Pack 01
Classic & Timeless
Accurate, balanced, and natural. The goal is "this is exactly what it looked like" — true skin tones, clean whites, gentle contrast. No signature color cast. Works universally, ages well.
Light Panel
Exposure0.0
Contrast+10
Highlights−20
Shadows+15
Whites+5
Blacks−10
Presence
Texture+15
Clarity+5
Vibrance+10
Saturation0
Color Grading
Shadows
Hue 0
Sat 0
Lum 0
Midtones
Hue 0
Sat 0
Lum 0
Highlights
Hue 0
Sat 0
Lum 0

No color grade applied — let the scene speak for itself.

HSL — Color Adjustments
ColorHueSatLum
Red0−50
Orange0−5+5
Yellow000
Green0−50
Blue0−50
Workflow Tips
  • →White balance: use Lightroom's eyedropper on something neutral gray first, then fine-tune Temp/Tint by feel.
  • →Skin tones: check Orange Hue is neutral (+/−5 at most). Avoid oversaturating reds.
  • →Good base for sync — edit one strong image, then Sync Settings to rest of the session.
  • →T3i tendency: slight magenta in shadows — counter with +1–2 green tint if needed.
Quick Reference · Pack 01
Exp 0 Con +10 Hi −20 Sha +15 Wh +5 Bl −10 Tex +15 Cla +5 Vib +10 Sat 0 Color grade: none | Grain: none
Pack 02
Light & Airy
Lifted, soft, and luminous. Pull highlights up, lift the blacks off true black, desaturate slightly, and push cool-neutral into the highlights. The image breathes.
Light Panel
Exposure+0.4
Contrast−20
Highlights−30
Shadows+30
Whites+20
Blacks+15
Presence
Texture−10
Clarity−15
Vibrance−15
Saturation−10
Color Grading
Shadows
Hue 215
Sat +5
Lum 0
Midtones
Hue 0
Sat 0
Lum +5
Highlights
Hue 195
Sat +8
Lum 0
HSL
ColorHueSatLum
Red0−15+10
Orange0−10+15
Yellow0−10+10
Green0−20+10
Blue0−10+15
Workflow Tips
  • →Pull temp slightly cool (200–300K cooler than neutral) before lifting — avoid going orange-bright.
  • →Never clip whites — use histogram. The airy look needs detail in the lightest areas.
  • →Lifting Blacks is the secret here — keeps it from feeling washed out vs. genuinely soft.
  • →Skin: boost Orange Lum slightly. Keeps faces from going flat when you desaturate globally.
Quick Reference · Pack 02
Exp +0.4 Con −20 Hi −30 Sha +30 Wh +20 Bl +15 Tex −10 Cla −15 Vib −15 Sat −10 Grade: cool shadows +5, cool-blue hi +8 | Grain: none
Pack 03
Dark & Moody
Dramatic and deliberate. Crushed blacks, pulled highlights, high contrast, muted color. The image feels heavy in the best way. Use light selectively with radial filters.
Light Panel
Exposure−0.3
Contrast+30
Highlights−40
Shadows−20
Whites−10
Blacks−30
Presence
Texture+20
Clarity+15
Vibrance−20
Saturation−10
Color Grading
Shadows
Hue 245
Sat +15
Lum 0
Midtones
Hue 0
Sat 0
Lum 0
Highlights
Hue 30
Sat +8
Lum 0
HSL
ColorHueSatLum
Red0−10−10
Orange0−10−5
Yellow0−15−10
Green0−20−10
Blue0−5−15
Workflow Tips
  • →Use a radial filter (feather 80) centered on subject face: bump Exposure +0.3–0.5, Shadows +20 to pull them from the darkness naturally.
  • →Blue-purple shadow grade + warm highlight grade creates a cinematic split-tone — the core trick of this look.
  • →Don't go below −50 Blacks on the T3i — sensor noise becomes visible in crushed blacks at high ISO.
  • →Add vignette: Amount −25, Feather 70, Midpoint 40 to close in the frame further.
Quick Reference · Pack 03
Exp −0.3 Con +30 Hi −40 Sha −20 Wh −10 Bl −30 Tex +20 Cla +15 Vib −20 Sat −10 Grade: blue-purple shadows +15, warm highlights +8 | Vignette: −25
Pack 04
Warm & Golden
Amber and inviting. Push Temp warm, boost orange/yellow in HSL, grade golden into highlights. Feels like late afternoon even at noon. Keep skin from going too orange — ride the line.
Light Panel
Exposure+0.2
Contrast+15
Highlights−25
Shadows+20
Whites+10
Blacks−15
White Balance Starting Point
Temp +300 to +500 warmer than camera WB · Tint +3 to +5 (slight magenta)
Presence
Texture+10
Clarity0
Vibrance+20
Saturation+5
Color Grading
Shadows
Hue 35
Sat +10
Lum 0
Midtones
Hue 40
Sat +8
Lum 0
Highlights
Hue 45
Sat +15
Lum 0
HSL — The Key Moves
ColorHueSatLum
Red+5+10+5
Orange+5+15+10
Yellow+5+20+10
Green+10+50
Blue0−100
Workflow Tips
  • →Watch the skin tone target: Orange Sat above +20 starts pushing faces pumpkin. Back it down and use Vibrance instead.
  • →Golden-hour sessions: warm grade is subtle — the light already did the work. Don't double-warm.
  • →Indoor sessions without warm light: go more aggressive on Temp (+500–800) to manufacture the look.
  • →Shift green Hue toward yellow for lush summer foliage — makes outdoor shots feel golden and alive.
Quick Reference · Pack 04
Exp +0.2 Con +15 Hi −25 Sha +20 Wh +10 Bl −15 Tex +10 Cla 0 Vib +20 Sat +5 WB: +300–500K warm | Grade: amber all zones | HSL: boost Ora + Yel
Pack 05
Film-Inspired
Analog soul in a digital file. Lifted blacks, muted greens, faded mid-tones, gentle grain, and a slight cross-process feel. This look has texture and memory baked into it.
Light Panel
Exposure0.0
Contrast−15
Highlights−20
Shadows+10
Whites−5
Blacks+25
Presence
Texture+5
Clarity0
Vibrance−10
Saturation−5
Color Grading — The Core of the Film Look
Shadows
Hue 200
Sat +12
Lum +5
Midtones
Hue 30
Sat +5
Lum 0
Highlights
Hue 45
Sat +10
Lum 0

