How can I create a warm, soft look while keeping the subject sharp?
Asked 2/25/2014
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I often see portraits with a warm, soft feel, but the main subject still looks sharp. I’ve tried curves and filters in Lightroom, but I can’t seem to recreate it. What creates this look: lens choice/aperture, white balance, contrast, split toning, or something else?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
12y ago
2 Answers
7
This is a duotone/split-tone image (between pink(ish) and green(ish)) + black.
The contrast is lowered, and colors are replaced from a gradient between pink and green.
You see this as "soft" because of reduced saturation, reduced contrast and reduced color jumps.
You see this as warm because the black point is increased (consequence of the reduced contrast) and also the color temperature is a bit lowered.
Maybe this page can help you with achieving this effect.
Originally by user24785. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user24785
12y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
This look is usually a combination of capture and editing, not just one filter.
To keep the subject sharp but make the image feel soft, use a shallow depth of field: a fairly wide aperture and relatively close focus distance will blur the foreground and background while leaving the subject in focus.
The “soft” feel also comes from processing:
- lower overall contrast
- reduced saturation / gentler color transitions
- slightly lifted blacks (higher black point)
- warm white balance
- in some cases, split toning / duotone-style grading, often pushing colors toward pinkish and greenish tones
So the sharpness is preserved on the subject, while the softness is created by out-of-focus areas plus lower-contrast color grading. If you’re editing in Lightroom, try starting with warmer white balance, reduced contrast, slightly lifted blacks, lower saturation, and subtle split toning.
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