Top free Lightroom presets for portraiture by PresetLove

Best 20+ Lightroom Presets for Portraits


Among all the types of photography, portraiture can be the most demanding.

For instance, you need to consider a lot of factors whenever shooting or processing portraits.

Be mindful of each attribute’s effect on facial features, expression, mood, and skin tone. The wonderful thing is that it does not have to be as complicated as it sounds — all thanks to Lightroom presets that are specially designed for portraiture.

These presets blend and optimize light, tone, and color for different scenes and conditions. Each of them produces a distinct aesthetic and does wonders on skin tones. As a result, all are ideal for headshots, selfies, studio portraits, and various others.

How to Use Lightroom Presets for Portraits

There are several practical and creative advantages of using Lightroom presets when postprocessing images. First of all, and the most obvious, is how easy they are to use. Even beginners can, in a few minutes, produces artistic results. Presets can even help you learn about each attribute in Lightroom.

If you need help, you can check out the Lightroom preset guide that we prepared for you. Just read through it and you can learn how to add presets to Lightroom, both on mobile and desktop.

If you are a professional photographer who post-processes photos by bulk, presets are likely your friend by now. Using them helps you experiment with different looks in mere seconds and apply settings across images in a few clicks. It is good to have a varied collection; your Lightroom’s preset panel should look like ours after some time, with several presets to click through.

Free and Powerful Photo-Editing

You do not need to purchase portrait plug-ins for Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop, either. Those can only add to your expense and time. For a free solution, just use Adobe Lightroom mobile app. Download some Lightroom presets and you are good to go.

After all, presets already give you settings that work.

Begin your postprocessing by downloading and going through some portrait presets below. You can think of them as your bases or points of departure. Choose one with the aesthetic that you are going for and tweak from there.

Set Your Visual Identity

Here’s the best part: presets are ideal for setting a visual identity as a photographer or a social media influencer. This is the signature look that you should establish so you can stand out and be memorable to your audience.

Presets allow you to explore styles and apply a cohesive aesthetic throughout your images or portfolio. So if you have an Instagram feed, and you want a unique look for it, here are the best Lightroom presets for Instagram that you can try.

Start by checking out this selection of beautiful portrait photography presets that we handpicked for you.

We also have a Premium preset collection of Social Media Presets!
Consider these when upgrading your blog or social media look.

Moody Portrait Presets

Portraiture I

A high-contrast portrait of a woman with curls and eyeglasses

Best for: Headshots or Closeups
Style: Dramatic
Tones: Bold and High-Contrast
Colors: Dark and Vibrant

Portraiture I highlights detail and adds stunning definition like you see on magazines and digital publications. Its settings are perfect for headshots and closeups, making expressions gorgeously dramatic. Its aesthetic is defined by deep and accentuated tones.

Downtown

Explore the Cityscape with Downtown Preset - Before and After Comparison Image by PresetLove

Best for: Outdoor Portraits, Urban Portraits, Travel
Style: Vivid
Tones: Crisp
Colors: Deep and Dark

Downtown looks amazing on outdoor and urban portraits especially if you have a lot of colors and varied tones. We love how it creates a natural look with crisp, bold, tones.

Bearded Man

Enhance Your Portraits with Bearded Man Preset - Before and After Comparison Image by PresetLove

Best for: Portraits of Men, Closeups, Outdoor
Style: Vivid and Detailed
Tones: Warm and Bold
Colors: Dark and Vibrant

Bearded Man gives portraits a rugged look and is specially designed to enhance headshots of men. It emphasizes facial features, like beards, as its name says. You can also use it for other portraits if you are going for a clear and crisp look or hipster feel.

Film Portrait Presets

Dark Dream

A soft film portrait of a woman wearing a coat

Best for: Urban Portraits
Style: Vintage, Cinematic, and Mysterious
Tones: Dim and Matte
Colors: Soft and Natural

Dark Dream gives photos a dark and dreamy feel because of its soft matte tones. This preset actually has a light vintage film look, unlike what its name suggests. It creates this wonderful blend of tones for a mysterious and moody atmosphere.

Portra 160

A woman with aviator sunglasses

Best for: All Types
Style: Analog Film, Retro
Tones: Light, Cool, and Matte
Colors: Balanced

Portra 160 preset gives digital photos the timeless look of the classic Kodak Portra 160 film. It has soft cool tones and balanced tonal intensity. Because of these classic refinements, this is the preset to use if you want subtler tones and matte textures on your portraits.

