Full disclosure: I'm obsessed with editing photos for Instagram. I love pulling out warm greens in my adventurous shots, and making blues a bit soft and faded. To some, it probably looks like I'm aimlessly scrolling on my phone for hours. But, I'm actually working with different filters and features. Amongst all of the apps you can use, the Adobe programs are my favorite. The best presets for Lightroom 2018, in particular, will give every one of your pictures an influencer's touch.
Even thinking about the 'Gram gets me so excited. *Dances a bit from the other side of the screen.* Over the years, I've found my own style and niche in social media, and discovered a whole world of modern-day artists. These are everyday people who picked up a camera or uploaded a video to YouTube, and are now creating content on the reg. You may not notice all the work that goes into each post at first glance, but there's so much going on behind-the-scenes.
It's understandable, though, that you don't want to dedicate that much time and effort to Instagram — that's totally OK. You want your feed to look like an influencer's, just without all of the work. Lucky for you, a lot of travel and lifestyle bloggers have created their own preset packs that you can purchase and use within Lightroom (on your laptop or the mobile version.) I rounded up some of my favs for this year.
Aspyn Ovard's presets are perfect for the summertime, when you want your feed to have a golden glow. They put a ray of sunshine into every picture, and bring out pops of color that would've otherwise fallen into the background.
If you're posting a selfie with an ice cream cone, or a cute snap from a beach day with your besties, these presets will also enhance the lighting. Blues will turn a bit teal, and pinks will start to be slightly orange. When you get to the 'Gram, you may find that the colors are too bold for your feed. Just bring down the warm tones a bit, or even the exposure, and you'll be good to go. Are you feeling like a fashion blogger, yet?
One of the latest editing trends is giving photos a vintage feel. This could be by adding in some grain to make the image look more rough and unclear, or a slight fade. You'll notice that the colors are muted and neutral, and the tones are more warm. Even blues, which are typically cool and bright, will appear dimmer and a bit yellow.
When it comes to landing this look, purchase a Ty French preset pack. This travel and lifestyle blogger who's based in Los Angeles has mastered it, without even pulling out a polaroid frame. Especially going into fall, you'll want to channel this particular influencer and his Instagram skills.
Teal and orange is really where it's at right now on Instagram. Filmmakers, photographers, and bloggers discovered that those two colors can make any photo or video feel like it's been taken in golden hour. So, no matter where or when you're traveling around the world, your pictures will have the best lighting.
Jaci Marie Smith is a content creator based out of California, and is probably one of my favorite YouTubers to date. Her vlogs have a similar editing style to her Instagram, and her husband Leif makes an appearance all the time. When I was traveling to the Pacific Northwest, I watched her video from Portland and was hooked. Now, I'm passing along her preset packs to you, because it's exactly what your feed needs to look like an influencer's.
Follow @zoelaz on Instagram for all the travel girl #goals. She's always heading off to some new destination, and her pictures will inspire you to start traveling as much as possible, too. Recently, she's been all over Europe, and spending days hanging in fields of flowers. Universe, if you're reading this, please know that's where I want to be.
When it comes to her Lightroom presets, they're probably my favorite for this year. They make every photo a bit brighter, and enhance colors without making them too bold. From images taken on a camera to ones that were just shot with an iPhone, every single 'Gram feels like a piece of film. For all you photographers out there, think 35mm or 50mm — and then hit the "buy" button.
Alex Gowon's presets and photography style are a recent discovery of mine, and I'm honestly in love. Like a lot of other content creators, he's found a way to fade colors and add a vintage feel to every photo. But, he focuses a lot on the composition of his pictures, too. So, every 'Gram is like a piece of art.
Now, you may not put that much thought into what's going into your frame, and that's totally fine. Purchasing his Lightroom presets alone will put your feed on the next level.
Truth is, it's a lot of work to be an influencer and not everybody has such a passion for Instagram. That doesn't mean that you can't make your profile look like a travel and lifestyle blogger's, though. It just takes an app and a little bit of splurging on presets this summer to land the best 'Gram.
