Mix and Match instead of Click and Hope!
The childish_david's Lightroom Presets and ACR Settings are not like other Presets. These Lightroom Develop Presets and ACR Settings are the result of my work with RAW files over the past year. So what makes them so different? With most others you get a long list of fancy named presets and then you start clicking through them hoping to find one that you like and works with the photo. Usually you'll fine one that kind of works but then you go in and start tweaking.
My approach is different. I keep those tweaks speparate as you would want to adjust those separate anyway. With that in mind I created these presets to not give you just one look (that might or might not work), but to give you a set of conversions and looks that you combine the way you want. For example the B&W conversion and the toning are separate so you can mix and match what you like. Sharpening & vignetting are also kept separate. We all have different styles and work in our own way. All these presets and tools work together and are ment to be combined. It is almost like "layeres". It's like ordering at a restaurant. You decide what you want, how it's done and what sied you like with it.
I also don't think you should pay twice if you want to work in ACR and plan on moving to Lightroom at some point. Both share the exact same "engine" to process the raw files anway.
Installing the Lightroom Presets & ACR Settings:
Unzip the two file that came attached with the email I sent. The Lightroom Presets files is called LR-CD.zip. The ACR Settings file is called ACR-CD.zip.
Lightroom:
After unzipping LR-CD.zip you'll have three folders called "childish_david" "childish_tones" & "childish_tools". Copy all three folders in the folowing location.
Mac:
~/Library/Application Support/Adobe/Lightroom/Develop Presets/ Where "~" is your user directory.
Windows PC:
C:\Documents and Settings\
Windows Vista:
C:\users\
It is important that you copy the folders not only the content. (Please make sure you update Lightroom to the latest version, as older versions might not support preset folders)
Unzip the file ACR-CD.zip. You'll get a list of .xpm files. Copy all these files into the folowing location:
Mac:
~/Library/Application Support/Adobe/CameraRaw/Settings Where "~" is your user directory.
Windows PC:
C:\Documents and Settings\
Windows Vista:
C:\users\
ACR doesn't support any type of folders to organize your settings better, so just copy all .xpm files.
| Lightroom Open Lightroom and switch to the Develop module and look at the left side to find your new presets. You'll find three new folders called childish_david, childish_tone & childish_tools.  |
ACR once you open a raw file in PS and the ACR window is open, you should see this list in your settings tab. To give you a better overview of how my settings are organized I used color overlays. Unfortuantely in ACR there is no way to make them show up colored.  |
Let's go through the list of settings and see what they do.
CD_!all-reset is a quick way to go back to the original settings, just like how the image came SOOC. If you tweaked a photo too much and want to just start over, click this. Ctrl+Shift+R will do the same thing, but I like to click on buttons :)
BW stands for Black & White conversions. These are all my favorite B&W conversions that I use for my work. Vanilla gets you results close to what my Vanilla PS actions do. Vanilla_Baby are brighter, lower contrast conversions that bring out more detail. They should work great for babies and in general give you smoother skin tones.
The Black & White presets do not change the exposure adjustments. The reason is that I found that each photographer has different ways to shoot and tend to expose their shots differently overall. Depending on how you shoot and what overall look you prefer, adjust the exposure to get the levels where you like it and then pick the conversion you like and get a good result. There is nothing more annoying to have a bunch of B&W conversions that constantly blow out your highlights or are too dark.
these are three variations of some extreme x-processing. These work great with photos that have a lot of detail and contrast and you want a very different, edgy look.
color_pop 1 2 3
color pops are always a quick and neat way to get some punch in photos that are flat. Very helpful if you shoot in dull light or on overcast days.
childish_tones
Toning gives B&W conversions a new character. I don't believe in having a list of 176 B&W conversions where the only difference is the toning. My approach is different. The basic conversions is always neutral and you pick the toning on top of this. Again having these things separate has many advantages. It keeps the list of presets shorter and simpler, yet you have the full variety by mixing and matching freely. Since the B&W conversions don't mess with the toning you can click on different conversions and the toning will remain the same. I often pick a toning first and then click on a few B&W conversions to see what I like.
Oh and please also try these toning presets with color photos! Since these settings only add a toning and don't change anything else, they are wonderful to add a "flavour" to your color photos as well.
childish_tools
Here you'll find different settings for sharpening. Lightroom's sharpening is pretty clever and uses masking on the fly, but it's not so simple to find the right settings for all 4 sliders to get a little more punch without increasing the noise. My settings try to keep the noise down while enhancing details.
The vignetting settings are not ment to compensate a bad lens but are more for an artistic vignette effect. I found I'm adding vignetting to many of my shots so here are my favorite presets. Unfortunately Lightroom & ACR always apply this to the original image size. If you crop a photo the vignetting effect might be less or only show on one side.
The fix_red_skin is small but very helpful fix for "blotchy" baby skin. It removes red spots and areas and evens them out. It also works on B&W conversions. If you proof your baby photos in B&W and still see the red areas as different shades of grey, click on this preset and it will help to reduce this. As always this preset doesn't mess with any other setting you've made. Do all your editing first, then use this one as the last step.
Some general notes and tips using my Presets:
When I start working on raw files the first thing I do is adjusting the exposure. To get lower noise, better detail and in general better quality I tend to "overexpose" my photos. So when I import them I adjust the exposure down a little right away. When I shoot at the beach I rather expose a little darker to make sure the sky isn't blown out and I brighten them up a little. With that in mind I created my presets to not change the exposure value. In general when you start editing a photo you should always start with a good exposure/brightness and go from there.
The next step is using one of my BW conversions that works for the shot. I might add a vignetting and tone it, but all these things are separate which means I can click on a different B&W conversion, and it won't mess with the toning or vignetting or sharpening settings I added. It is almost like working with layer in PS. It can all be changed separate.
The separation of these things is key to understand when working with my settings. All the B&W settings don't change the exposure, split toning, noise reduction, vignetting and sharpening. The acid, summer and seventies settings will change toning because they already come "flavoured". But again, you can change that with the toning or tools as you like.
You can't use my settings in a wrong way, I encourange you to play and combine! Mix and Match, don't click and hope. ;-)