Movie Star

A cinematic portrait of a woman resting her chin on her hands

Best for: Indoor and Outdoor, Fashion Photography
Style: Retro, Analog Film, and Cinematic
Tones: Warm and Matte
Colors: Clear and Vibrant

Movie Star has a gorgeous aesthetic: it combines a retro warmth and a cinematic feel. It has dramatic tones that are versatile enough for both indoor and outdoor shots. You will love its unique color motif and overall expressive style.

Instagram Portrait Presets

Pastel Warm

Add a Soft and Dreamy Look with Pastel Warm Preset - Before and After Comparison Image by PresetLove

Best for: Outdoor Portraits, Instagram, Blogs
Style: Retro, Stylish
Tones: Warm and Moderate Contrast
Colors: Soft and Unsaturated

Pastel Warm adds some sophisticated and stylish warmth to photos. It has its unique motif made up of soft brown and magenta tones. It is great for portrait and even fashion photography.

Drama Queen

Portrait of a woman with a yellow flower behind her ear

Best for: Outdoor portraits, engagement and couple shoots, travel
Style: Rustic, Boho, Warm Browns

This rustic Drama Queen free Lightroom preset has an incredibly elegant and warm glow. Its aesthetic is gorgeously rustic! Its warm boho style, too, just looks incredible on portraits. The overall warmth makes the entire image look so dramatic.

Fashion

Fashion preset white fur

Best for: Fashion and Travel Photography
Style: Chic and Stylish
Tones: Matte with Pastel Tint
Colors: Vibrant

Fashion preset is specifically designed for fashion portraits. Your photos get a stylish look because of its pink-violet tones and classic matte finish. It will emphasize the details of outfits and even add a refined look and feel.

Bright & Sweet

A man in a suit leaning against a red car

Best for: All Types of Portraits, Wedding, Newborn, Pets, Instagram
Style: Warm Motif, Clear, Bright
Tones: Balanced Tones
Colors: Warm, Creamy Pastels

Bright & Sweet preset gives portraits an attractive warm glow. The creamy pastels it produces soften tones and set a stylish color motif. It is great as an Instagram filter exactly because of its portrait-optimized aesthetic.

Family Portrait Presets

Home Portrait

A little girl in a green dress with her hands under her chin

Best for: Indoor Portraits, Dim/Uneven Lighting, Family Portraits, Children
Style: Clear, Bright, and Sharp
Tones: Moderate
Colors: Natural

Home Portrait optimizes lighting, color, and tone and even does well on images with uneven or dim lighting. With it, you won’t need to worry much about unbalanced lighting indoors. This preset also gives photos a professional look and feel.

Family Day

Family Day preset - father and daughter

Best for: Family Portraits, Children
Style: Warm, Vivid
Tones: Clear
Colors: Golden, Rich

Family Day preset visually creates the warm look and feel of being home. It is designed especially for family portraits, and we just love how its golden color motif highlights expressions and emotions.

Magic Moments

A family portrait of a mom in a red dress embracing her two boys

Best for: Outdoor, Travel, Family Portraits
Style: Soft Matte, Detailed
Tones: Vivid, High-Contrast
Colors: Muted Greens, Deep and Dark

Magic Moments has some muted colors that help make your subjects pop. To add its magical feel, the preset produces attractively vivid tones that also bring out so much detail and facial expressions. You should try this motif if you take a lot of family portraits.

Clover

A charming photo of a little girl taking a photo with an analog camera

Best for: Newborn and Children, Portraiture
Style: Clear, Soft, Vivid
Tones: Balanced Tones
Colors: Light Magenta Accent, Vibrant

This Clover preset is a nice in-between if you want a defining color motif and a clear, natural, look. It creates a polished and expressive image without altering the original elements sp much.

Clean Edit Portrait Presets

Warm Memories

Relive Your Warm Memories with Warm Memories Preset - Before and After Comparison Image by PresetLove

Best for: Indoor and outdoor portraiture and selfies
Style: 
Bright, Clear, Highly Defined
Tones: Optimized, Amplified Midtones
Colors: Vibrant and Warm

Warm Memories sets a warm motif and enhances tones to produces a stunningly clear and professional image. Go for this preset if you want a color motif that will make your photos stand out, without compromising the natural look.

