Reviewing JW Lightroom Presets 2 — Medium Format Stock
Preset or not preset? It has always been a highly debatable topic. Personally, I could go either way. Even when I use different presets, my images often ended up looking very similar in colors and tones. I don't go against or criticize photographers who use presets in their editing process. Presets often provide a good base and speed up my editing process. For people who are new in editing, it allows them to try out different styles and looks. I rarely discuss this with anyone that I bought many presets from many photographers or companies. I love to shop and try things, and it's interesting to see what tools other people created to help our editing. While VSCO was a thing, I bought all their preset packs. Unfortunately, for some reason, they decided to switch focus and stopped making Lightroom presets. Based on the data I saw, I think I will continue to stay home for a long time. That means no major shoots, and I like to take this off time to test out all the Lightroom presets I have purchased.
When I thought of trying and recommending Lightroom presets, I first thought of Jamie Windsor, he is one of my favorite photographers and YouTubers. His videos are well made, informative, and unique compared to other channels. I am often impressed by the presets he put out for someone who has tried many Lightroom presets. He nailed it in making the colors look identical to what you would find from shooting on film. JW Lightroom Presets 2 — Medium Format Stock was the first preset pack I bought from him. It includes both color and black and white options. Some of them are subtle and very usable in various situations without taking away from your image. They give you a little magical twist, one click, and some simple tweaks; your image immediately transforms itself! From this video, you can listen to him explaining the presets, and then I have real-world examples that you can take a look to see what these presets can bring you!
For any of you who are new to using presets, the rule of thumb is to first fix the exposure and color balance before applying a preset.
120 Ilford HP5 Before
120 Ilford HP5 After
The Ilford HP5 preset has a colder tone, moodier, compared to the Tri-X 400 in this pack.
120 Kodak Tri-X 400 Before
120 Kodak Tri-X 400 After
You will find it slightly warmer with this Kodak Tri-X 400 preset. It is punchier, but still gives you a great black and white conversion.
120 Cinestill 50d Before
120 Cinestill 50d After
The Cinestill 50d is warm, soft, and creamy. I imagine it would work excellent for the hip influencers out there who always hang at a beautiful coffee shop.
120 Fujichrome Astia 100F Before
120 Fujichrome Astia 100F After
The Fujichrome Astia 100F has a cold blue moody tone. You can see from this example how it conveys the melancholy vibes with the color shift.
120 Fujicolor PRO 400H Before
120 Fujicolor PRO 400H After
120 Fujicolor PRO 400H Before
Here you see two examples of using the Fujicolor PRO 400H. It has this warm and soft tones, perfect for spring photos, or female portraits.
120 Fujicolor PRO 400H Alt Before
120 Fujicolor PRO 400H Alt After
One of my favorites from this pack is the Fujicolor PRO 400H Alt. It adds contrast to your image, and the skin tone it provides is so dreamy and reminded me of what I used to see on film images.
120 Kodak Portra 160 Alt Before
120 Kodak Portra 160 Alt After
Kodak Portra 160 Alt gives you a subtle look. It's great when you don't want your image to look over-edited.
120 Kodak Portra 400 Before
120 Kodak Portra 400 After
I used to shoot Kodak Portra 400 frequently and always loved the colors. I probably can use this on most of my photos if I am feeling lazy to make all the custom color editing.
120 Kodak Portra 400 alt Before
120 Kodak Portra 400 alt After
The Kodak Portra 400 alt is a little more contrast than the standard version. As you can see in the photo, the red turned out beautifully, and I love the subtle skin tone enhancement here.
