Learn. Improve. Create.

Cars: five “hero” angles that just work

1. Front-3/4 low: wheel-height; turn wheels slightly to camera.
2. Low Side: tense lines; 28–35mm for presence.
3. Rear-3/4: tail lines + lights; golden hour magic.
4. Detail: badge, stitching, headlights; fill the frame.
5. Rolling: 1/60s, constant distance, clean panning.

Clean motion blur without a tripod

1. Shutter 1/30–1/60s, stabilization ON.
2. Panning: lock on a fixed point (badge), burst mode.
3. Auto ISO with a cap, shutter priority.
4. If too blurry, go 1/80s and move closer.

Harsh light? Use it

1. Hunt patterns (grilles, mirrors, louvers) and compose bold cuts.
2. Expose for highlights; recover shadows in post.
3. Deep blacks are a style, not a flaw.

2-minute pre-shoot checklist

• 100% batteries, formatted cards, clean lenses.
• Consistent color profile (sRGB), synced time.
• Quick backup: spare SD + power bank.

Desktop ➜ Mobile: XMP ➜ DNG

1. Apply your look to a “clean” shot in Lr Classic.
2. Export as DNG (keeps settings).
3. Import into Lr Mobile and save as a Preset.

Skip the steps with Presets Lab packs including XMP + DNG.

Cinematic S-curve

1. Lift black point (0 ➜ 8/10).
2. Micro “S” in mids; soft highlight rolloff.
3. Watch clipping with the histogram.

Fast HSL for 80% of the look

• Blues/Aquas ➜ nudge to cyan for modern skies.
• Orange ➜ skin/interior tones: moderate sat.
• Greens ➜ reduce sat for a cleaner base.

Smart car masks

1. Select Subject ➜ subtract plates/windows.
2. Luminance range to tame speculars.
3. Micro clarity on details, not globally.

Modern Teal-Orange

Teal in shadows (not mids); warm mids, neutral whites.

Moody Clean

• Black floor: lift blacks slightly, avoid muddy grey.
• Texture/Clarity locally on logos and lines.

Smooth skies

• Very soft gradient; avoid hard breaks.
• A touch of noise helps against banding.

From dark shot to poster-ready (10×15)

1. Expose for mids; recover blacks with the curve.
2. Output Sharpen low + grain 8–12 for paper.
3. Test print ➜ micro tweaks ➜ final.

Import & backup

• Folders by date_project; rename: PL_YYYYMMDD_####.
• Backup 1: SSD; Backup 2: cloud end-of-day.

Fast culling

Pass 1: remove technical fails. Pass 2: pick the story. Pass 3: only covers.

Presets as starting points

Apply, then local masks to add personality — that’s where the difference is.

Crisp web export

• Size: 2560px long edge, sRGB, 80–85% quality.
• Output Sharpen: “Screen – Standard”.

Product page that converts

1. Benefit-first hero + clear CTA.
2. Proof: before/after + concise testimonials.
3. “What you get” section + technical FAQ.

Freebie ➜ Email ➜ Upsell

Give away real value (light preset / template). Capture the email. Offer a soft upsell to the full pack.

Clear licensing

Personal use on your content: yes. Reselling the preset: no. Three short lines, no jargon.

Frictionless reviews

20-second email template + day-7 reminder. Showcase “most helpful”.

Shoot & Edit Checklist (PDF)

Download the one-pager to keep in your bag.

Attach your Shopify file URL here.

Neutral S-Curve (XMP)

Universal base to start clean.

Mobile Starter Preset (DNG)

A taste of the Presets Lab look on your phone.

Before/After Frame (PNG)

Transparent frame for clean social comparisons.

Try Presets Lab

XMP + DNG packs ready for Desktop & Mobile. Import, click, create.