Blue-teal shadows + warm highlights = the Kodak Portra cross-process look.

Grain Settings
Amount25
Size25
Roughness50
HSL
ColorHueSatLum
Red0−100
Orange+5−5+5
Yellow+10−100
Green+15−25−10
Aqua0−100
Blue−5−15−5

Muting greens + shifting them yellow is the single biggest film-look move in HSL.

Workflow Tips
  • →Lifted Blacks (+25) is non-negotiable — it prevents the image from going full digital. This is the faded-film foundation.
  • →Grain is most visible in exports — preview at 1:1 in LR before committing to Amount.
  • →Tone curve: try an S-curve with a lifted bottom-left anchor point (to lift shadows further) rather than using the Blacks slider alone.
  • →Slightly warm WB (+150–200K) makes the grain feel more organic and less like a filter.
Quick Reference · Pack 05
Exp 0 Con −15 Hi −20 Sha +10 Wh −5 Bl +25 Tex +5 Cla 0 Vib −10 Sat −5 Grade: blue-teal sha +12, warm hi +10 | Grain: 25 / 25 / 50 | HSL: mute + shift greens
Pack 06
Editorial
Graphic, precise, and confident. High contrast, desaturated, punchy blacks. The color is almost irrelevant — structure and light carry everything. Think magazine cover, not snapshot.
Light Panel
Exposure−0.2
Contrast+40
Highlights−30
Shadows−30
Whites+20
Blacks−40
Presence
Texture+25
Clarity+20
Vibrance−30
Saturation−20
Color Grading
Shadows
Hue 220
Sat +8
Lum 0
Midtones
Hue 0
Sat 0
Lum 0
Highlights
Hue 0
Sat 0
Lum 0
HSL
ColorHueSatLum
Red0−200
Orange0−150
Yellow0−20+5
Green0−250
Blue0−150
Workflow Tips
  • →This look lives or dies on the quality of light in the shot — directional, hard, or window light works best. Flat/overcast images go muddy.
  • →Skin: desaturation hits orange/red channels hard. Use a mask on skin (Select Subject → Skin) and add back +10 Sat locally if faces look grey.
  • →High Clarity is the sharpness of edges, not fine detail. Works well for clothing texture, faces, products. Dial back for beauty shots.
  • →Consider a subtle cool shadow grade — it keeps blacks from going pure neutral and gives the image a slight silver gelatin quality.
  • →Good for headshots: after global edit, use Healing to clean up distracting background elements, and Radial filter to open shadow under jaw.
Quick Reference · Pack 06
Exp −0.2 Con +40 Hi −30 Sha −30 Wh +20 Bl −40 Tex +25 Cla +20 Vib −30 Sat −20 Grade: cool-blue shadows +8 | Mask skin if needed: Sat +10 local