Modern approaches to photo processing: working with presets and filters

Photo editing is now an integral part of our daily life and culture. With the development of social media and mobile devices, image editing has become accessible to a wide range of users.

What is photo editing for?

Social media are platforms where users share their life moments through photos and videos. Image processing allows you to stand out in an ocean of content and create aesthetically pleasing images. For example, you can use https://retouchme.com/service/face-slimming to make your face more expressive.

In addition, photo processing provides an opportunity to express one’s individuality and creative view of the world. Users use various styles, effects and filters to create unique and memorable images that reflect their personal preferences and emotional states.

Image retouching plays a key role in professional photography, advertising, modeling, and other fields.

How do presets and filters differ from each other?

Presets and filters are often used in photography and video processing to quickly change the appearance of an image or video. Here are the differences between them.

Presets

• Presets are pre-configured sets of processing parameters that can be applied to photos or videos as soon as they are imported into the editor. They usually include combinations of settings such as color correction, contrast, saturation, various effects, etc.
• Presets are created or uploaded by users and can be saved for later use.
• Presets are often used to maintain a certain style of processing and to provide a consistent visual appearance across different photos or videos.

Filters

• Filters are usually individual effects that can be applied to an image or video.
• They can be used to change color toning, add textures, emulate certain styles of photography (such as black and white or retro effects), and more.
• Filters are usually part of photo and video editors such as Instagram, Snapchat, and Adobe Lightroom, and can be applied to an image or video with a simple click of a button.

Pros and cons of using presets

Advantages:

• Using presets saves a lot of time that would normally be spent manually adjusting processing settings.
• Presets help you maintain a consistent style in your photos, which is especially useful if you want to create cohesive and uniform visual content.
• Using presets, you can explore different processing styles and apply them to your photos for new ideas and inspiration.

Disadvantages:

• Using presets can limit your ability to customize each aspect of processing individually for a particular image.
• Sometimes presets require additional adjustments as they may not work for all photos due to differences in lighting, composition, etc.

Pros and cons of using filters

Benefits:

• Filters offer a quick and convenient way to change the look of a photo with just a click of a button. This is especially useful for those who want to quickly enhance their photos without spending time manually adjusting settings.
• Filters help convey certain emotions and moods in photos, making them more expressive and appealing to viewers.
• Using filters allows you to experiment with different processing styles and visual effects, which helps photographers expand their creative horizons and find a unique style.
• Some filters can help hide imperfections or improve the quality of a photo, such as reducing noise, improving contrast, or correcting color balance.

Disadvantages:

• Using too many filters or overly colorful effects can cause a photo to lose its naturalness and originality.
• Some filters, especially those that add texture or change the color scheme, can cause loss of detail or blurring of the image.
• Filters may not be appropriate for all types of photos or situations. For example, some effects are appropriate for portraits but won’t work for landscape shots.

How to use presets and filters wisely

Use presets and filters carefully, avoiding overuse. Too strong effects can overwhelm an image and make it unpleasant to look at.

Choose presets and filters according to the context of the photo and your processing goal. Some effects may be appropriate for some genres of photography, but not at all for others.

Many programs offer the ability to adjust the intensity of the preset or filter applied. This allows you to achieve a more balanced and natural result.

Periodically compare the image before and after applying a preset or filter to make sure that the processing meets your expectations and does not spoil the quality of the photo.

If you use ready-made presets, feel free to customize their settings to your individual preferences. This will help to maintain your unique processing style. When using multiple presets or filters in the same series of photos, strive to keep the style consistent so that the images look harmonious together.

Experiment, but your visual language should always be the focus of your photo processing.