in dynamic urban scenes. The more detail your photo has, the better this preset would look.
Tip #2: Use it to create a cohesive look. This tonal enhancement is enough to set a particular visual identity. You can have this level of contrast across multiple photos to give them a cohesive look. The consistently dark tones and vivid elements are enough to set a visual identity on social media like Instagram and even professional prints.
Makes Scenes Detailed and Dramatic
Tip #3: Fine-tune the dark regions. You can also choose to amplify clarity levels (under the Effects tab in Lightroom mobile) if you want to reinforce midtones and some details. If you want a dark and smooth look, you can also increase the level of the Dehaze attribute.
Notice how the amplified dark tones significantly add depth and detail to the landscape above. The coast looks more vivid now; after all, we get to appreciate more of the crisp rock textures. Even with the overcast weather that the image was shot under, we are able to accentuate more of the scene’s dramatic, even ominous, atmosphere.
Contrast Darks is for Lightroom Mobile, Desktop and…
Like all our presets, you can absolutely use Contrast Darks 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 PresetLove.com