A Hazy Portrait

A sharpened and brightened portrait of a man with foliage in the background

Best for: Correcting Hazy Photos/Lacking Detail
Style: Clean, Clear, Crisp
Tones: Deep yet Balanced
Colors: Natural, Moderate Vibrance

A Hazy Portrait adds clarity and improves the natural look of any portrait. It reduces the haze in your images to emphasize the subject’s facial features and expressions.

Alice

A woman in a field of bright greens

Best for: Bright Outdoor Images, Enhancing Skin Tones
Style: Warm and Clear
Tones: Rich
Colors: Natural

Alice has a bright and sunny feel to it that makes portraits seem to glow. It has nice cream hues that enhance skin tones and give photos a fresh look. We love how it produces clear, natural, and expressive portraits.

Pop Portrait

A classic portrait of a woman with a red headdress, against a green background

Best for: All Types
Style: Bright, Vibrant
Tones: Moderate, Tinted
Colors: Warm, Light

Pop Portrait adds a beautiful ‘pop’ to your portraits. It brightens photos, makes colors vibrant, and adds a stylish feel. Its settings thoroughly enhance skin tones, features, and expressions.

Clean Face

A bright headshot of a man holding up an object to cover half of his face

Best for: Indoor Portraits
Style: Bright, Clear, Smooth
Tones: Moderate
Colors: Neutral

Clean Face applies clean and clear adjustments to portraits. This is one of our most versatile portrait presets that you should keep. Use it whenever you want stunning yet conservative enhancements.

Black and White Portrait Presets

Sharp B&W

A vivid black and white photo of a woman sitting in a field wearing a white top and sunglasses

Best for: Headshots, Portraits, Landscapes, Versatile (Indoor and Outdoor)
Style: Bright and Detailed

Sharp B&W free monochrome preset looks stunning on portraits because of its high-contrast tones. It has deep darks, without harsh shadows. Its vignette also does a great job at framing the subject! The result just always grabs attention.

Black & White OX

Black & White preset - lady

Best for: Portraits, Natural Lighting, Outdoor
Style: Brilliant, Bold Dark Regions, Matte, Textured

This monochrome presets has elegantly crisp tones. Black & White OX has soft light regions that you can easily notice. This effect creates a subdued matte glow and a dreamy feel. It looks captivating on portraits.

B&W Berkeley

A bright monochrome portrait of a woman

Best for: Portraits, Natural Lighting, Landscapes
Style: Vintage, Sepia Tones

B&W Berkeley applies a retro film aesthetic to digital photos. It replicates the charm of old film but without the unnecessary and intrusive grain. It has soft and rich tones that make shots expressive even without color.

Premium Professional Portrait Preset Collections for Lightroom

7 Glow Portrait Presets for Lightroom Mobile and Desktop

Glow Skin Tone Presets by KIIN

These stunning professional Glow skin tone presets by KIIN will make your skin look smooth, dewy, and glowing! They will work equally well for lighter and darker skin tones. Perfect for bloggers and social media use!

10 Dark Skin Lightroom Preset Collection

Dark Skin Lightroom Presets by KIIN

This Dark Skin professional preset pack includes 10 unique Lightroom presets, specially selected and adjusted for fabulous darker skin tones. You will be able to choose among various shades so it’s easier to fight the right one for you. It’s a gorgeous set for selfies, portrait photographers, beauty bloggers, family shots, and newborns. 

Cream Tones Creamy Skin Tone Presets

Cream Lightroom Presets by KIIN

Here’s another professional preset that can enhance skin tone. This Cream lifestyle and fashion KIIN preset collection produces a soft and airy look, plus smooth creamy skin. Its entire white and cream aesthetic is so elegantly stylish — amazing as a blog or Instagram filter.

Where to Get More Free Presets

You can instantly get the best Lightroom Presets that you can use to enhance your portraiture! Save time and instantly download all 300+ presets plus 21 premium presets. You can view and get the preset bundle here.

All Preset Bundle - 21 Premium Presets - PresetLove

How to Install Lightroom Presets

Using Lightroom presets for portraiture is easy and it will speed up your photo-editing. If you are new and considering making it a part of your process, here is a guide that will teach you everything you need to know.

You will learn how to download presets to Lightroom on phone and desktop. We’ll walk you through downloading both DNG formats (mobile app) and XMP formats (Lightroom CC and Lightroom Classic).

PresetLove.com Guide - How to Install Lightroom Presets

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *