Preset Q & A

ABOUT ONE WILLOW PRESETS….

I began photography to capture moments of my children’s life. I wanted quality images that we could preserve forever. My children are still very much my inspiration for photography, however it has evolved to become a much greater part of my life. As I began to take more photos I found myself spending more and more time at the computer editing them. I often found myself editing the same way, with similar tones, exposure and shadows so I developed these presets to speed up my edit time. It has made a HUGE impact on the amount of time I spend at the computer. Because I know this is the case for most, I decided to release the presets in hopes that they can be used to assist in a more timely workflow.

You will also find that One Willow Presets have been fine tuned to give you subtle yet effective effects. A few of the presets are more dramatic than others but my main goal in creating them (other than speeding up workflow) was to provide a nice edit that could be used straight out of Lightroom or could be complimented with a few tweaks in PS such as an action or texture application.

Also, because I believe in giving back when able, 10% of One Willow Preset profits are donated to non-profit organizations in need. Be sure to visit the giving back link for more information.

COULD YOU TELL ME A LITTLE ABOUT YOUR WORKFLOW?

I tend to work in layers between Lightroom and PS CS4. The Majority of the time I start in Lightroom with the preset and will finish in PS with an action or by applying a texture. I love One Willow Presets to achieve a base tone and adore when the preset can totally complete the look!

WHAT ARE PRESETS?

Presets are a saved file of settings. These are used to create effects and various processed looks. One Willow Presets are available for RAW (.CR2), ACR (.xmp) and JPEG (.jpg) files processed in Lightroom and ACR.

WHAT ARE RAW PRESETS?

One Willow RAW Presets are designed for RAW files processed in Lightroom and ACR. I love the range that RAW provides to adjust exposure and most importantly white balance. RAW presets are a saved file of specific edit information; WB, light, shadow, contrast, tones, etc. You can create professional looks with just one click.

WHAT PROGRAMS ARE ONE WILLOW PRESETS COMPATIBLE WITH?

These presets are compatible with Lightroom and ACR.

DO YOU HAVE PRESETS FOR JPG FILES?

Yes!!! They are coming soon!

WHAT FILES ARE INCLUDED WITH ONE WILLOW PRESETS?

Because Lightroom and ACR are entirely different programs, with separate preset file formats, the sets for each are sold separately. If you have already purchased either version please contact me about receiving the other version.

ARE THE PRESETS ADJUSTABLE?

Yes, all of the presets are fully adjustable. Once you apply the preset to the image you can make whatever adjustments you choose.

HOW DO I INSTALL THE PRESETS IN LIGHTROOM?

For Mac:

Download the .lrtemplate files in the designated folder on your computer. If it is a zip file you will need to unzip it before you can install the presets. The presets will not install as a zip file. Open Lightroom, press the develop tab. On the left hand side- click on your preset tab/arrow and this will drop down the preset user area. Control-click in the user preset area (or named preset folder if you have one set up; for example One Willow Presets), then choose import. Locate the .lrtemplate file (presets) in the folder you saved them in. From here there are two ways you can load the preset; either double click it and it will automatically load or select the preset(s) and press import. Both ways the file should automatically insert into your preset list.

For PC:

Download the .lrtemplate files in the designated folder. Unzip the file. On a PC you may encounter an ‘encryption’ prompt, say yes to save. As each file unzips you may get a prompt, continue to click yes. Open Lightroom, press the develop tab. On the left hand side- click on your preset tab/arrow and this will drop down the preset user area. Right Click in the user preset area (or named preset folder if you have one set up; for example One Willow Presets), then choose import. Locate the .lrtemplate file (presets) in the folder you saved them in. Select the preset(s) and press import. The preset(s) should automatically insert into your preset list.

HOW DO I INSTALL THE PRESETS IN ACR?

Installing your presets in ACR

PLEASE REMEMBER ALL COMPUTERS ARE DIFFERENT AND ACR PRESETS MAY INSTALL DIFFERENTLY WITH VARIOUS PROGRAMS AND VERSIONS.

Instructions for MAC:

Download the zip file. Unzip the folder and save it to a location of your choice on your computer (I have a specific folder set up for ACR presets). Next, open the One Willow Preset folder and select all of the .xmp files (command A), then hit (command C) to copy them all. Now open your finder from here you will need to locate your ACR setting folder-

Finder- Library- Application Support- Adobe- Camera Raw- Settings

Once you are in your settings folder you will need to paste the .xmp files (presets) directly into your settings folder by hitting (command V). Your presets should be loaded into the presets sections of your ACR. Open ACR to double check that they are there.

*note- the presets cannot be in subfolders in the Setting area. If they are in subfolders they will not show up in your preset area of ACR. The actual .xmp file must be placed directly into the settings folder.

***For older versions below ACR 5.6 you may be able to follow these directions for install:

Instructions for MAC:

Unzip your file. Place your .xmp (adobe camera raw) files here (individually-not in a subfolder):

your home\library\application support\adobe\camera raw\settings

After your .xmp file is copied to the camera raw setting’s folder, load the presets in ACR. To do this open up ACR. Next look at the top right side of your camera raw window, under the histogram. You will see a small box for presets. On my computer it is the last button in a series of eight options. You will see a preset bar appear. At the end of the bar you will see a small arrow, click on it and a pull down menu will appear. Once you see the drop down menu, scroll down to ‘load settings’. Click ‘load settings’ and your finder box will appear. Locate the settings folder containing the .xmp files and select each .xmp file individually and click “load”. You will have to repeat this step for each preset. Once you have selected and loaded all of your files your ACR presets are ready to use.

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Instructions for PC:

Unzip your file. Place your .xmp (adobe camera raw) files here (individually-not in a subfolder):

c:/documents and settings\compac administrator\application data\adobe\camera raw\settings

Once your .xmp files are placed in the camera raw setting’s folder, you can begin to load the presets in ACR. To do this open up ACR. Next look at the top right side of your camera raw window, under the histogram. You will see a small box for presets. On my computer it is the last button in a series of eight options. You will see a preset bar appear. At the end of the bar you will see a small arrow, click on it and a pull down menu will appear. Once you see the drop down menu, scroll down to ‘load settings’. Click ‘load settings’ and your finder box will appear. Locate your settings folder containing the .xmp files and select each .xmp file individually and click “load”. You will have to repeat this step for each preset. Once you have selected and loaded all of your files your ACR presets are ready to use.

WHAT ARE POSTS AND TONES?

The post and tones are basically one click ways that you can enhance the preset after you have applied it to your image. A standard workflow with presets and posts might go like this…. apply Fairytale then apply the posts-Clarify-Soft Burn. You will see different effects from the different posts, some subtle and some a bit more dramatic. They are meant to give you a little more control over your preset, so you can lighten or darken, define, increase shadows, defog, etc… The most important thing to remember about the posts is that they need to be applied after the actual preset. The tones work in the same manner, you will apply those after the presets. I use them all the time because they basically can create an entire new look to the preset, you’ll have to play around with them and they are wonderful for toning black and white images too. And you can use the posts and tones by themselves, just to give an image a little boost and you can use more than one, just keep clicking until you get the ‘look’ you love.

CAN YOU USE MORE THAN ONE PRESET ON AN IMAGE? ( This does not apply to Posts and Tones… see ‘What are posts and tones?’)

No, the presets are designed with the same settings so they can only be used individually. If you apply one preset and then apply another, you will have the settings from the last clicked preset. The setting will override each other.

WHAT IF MY IMAGE LOOKS OVERTONED?

Here are some suggesetion for getting the best look from your presets:

If your image looks ‘over-toned’ by a preset, begin by checking your exposure. Often a little exposure increase will bring the tones into place. However, sometimes further tweaking is needed and usually it involves the light and shadows. Don’t be afraid to adjust your tone curve, brightness and contrast. All of these play a huge role in the look of the preset on your image.
Utilize your adjustment brush. Occasionally, the majority of the image will look fabulous with the Preset but an area on the image may be too dark or too light. Use your adjustment brush to make an isolated adjustment to that specific area. For example, if your eyes seem to dark because of the way the preset deepened the shadows. Grab your adjustment brush, choose your desired brush setting (exposure, contrast, clarity, etc…) then decrease the brush density or amount on by pulling the control slider to the positive. Then brush it onto the specific area you want to fix. The same is true to darken an area, except you will pull the brush density to the negative. You will have to play with this for a bit to figure it out but once you do, you will love it!
One preset will not work for every image. Yes, you will have a certain faves, but I strongly encourage you to try new ones too. You can use your Navigation panel image window (located on the upper left side of your screen in the develop module) You can scroll your cursor over each preset and get a little ‘preview’ in the Navigation window of what the preset will look like on your image. I use this ALL the time, it’s a fabulous feature.
Lastly, have fun! One Willow Presets let you have total control over your exposure and provide tons of options to finish the Preset looks with Post-looks. Each Set contains Posts, which are a variety of adjustments that can be applied after the presets to give you different finished ‘looks’. The Posts allow you to create new looks from one preset putting your creative energy to use and giving you more ownership of your image’s edit.

DO YOU OFFER REFUNDS ON YOUR PRODUCTS?

These presets have been painstakingly designed and I believe you will be quite pleased. However, please be aware that due to the nature of these products no refunds will be given. I will always be happy to work with you on any problems you may experience. From time to time a program update will be released by adobe and it will change how presets load. This is out of my control, so all sales are final. Be careful to check and make sure you are purchasing the correct file format Set. There is a different set for RAW, ACR, and JPG.

HOW WILL I RECEIVE MY PRESETS ONCE I PLACE MY ORDER?

You will be directed to a download link after checkout through paypal.

IF YOU CURRENTLY DO NOT OWN LIGHTROOM BUT WOULD LIKE TO GIVE A TRY… there is a 30 day free trial available on the ADOBE site.