Can Lightroom automatically apply different presets to groups of car photos during import or editing?
Asked 8/11/2020
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We photograph each vehicle in a fixed sequence in a light-controlled room, so many images need the same repeatable edits. For example, exterior shots may use one of several presets, interior shots use another, and some vehicles may need a different preset based on color. Is there a way in Lightroom to automate this workflow so presets are applied in batches to the right images, possibly using labels or collections, rather than manually editing each photo one by one?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
5y ago
2 Answers
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In LR you could identify the images you want a given preset applied to... i.e. select all of the images with a red truck and give them the red color label. And create a smart collection that pulls all of the images where the label color = red; plus any additional rule you see fitting. Then select the smart collection and apply your preset to all of the images within it.
The smart collection only has to be created once, and you would need to set one up for each preset. The smart collection is also "virtual;" the files remain in their original file structure/organizational locations.
I think the requirement to sequence through different edits (presets) as it steps through a sequence of different images is too much for any basic batch edit/action type function.
Originally by user70370. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user70370
5y ago
0
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Lightroom can automate part of this, but not the exact “image 1 gets preset A, image 2 gets preset B, image 3 gets preset C” sequence as a built-in batch function.
A practical Lightroom approach is to group images that need the same treatment, then apply a preset to each group at once. One community-suggested method is:
- assign a color label or other identifier to images that need a specific preset
- create Smart Collections based on those labels or rules
- select the images in each Smart Collection and apply the matching preset in one batch
This works well if your workflow is consistent, such as all interior shots getting one preset or all red vehicles getting another. Smart Collections only need to be set up once and don’t move your files.
So: Lightroom can batch-apply presets to categorized sets of images, but a true preset-by-position sequence isn’t something basic Lightroom batch editing is designed to do.
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