Do You Need Lightroom Premium to Use Presets?

Lightroom is a program that allows you to process uploaded photos. It works like Photoshop without a deep dive into editing and manipulation. Lightroom works to allow for the organization of your photos, and when you pair Lightroom and Photoshop, the sky is the limit. So do you need Lightroom Premium to use its presets?

Yes, you need a Premium subscription to access the presets in Lightroom. By paying the Premium fee, you get access to brushes and filters that allow you to add the same theme to photos. In addition, you can use these items quickly and efficiently as they are saved and get hotkey access.

Using software like Lightroom can be a bit of a hassle for people who are used to other programs or could be new users. There are similarities between them that could be downright confusing. By following a few rules, you can nail down Lightroom and begin to explore its functionality. So do you need Lightroom Premium to use the presets?

Lightroom Presets and How to Use Them

While Lightroom doesn’t get down in the pixels like Photoshop, it does allow a level of editing that goes beyond what your camera can do. By buying into the Premium tier, the level of editing you can do is raised in efficiency and quality. Editing your raw photos is made much easier by using presets.

The Tools in Lightroom Premium are Easy to Use and Helpful

Editing photos is often as hard as learning to take effective shots with your camera. Remember that if you use Lightroom mobile, there could be less functionality even though it is free. Using the tools gives you a great idea of how the program works and all the helpful tools that are part of the Premium package.

The essential tools that you will use in Lightroom Premium are:

  • Brushes – One of the most common tools used while retouching and editing photos are brushes. They can be used to touch up photos’ edges or obscure something in the background that distracts from the subject.
  • Filters – Another great tool that is available with Premium are the filters. They allow you to add swaths of color to a photo or to add a black-and-white mask over the image. Filters also can add distortions to backgrounds or subjects in your pictures.

Tools you are using in Lightroom will provide tons of experiment and work time for the young photographer. For veterans, Lightroom allows them to pre-edit sessions that can save them hours of computer time and give them more time to shoot their photos.

The Benefits of Using Lightroom Presets

While the Premium level of Lightroom might cost extra money from your budget, it provides many benefits you might not see from the outside. Setting the money aside for work projects might not be in your plans, but once you realize that you are saving time, the trade-off becomes a no-brainer.

A few of the benefits of using Lightroom Premium are:

  • Sharing – Something you might not think about when you get the Premium Lightroom is how you can share your presets with other people. If you have created an excellent filter for a shared project, you can email or link the file to your co-worker, allowing them the same functionality you are using.
  • Variety – Variety in the presets of Lightroom allows you to take filters and brushes made by industry professionals and legends and apply them to your work. The variety of editing tools is impressive, and these presets could trump the ones you have created.
  • Environments – One of the biggest standouts for Lightroom Premium is the number of environmental changes you can make on the fly. The presets can create effects that change the background environment of pictures with color or a combination of filtering and obstruction.

The benefits of using Premium Lightroom are numerous. They allow you to organize and edit photos on the fly without sorting through drop-down menus. While it does cost more money, the functionality and time saved should allow you more time to work, which is an excellent trade-off for the presets you get with Lightroom Premium.

Using the Presets Save Time and Money

The presets are easy to use and provide lots of fun creation tools. The most impressive thing about them is how easy they are to use once you have the keystrokes memorized or stored in easy-to-remember locations. Once you get the hang of them, the presets will allow you to fly around the photo and edit with purpose. 

A few of the ways you can use the presets while working are:

  • Keystrokes – One of the most common ways people store and use presets is with keystrokes. By tapping a series of keys, you add the filter or brush to your project without having to search around in other menus.
  • Mouse Clicks – Clicking the mouse in specific locations with other keys pressed is another way to add some functionality to your presets. Using the mouse is one of the fastest ways to use presets, but the number of things you can do is limited.

Presets with Lightroom will not get down to the pixel types of editing. They concentrate on the big picture, not just tiny spots or areas. They increase your productivity by being general and can level up your photography business.

Conclusion

Can you create eye-catching photos without Lightroom Premium? Absolutely. You lose out on the ability to take your art to the next level by exploring your programs. It is like chaining yourself to a tree to escape a bear. No one is asking you to cut corners on your budget but ignoring the advantages of the presets is a potential mistake. 

By splurging for the Premium subscription, you get access to brushes and filters that can be used quickly and effectively to enhance your photos before sending them into the final editing stages. These presets are chocked full of tools and time-saving shortcuts that could make your photography stand out. Lightroom Premium is required to use the presets.