When should you use editing presets instead of adjusting every photo manually?

Question

I’m learning Aperture 3 and noticed it can save and apply custom presets. I understand presets are saved adjustment settings intended to speed up post-processing, but I’m unsure why I’d use them if every photo is different.

Since presets are usually based on a typical or average case, won’t they be less accurate than editing each image manually? Is the time saved worth any compromise in quality? In practice, are presets best treated as a final edit or just a starting point, and for what kinds of shoots do they help most?

user67 · Accepted Answer

Yes! While a preset is going to adjust for a common average and will not be perfect in most cases, they can get you close, and can be seen as a starting point.

Take for example a wedding photographer:

To greatly simplify things, you could say that there are a few basic shots that you take very often:

posed with flash lighting
ceremony pictures with indoor ambient
outdoor lighting as the couple leaves

You could manually adjust each image, and you will get pretty good at making all the adjustments and knowing what it is you want... or you could set a preset for each situation, and apply the preset when you encounter it.

If you treat a preset as a starting point, and not a final adjustment, then you will see the huge benefit here. Instead of making the basic changes that you would make for every outdoor shot of a bride and groom as they leave, you apply the preset then make a few minor adjustments for the specific image.

When should you use editing presets instead of adjusting every photo manually?

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